Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-10-22
How General Butler Saved His Vessel and
Men from Shipwreck.

The publishers of General Buffers forth
coming book are issuing advance slips
giving brief outline of what may be ex-
pected in that work. Among other mat
tiers they show something of General
Buffers adventure on Frying Pan Shoals,
when bound for Ship Island during the
war. From an advance notice we have re-
ceived we copy the following -
Owing to the carelessness or treachery
Of his ship captain, his transport steamer,
the MISSISSIPPI, ran heavily upon the
shoals. She had several regiments of
soldiers on board, and storm was coming
on. The shore was dozen miles away
and the boats were sufficient to take off
only very small part of those on board.
The captain was a traitor and the mate a
"dote," as Butler says in his forthcoming
book, and there was no one on board who
knew what to do. An anchor had been
dropped, but the vessel rolled upon it,
smashing a great hole in her bottom.
Luckily the ship had water tight compart-
ments. but the water poured in so rapidly
that it soon filed the forward compart-
ment up to the sealevel.
The lives of hundreds of men were de-
pendent upon the immediate action Of
man who knew nothing whatever of sea
manship.
Butler ordered out company of sol
dlers, with instructions to shoot the first
man who tried to lower boat He set
Others at work tightening the vessel by
throwing overheard everything in the
order in which it could best he spared.
The ship was lying at right angles with
ting shore and he sent men out in boats to
iuG the channel by sounding and to mark
u by anchoring pork-OsTrels from which
be had emptied the pork. He kept solid
Body Of men running back and forth the
Whole length of the vessel in order 10
ktcp her rocking so that She might not
settle IN the sand. He found out by the
nautical almanac just when The tide would
serve. When. after anxious hours. he
knew the tide to be at IL height, he order
ed every sail set and the instant they were
sLeeted home, he gave the word for the
cu-ine u be started al full speed.
The ship had Been resting part way over
8 narrow >hoal- The combined force of
sail and steam drove her few feet farther
on, and then Tie weight of her water
logged PROV broke down the bank of sand
ard she Sid forward into deep water.
such heartfelt cheers a. went up Butler
s4A~ be never heard before or since.
A. the writer Of this article was a ship
,'l''' '''' "oN'' - n"''ef Oh 'iie steamship
Mississippi on the voyage alluded t. above,
a few facts connected Herewith as We
remember them, NAY prove not altogether
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- N-ie99 zen Du'Ael' however
nav No''P'e'e Oo"''Oi VI A'"''eli anu MS
"Na'is' A. co''HlahulnS oincer OF the
troops lie was everywhere directing,
overseeing anu encouraging MS command
Ou- anyways counting himself 10 his leglti-
A-a'F hu'ie>' ana never interfering with the
h~l'lc@I 1AaiIS winch came under the luris-
aieloh OF Inc master OF the snip and his
SUBORDINATE 0Hcefs-
during The night We got both OF Gen.
Buffers braWny arms around our plebeian
neck IN a strong ana protracted hug. 1t
happened as lollo"s: den. Butler was
coming down from the deck and we were
standing oy the CABIN stars holding on to
the railing Win one hand and passing up
buckets OF water Will Inc other as they
came 70 Us rom lhe vicinity OF the en-
glhes' aloh2 the cordon OF soldiers en-
gaeeu ~ freeing the snip from water.
men ne WAS hai-"ay down the stairs
1ne mp '9Aiiis d Tremendous roll MS hoid