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

“ General, I prefer to go.”

“The devil you do! Look here, chaplain, the government has trusted the bodies of fifteen hundred of its soldiers to my care, and their souls to your care, and if your prayers are ever going to be of any use it will be about now, as it looks to me. You cannot go, sir,” and I turned away.

Night was closing down. The high tide was approaching, and the vessel was more and more uneasy. We put all the sail that we could upon her but did not “sheet it home,” that is, so set it that it would draw and exert any force on the ship. We got up all the steam we could. I went to the side of the vessel, dropped over the dipsy lead, a large, heavy ball of lead held fast to the bottom by its weight, and then drew the cord to which it was attached up to a mark on the ship's rail. Then,waiting until the wind lulled a moment, I gave the order: “Sheet home; jingle the engine bell.” I watched with breathless anxiety whether, with all the means of moving we could possibly have, and with all the tide that we could have, the ship would move.

The hold was full of water, and this, which we thought was our destruction, proved to be our salvation. The force of the sails and the pressure of the propeller started her; her weight broke down the bank of sand on which she was resting, and she moved forward into deep water. All was well and we were safe, and cheers uprose from that vessel, the like of which I never heard before and shall never hear again.

The stern of the ship was at least three feet higher than her bow, but we followed the Mt. Vernon to the mouth of Cape Fear River, and anchored. Here we lay quietly all night.

I made a thorough examination of the ship after she was put to rights, and found that her engine was all right and that her forward bulkhead would probably hold the pressure of water if it were stayed and supported somewhat with braces of joists. Accordingly, I decided we would try to go to Port Royal, if the Mt. Vernon would accompany us, where we hoped to be able to repair. Suspecting our men would be nervous because we appeared so much out of trim, and thinking that it would give them much confidence and comfort if I brought Mrs. Butler on board again to go in our vessel to Port Royal, I rowed to the Mt. Vernon. As I approached the quarter deck, whom should I see on her deck but my chaplain of the long flowing