Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-08-01
AN UNREWARDED HERO.
SAVED SEVENTEEN LIVES AT A CRIT
lCAL TIME IN THE WAR.

sumo OF tne wen whose Lives He saved.
The Story of the Deed as Told by himself.
In making the calls as census enuu orator
at the residences of the people in the Third
ward, Allegheny, Henry Hauck called at
a house on Ferry street, and after max
ing the usual inquiries about the social
condition of the family the young lady
who answered his questions stated that her
father, Demetrius p George, had been en-
gagged in the late war, and took active part
in the engagement between the Confeder-
ate ironclad Merrimac and the Monitor.
The enumerator had heard that Mr. George
saved the lives of seventeen sailors of the
warship Cumberland. In the enumera-
tors report to the authorities at Washing
ton he stated this fact. This was how the
story leaked out.
Mr.. George was found at his home, No.
81 Ferry street, and when asked to tell of
his connection with the battle said he did
not wish anything published about his &C.
ton during the conflict. He was finally
prevailed upon to tell the story of his
rescung the men.
Mr.. George is a native of Thessaly, and
speaks English with a Greek accent, but
related the story very graphically never
theless. The deed which he performed
never received any official recognition from
the naval authorities, but all who were en-
gagged in the great battle will doubtless re-
member the daring deed of Mr.. George
who ever after was called the Greek
Hero" AT the age of IA Mr.. George left
his home and took up the life of a seaman
After travelling around the world five times
he came to America and made his home in
New York. Life on shore had none of the
fascinating charms for him that the more
| fa of
and he became restless again and returned
to his first love. He engaged as sailor on
a merchant ship plying between New York
and the East Indies. The ship had large
cargo OF goods to sail with; but just at this
time the war broke out, and the captain,
named Webster concluded not to sail In
stead the ship started for the south, where
things were assuming a lively aspect. The
captain disposed of his cargo and offered
his ship to the United States for service.
THE MERRIMAC's FIRST FIGHT
Mr.. George accompanied the vessel to the
scene of action, about seven miles above
Fortress Monroe, to a place called Newport
News, where the Union soldiers were es-
tablished in fort with guns covering the
harbor. The Merrimac was at this time
wooden vessel, with four broadside and
two pivot guns. One of the first ships to
"
was Capt. Webster's After the destruc-
ton of this boat Mr.. George offered his
services to the Union navy, but as he was
a foreigner they would not allow him to
enlist at this time. He went to the port at
Newport News and assisted the forces
there. The story in which he figured
prominently is best told by himself He
said
The southerners had raised the Merri-
mac and made it an ironclad gunboat,
which made it the most formidable foe the
Union gunboats had to contend with. The
Cumberland returned to Newport News
then, and made preparations for an attack
from the gunboat. The Merrimac came
out few days afterward and steamed up
the bay, and the Cumberland started down
to meet the queer looking craft. All the
crew thought the battle would be brief,
and few well directed shots from the
Cumberland would sink the boat, but they
were sadly mistaken. The Merrmac came
up boldly, and when both boats were op-
posite the fort at Newport News they be-
gan to open up fire fiercely. The Merri-
mac was mounted with two guns on each
of the four sides of its square deck
THE Cumberland directed four side and
two pivot guns on what they thought was
a frame house erected on a fiat hull but
with no effect The crew of the Cumber-
land became badly disconnected at not see
ing the gunboat 90 down under the steady
fire, and they all became panic stricken
and ran about the boat in great excitement.
| was in the fort at the time, carving am
munition to the gunners who had six large
guns directed at the Merrimac, which with
stood the fire unlnchingly. The tide was
fast going out, and with it the Cumber-
land swung around and placed itself in
such position that it could not use the
broadside guns. A few well directed shots
/ from the Merrimac put large gap in the
Cumberland, which filled the hold of the
vessel in few minutes, and the boat went
down, drowning great number of the
crew.
DESPERATE VENTURE.
"The masts and rigging of the shin re-
manned above the water when the shin
sunk, and on this number of the crew
sought to save themselves The seamen
went to the top of the masts and remained
in that position while the once stanch craft
disappeared beneath the waters. The gum
ners on the Merrimac, noticing the sailors
in the rigging. turned their guns on them
and tried to Dust them from the temporary
shelter the rigging afforded them, but the
aim was erring and the rebels SAW that it
/ was OHlH a waste VI powder ana shell.
They then concentrated their forces on the
fort, leaving one gun still banging away at
the sailors in the rigging of the Cumber-
land.
81 saw no person make any attempt at
rescuing the sailors So asked permission
of the commander of the forces in the fort
to take small gig out to the sunken ship
to rescue the men from the rigging of the
sunken vessel The position of the Cum
berland at this time was directly opposite
the fort and between the fort and the Mer-
rimac. A heavy fusillade of cannon balls
whizzed back and forth over the mast of
the ship since the Merrmac had opened
upon the fort, and the sailors were in i'm
minent peril all this time. got the boat
out and pulled hard for the wreck. The
men began TO be discouraged and two of
them fell from the rigging to the water,
never to come up again.
"After considerable exertion | reached
the wreck just as a marine fell from ex-
haustion and loss of blood, which was
caused by wound he received from piece
of a flying she'll / reached out my hand
| to save him. AS he descended grabbed