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

[807] He did little more than wake up. He supposed that some boat had burst her boiler, but he did not even rise from his bed. He says also that nothing in the fort, animate or inanimate, was injured by the explosion.

Porter's admission that he was so afraid that it would explode the boilers of his steamers twenty-five miles away unless their steam was run down,¹ shows him as ridiculous in his cowardice as he was false in his statements.

Let me close this matter of the powder-boat by saying that here was another of my enterprises to do a service for the country rendered fruitless because the preparation of it was intrusted to the navy who, through some of its officers, failed utterly to carry it out properly. I was blamed and ridiculed for the powder-boat all over the country, and those who ridiculed me knew no more of the subject than they knew of the events of an unknown world. Thus it will be seen that this experiment was another of Butler's failures through the inefficiency of some of the officers of the navy, as we have already seen was Dutch Gap Canal by the cowardice of another officer of the navy who was afterwards convicted therefor. Yet the experiment was approved to be made by a board of officers detailed as experts by the President and the Secretary of the Navy. They arranged and carried it out. This board was approved by Porter and Grant, and over it I did not and could not exercise the slightest control, even as to indicating the time for the explosion.

By the gallantry of General Terry and his brave troops another expedition which was afterwards sent down was successful in assaulting the fort, I admit most willingly, but this throws no light on the question, and by and by I may consider the motives for sending it down. Sherman with his army had at that time nearly or quite enveloped North Carolina or was proceeding in his victorious march to do so. In less than thirty days he would be behind Wilmington which must of course fall as did Savannah. That would stop the blockade running into Wilmington as effectually as it was done by the expenditure of a large amount of money and the loss of some thousand lives. When I have made this remark before I have been answered: “You set the numbers high; Terry lost only seven hundred killed and wounded in the assault.”