Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-20
BEN BUFFERS cool NERVE
HOw he saved sixteen Hundred Lives
when Transport was
stranded.


The death OF General scrren In New
York recalls a story OF General Butler
with whom serrell was closely associated
in 1854 In an interview William Bailey Of
Quinc., told the story:
n was the chief cook OF the famous But
Ter transport Mississippi, which took the
noted Massachusetts, general and two regi-
ments OF his New Orlean expeditions to
Ship island In February. 1850. The regi-
ments were the Thirty-1rst Massa chusetts
and the Fifteenth Maine, in all l,6UO men.
and only SIS. said General Butler In my
pocket for contingencies
The Mississippi sailed from Fortress
Monroe on February s5 and on the 9th
the ship struck a sand bank on the Frying
Pan shoals, OF Cape HAtteras. The cap
tain of the steamer. whose name was Full
ton, had showed much inattentioh TO duty
before the mishap occurred and General
Butler had begun to mistrust the loyalty
OF his sailing master
THE ships position had been roughly
calculated. and all hands. with no assist
ance i'm sight. were certainly in bad pre-
dlcament for several hours.
THE port anchor had been let go as
soon as the ship touched bottom" con-
tinued Mr. Bailey, and a hole was stove
in the side of the ship by one Of tho an
Choir fukes Lieutenant Fiske, afterward
a general and we'll known I'm Lowell. soon
reported that the ship was making water
in the outer compartment, and tho situa-
ton was desperate. indeed with the com
mandinE general was Mrs. Butler, the only
representative OF her sex. believe, aboard,
and the general. for once in his life, was
in sore distress over the plight in which
he found himself.
among all the men aboard there were
no navigators who were competent to take
the place OF the ships captain, who was
a prisoner under guard In the pilot house,
and just what would have become Of the
Mississippi. with its nearly 1900 Aouls on
board. it is hard to say bad not the block
aiding steamer Mount Vernon. Captain O.
c. Gibson. hove in sight and discovering
that we were aground bore down to rem
der such aid as was in tie power.
Mrs. Butler was transferred to the
Mt Vernon, and Colonel Neal Dow. with
800 Of his Maine men, was ordered to the
relieving ship. But Colonel Dow and his
men all refused 10 leave the Mississippi,
and General Butler then declared he would
be the last man to leave the ship As the
men expected the general would also go
aboard the Mt Vernon this announcement
was received with cheers
The water in the Missssippis hold"
continued Mr.. Bailey. proved it's salvation.
for the increased weight OF the vessel
seemed to crush the sandbank beneath Il
and thus rendered the task Of the Mt
Vernon to haul the transport into deep
water much less difficult Job. The steamer
was hoated, a sailing master was furnished
from the Mt Vernon and the mississippi
was safely navigated to Port Royal for
temporary repairs.
But for the GOODNESS and the resource
fulness OF General Butler" said Mr. Bailey.
ION this very trying occasion there might
have occurred one OF the saddest disasters
OF the war. But the general was active in
all parts of the ship keeping hls stan
members at all sorts OF duty, calling on this
man to heave the lead and some other man
to keep a lookout for approaching vessels
others to watch the hostile Fort Macon,
only FIVE miles away, while still Others
were noting the dangerous increase Of
water in the ships hold He seemed to
do about everything but sail the ship.
But as the vessel was hard aground he
could not do that He did stop the leak
however, at Port Royal. and the ship finally
reached Ship island without further Incl
dent
MOI only DID we make our port all
right" said Mr.. Bailey. hut we had severnl
thousand tons OF coal in the hold which
was real godsend to the fleet OF Admiral
Farragut. Ours was the first transport
that steamed up the river to New Orleans"
concluded Mr.. Bailey, land as no one
ashore would throw us line General
Butler ordered a boats crew out for>that
purpose.
THE reception we got that day from the
crowds on the dock was OF the frostiest
kind, and but for the guns Of the fleet we
might have had another close shave. Since
the war have been In various ships but
never shall forget that trip Of the Missis-
sipp when the bravery and activity OF
General Butler saved the lives Of all on
board."-Chicago Inter Ocean.