Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

“No,” he said, “I have never tested them.”

I turned to the mate and said: “Mate, can you tell by going below?”

“ Oh, yes; very easily.”

“ Find out and report to me.”

While he was gone I turned to the captain and said: “I don't think your life is safe here, sir. The men were a good deal infuriated toward you even before they learned of your conduct with the anchor. Step into your room, sir, and don't attempt to come out of it or have a conference with anybody without orders. Lieutenant Fiske, put a sentry at the captain's door, and don't let him out or anybody confer with him, except by my order.”

Meanwhile one of my staff came to me and said: “General, when I was forward among the crew I heard the sailors say that the mate and the engineer would take boats and get ashore.”

I at once instructed him to have good men to guard the boats, and let no one interfere with or touch them without my order.

“ Bring the mate and the engineer aft,” said I, “and clear the quarter deck.”

The engineer and mate came aft, and I began to talk with them, I found the engineer very quick and prompt to answer everything about his engine. He said that it was in good condition; that it worked until after the anchor was thrown and then stopped regularly, and he had no doubt that it would work now. I talked with the mate and found him almost a dote. He attempted to answer only a single question, and that we put to him theoretically about some ordinary matter about the ship's tackle. Beyond that he did not seem to know anything.

I directed the mate to go forward and put everything in order on board the ship. I went into the engineer's room to have him start the engine and keep it running, in order to work out, by the motion of the propeller, the sand from under the after part of the ship. I asked him to take great pains to see that the engine and propeller worked well and regularly, which he promised to do.

Meanwhile Captain Davis reported that we had struck about two hours after the change of tide, now at ebb. Then, looking at my situation, I became almost overwhelmed and distracted. Here I was, in an iron ship of fifteen hundred tons, with a hole in her so large