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

Now the usual way of ballasting a ship is to fill it up with stones, take them to the end of the voyage, and then throw them overboard. But I had to return the vessels in ballast. I saw that anthracite coal was steadily rising in the market when our equipment was forwarded from Boston, and I assumed that if I ballasted all my ships with anthracite coal the coal would be worth more when it got back to Boston after having gone down to Ship Island, than it was when I put it on board, and so something very considerable might be saved to the government. I had therefore directed my quartermaster to buy coal enough and put it on board to ballast all the ships on their return voyage.

“ Well, Admiral,” I said, “I guessed that somebody might want coal and so I brought a large quantity with me. I have twenty-five hundred or three thousand tons that I can let you have as fast as you can put it on board your ships, and I will ballast back again with dry sand if I can find nothing else.”

“ Why, this is almost providential,” the flag-officer said.

“ Yes,” I answered, “I provided it.”

“ But,” said he, “how can you in the army let the navy have the coal? Your army regulations are against it, are they not?”

“ I never read the army regulations,” said I, “and what is more I sha'n't, and then I shall not know I am doing anything against them, If the navy uses the coal for the benefit of the government, I, as a lawyer, know that the government will never get the pay for it out of me again.”

It took days to get the coal matter settled. I may refer to this again, for the result of this proceeding on my part brought upon me great obloquy, as my accounts were not regular.

Another trouble at the same time came upon me, which might have had somewhat fearful results. It was another example of the fact that a junior officer, except in case of dire necessity, ought never to interfere with the action of his senior officer without orders. What General Phelps did, as we shall see, was done honestly and, as far as he knew, properly; but it might have entirely nullified our whole expedition, and possibly have turned back most men.

I had chartered the Constitution at three thousand dollars a day. She could steam fifteen miles an hour, and before I left Washington I had sent her to Ship Island twice, once with three thousand men and