Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-11-05

Gin. b. 7. BUTLER-soNE "REMINISCENCES
or MAINE vETERAN.
On Tuesday evening, February 25. 1862.
the new transport steamer Mississippi. then
on her first voyage. having on board four
Of the Thirteenth Maine Regi-
meui. the whole OF The Thirty frs, Massa-
ohuselIs Regiment. Gen. Butler and staff,
and several other officers gong South TO
JOIN their command. making IN the aggre-
gate about 1900 men. sailed from Hampton
roads. he Mississippi had previously sail
ed on this voyage, February 20, 1862, from
Boston for Ship Island. and merely called al
For'rcs, Monroe TO take on board Gen. But.
Ter and staff
On Wednesday evening, February 26, We
encountered of Ha,tera. a mos, terrific
gale. and while It wa. at its height, and
With our ship drawing eighteen feet Of water,
We found ourselves in but little more than
six fa,homs.in close proximity TO a lee shore,
with tremendous sea tossing Us about like
an egg- shell. Once We touched bottom and
th. ship ,remhled and shook from truck to
keeIson. as f some relentless monster OF the
deep were tearing asunder her yer, timbers.
Lucky for u the blow wa. no, repeated
The rank and file Of the men were quar-
tered on the second deck to which light was
admitted by several roof shaped, glass sky
lights These, for which there were no cev-
erings, were demolished by the sea which
was continually boarding the steamer, and
through the apertures thus made, the water
passed IN large quantities to the deck below
In short time. therefore, the water. to the
depth Of nearly foot, was swashIRg across
TINS deck on which were the engine fires
which were in great danger OF being extin-
ggished. With this danger IN view about
twenty 1--WE men. mnn, of them from Han
cock and Washington counties. Maine, IN
answer TO a call from the master Of the ship.
volunteered to bail water, at which labor We
continued necessarily from midnight until
ten O'Clock the following forenoon.
As the Massachusetts, regiment was re-
cruIted near the Connecticut river and a
large majority of its members had never
seen salt water before, they found themselves
IN a more unvouted element than did the
Maine men many Of whom were raised on the
coast and had had more or less experience on
the rolling deep" As might very natur-
ally be expected many were sick and some
were frightened. Never before did | wit
ness such sight. Beneath their very
berlhs a large volume of water rolled and
swashed with Increasing tumult. The oaths,
the groans, and especially the retchings Of
the poor SICK soldiers. all mingled together,
were heard above the bowling of the tenn
pes, and the roar of the waves.
The military officers on board, were, as a
rule, more or less demoraized by sea-siok-
ness. Gen. Butler, however, had complete
control Of himself and his resources. As
commanding officer Of the troops, be was
eyeryw here. directing. overseeing and en-
coursging his command. but always con
ining himself to his legitimate duties, and
never interfering with the nautical affairs
which came under the jurisdiction Of the
master of The ship and his subordinate Off
GERS.
During the night got both Of Gea. But
ler's brawny arms around my pebelan neck
IN strong and protracted hug. II happen
ed as follows: Gen. Butler was coming dow n
from the deck, and was standing by the
cabin stairs. holding on 10 the railing with
one hand and passing up buckets Of water
with the other as they came TO me from the
vicinity Of the engines along the Gordon of
soldiers engaged in freeing the ship from
water. When he was halfway down the
stairs, the ship taking a tremendous roll,
his hold broke from the railing. and, to save
himself from. falling. he threw both arms
around my neck. | struggled to keep nv
hold Of the railing. and he, TO keep his hold
on me. After a gallant contest with old
Neptune who seemed, in spite Of our en-
deavors to prevent it, determined to floor
us both, | had the great pleasure of seeing
my General standing on the cabin floor, un-
hurt.
By noon, February 81, the gale had so
far abated. that comparative comfort pre-
vailed on board and all went well until
Saturday morning March L. when, at about
eight o'clock, in plain sight of the land. the
ship stranded on FRYING Pan Shoals, near
the entrance to Cape Fear River, \. e., on
which is situated the city of Whining on,
thrty-four miles from the sea. As soon as
the ship stopped, the military ''otficer of the
day" gave the command: "All hands go for
ward - which Capt. Fulton, the master of
the Mississippi, ,angrily countermanded with :
"All hands Aft command this ship ~
After minute or two, Capt. Fulton com
manded, ''Let go the anchor" 1t dropped
to the bottom under the bow, and its bill,
at the first surge of the ship ahead with the
lifting sea, made large aperture in the
iron steamers prov, into which the water
poured, filling in very short time the for
ward or first Of the three water-tight COM
partments into which the ship was divided.
The captains next move was TO cause the
flag to be set in the rigging, "union down,
we'll understood sign of distress. There
being none in sight, so far as We knew, but
rebels, the signal was construed by the
troops as an invitation to the enemy to come
out and take us prisoners. Gen. Butler took
in the situation at once, and promptly and
very decidedly commanded, "Hsul down
that flag and set it union up-union up and
union forever"'
In addition to the small arms of the in
fantry on board, our weapons of defense con-
sisted of one small brass pivot gun only.
There was nothing, therefore. to prevent an
armed rebel vessel from taking safe posi-
tion entirely out of reach Of our guns and
utterly destroying US with her own. Gen.
Butler, however, ordered the troops to load
their muskets and await further develop
ments.
In a short time a small steamer, evident
" armed, las seen approaching us from
the entrance to Wilmington. At sight of
her we could not help contemplating the
probabilities of a rebel prison, most cheer
less and uninviting; but our anxiety was
soon relieved, for turning our gaze seward
we were gladdened by the sight of a United
States war steamer approaching US from the
ofipg. This vessel proved 70 be the gun