News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-09-13
GEN. BUTLER GOT THE AMERICA.
The Statesman Tells the Story of H lis
Becoming a Yachtsman.
IFrom the st. Paul Pioneer.l

1t is matter of history that the feet
and famous yacht America was employ
ed during the civil war as a blockade
runner at the mouth of the Mississippi
River that she was seized by the
United States Government, and after a
while placed in service as a despatch
boat ; and that finally she was purchased
of the Government by her present
| owner, bluff old Ben Butler. It will be
| remembered that Ben Butler was in st.
Paul few weeks ago attending the
session of the United States District
| Conrt. While here he related the cir
| cumstances connected with that famous
| purchase to a company of st. Paul gen.
| tlemen. 1t was at the Minnesota Club,
after good dinner. AS the details of
the story were not familiar to most of
the gentlemen sitting around the board,
it may be presumed that the general
public hereabout has never heard them.
On the occasion of that purchase Butler
was no less shrewd and sagacious than
people have credited him with being on
many other occasions.
Some of the gentlemen at the Mime
sofa Club had made an inquiry regard
ing the yacht America of its distinguish
ed owner. ''By the way" remarked
Butler after answering the question,
'tyou may not be aware that 1 acquired
that yacht under somewhat peculiar cir
cumstances." And then, lying back in
his chair and lighting q fresh cigar, he
told how it was.
He went back to the famous Lamar
case, in which he was employed as coun-
sci, recovering the sum of 1855, 900 for
his client in compensation for cotton
destroyed during the war. This client
Lamar, by the way, is an uncle of
United States Judge L. Q. q. Lamar,
and before the war was one of the
wealthiest slave owners and dealers in
the South. The decision of the Su-
preme Court in this cotton case was very
important, inasmuch as it declared the
civil and legal status of ex-rebels under
the general amnesty to be exactly the
same as before they had rebelled.
Butler not only recovered the sum of
1856, 900 for his client, but collected it
without delay under power of attorney
at the United States Treasury. Lamar,
acting on Buffers advice, had in the
meantime gone to New York, and the
latter mailed the draft for the big sum
to him before he left the Treasury build
ing. He was just i'll the nick of time,
for he had no more than posted the
draft before the Marshal of the District
of Columbia showed up with an order to
restrain him from letting the draft go
out of his hands A day or two after
ward Ben received q check for $25, 900,
which was tho amount of his fee as
counsel in that case.
Lamar was evidently very grateful.
Some time afterward he met the sa-
gacious lawyer in New York.
General" he remarks, 'have you a
yacht?"
Butler was yachtless at the time, and
replisd d accordingly.
'I have yacht, General, that l will
make you present of, if you care any
thing about sailing. It is the yacht
America that gained a great fame years
ago the fastest sniler in the world AZ [
I owned the yacht. She was employed .
for running the bleckades during the .
war, but was finally chased into Louis
lana bayou by Government cruiser and
sunk. She is now at the navy yard at .
but as she was never form
ally confscated and condemned, [ do
not think the Government has any right
and title to her.
Butler accepted the gift with the ex-
plantations. Then he hunted up the re
cord. He found that certain formalities
had not been complied with in connec-
tion with the seizure of the yacht, and
that the Government had no legal right
to her. He then goes to the Secretary
of the Navy and remarks;
"Mr. Secretary you have in the neigh
borhood boat that belongs to q client
of mine.''
"What yacht is that ?"
"Ihe America. Has she ever been con-
demned?"
"No, believe she has not"
'Well, my client is citizen of the
United States, and he wants his prop
erty. 1t is too late for you to condemn
her now."
The Secretary objected that the Gov
ernment had laid cut $25, 900 or $35, 900
on the yacht in repairs and renovation,
and claimed that it should at least be
for the outpay before the
yacht went into other hands. Ben
Butler did not view the matter in the
same light.
"What would you be willing to allow
the Government then Z" asked the Sec
cetary.
L am WllllnS To allOW, salu Ine aSGut6 .
nero of forensic fields, san amount equal
20 what it would cost to prosecute suit
20 recover the yacht"
"What is thatl"
GIVE thousand dollars"
Well, of course there was good deal
If talk and negotiation, but in the end
Butler came out ahead, as usual. The
Secretary of the Navy agreed to declare
he vessel useless and put her up at auc-
ion. On the day of the auction Butler
lad his representative on the scene. This
representative, according to instructions
'aised the question of title, and plainly
showed all other persons present that
he Government had not title to give
With the vessel. The yacht was struck
off to him for $4,000.
And thus it was that bluff Ben Butler
obtained one of the finest and most
-aluable sailing yachts in the world at
,rice that would not pay for the furnit-
ire in her cabin. After getting hold of
he vessel he had his old client present
lim with clear bill of sale for her.