1865 — Mar 31, Govt. steam transport General Lyon burns, Cape Hatteras, NC –~521-571

–~521-~571 Blanchard estimated death toll range.*

–~523-~571 Boots. “Passenger List of the Steamer General Lyon.” Accessed 12-28-2020.*
— 1 Crew; Captain Minott Ward, one of first to evacuate; boat pulled under.
–404 State Military Units
— 2 CT
–208 IL
— 9 IN
— 10 IA
— 6 IN
— ~8 MA
–~24 MI
— 1 MN
— 2 NH
— 1 NJ
–~51 NY
–~37 OH
–~28 PA
— 6 TN
— 3 VT
— 5 VA/WV
— 3 WI
— 2 U.S. Army (regular)
— 6 U.S. military; limited information – name, rank
— 1 Confederate deserter
— 1 John Emerson, status unknown
–108 Refugees (mostly NC and SC)
–~521-571 NYT. “Dreadful Fire at Sea. Five Hundred…Lost…General Lyon…,” 4-3-1865, p5.*
— ~500 Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine 1888. “Every Day’s Record, March.” 1889, p. 460.
— >500 NYT. “Events in 1865; Chronicle of…Occurrences for the Year.” 12-30-1865, p. 2.
— 500 NYT. “Dreadful Fire at Sea. Five Hundred…Lost…General Lyon…,” 4-3-1865, p. 5.
— <500 Report of the Supervising Inspector of Steamboats. 1865, p. 215.* -- 400 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 121. -- 400 Lytle / Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [US] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 268. -- 400 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 685. * Blanchard estimated death toll range. *Our reading of the Edward Boots website and of the New York Times of April 3, 1865 persuades us that the death toll was much higher than the sources we cite noting 400 deaths, or 500 or about 500 or over 500 deaths. *Boots website: The low end of this range is from our tally of named fatalities, omitting a number of ambiguous entries. The high end of the range is our number based on statement that approximately 600 people were onboard and that 29 survived (15 crew and 24 passengers). The names of the survivors and the fatalities are listed, and are broken out by crew, U.S. Army (all but two from State Regiments, arranged alphabetically by State, especially IL, NY, OH and PA) and refugees (mostly from NC and SC). *NYT, April 3: Our numbers. While the NYT headline notes 500 deaths, the first paragraph notes that from 550 to 600 people were thought to be aboard and that there were thought to be only 29 survivors. Thus we subtract 29 from 550 and from 600 to derive the range 521-571. *Supervising Inspector of Steamboats: As we note in the Supervising Inspector of Steamboats report below, the reference to “some five hundred” lives lost is in reference only to the “government troops” onboard “nearly all of whom were lost.” This does not include the more than 100 civilian refugees onboard, nearly all of whom were lost, nor the crew, most of whom survived. Narrative Information Berman: “General Lyon. St. s. Mar 25, 1865. Burned. Off Cape Hatteras, N.C. 400 lives lost.” (Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 121.) Boots: “Her passengers consisted of discharged soldiers, paroled prisoners of war (most of whom were from the Florence Stockade, SC & Salisbury Prison, NC) and refugees; including about thirty women and twenty-five small children. Out of approximately 600 passengers and crew only 34 are confirmed as survivors!” (Boots. “Passenger List of the Steamer General Lyon.”) Childs: “On the 31st of March, the steam-transport General Lyon, from Wilmington for Fortress Monroe, having on board between five and six hundred persons, caught fire when off Cape Hatteras, and was entirely consumed, and nearly all of those on board perished.” (Childs 1886, p. 209.) Lippincott’s: “The steam transport General Lyon caught fire when off Cape Hatteras, and was entirely consumed. There were on board more than five hundred persons, nearly all of whom perished.” (Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. “Every Day’s Record, March,” 1889, p. 460.) Supervising Inspector of Steamboats: “March 25 [sic], 1865. – The government steamer General Lyon was burned while on her voyage from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to Fortress Monroe, Virginia, having on board at the time some five hundred (500) government troops, nearly all of whom perished by the flames. Vessel entirely destroyed. Reported to have originated by accident.” [Blanchard: Does not mention the more than 100 civilian refugees on board, nearly all of whom died.] (“Report of the Supervising Inspector of Steamboats,” in U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the State of the Finances for The Year 1865. Page 215.) Newspapers and Periodicals of 1865 April 2, Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye: “New York, April 2.—The steamer Gen. Sedgwick from Wilmington 28th has arrived. She reports that on the 31st, 6:30 a.m., off Hatteras saw a steamer on shore on fire, which was the Gen. Lyon from Wilmington for Fortress Monroe, with from 400 to 500 troops and refugees on board. Wind blowing a gale could not land boats, but went as near to her as possible, and picked up as many as we could from the boats, wood-work, etc. Seven were taken to the hospital at Wilmington. The list given of the saved by the Sedgwick comprises only 29, including most of the officers of the Lyon, and a few refugees and soldiers of the 99th, 89th and 69th N.Y., 52d and 56th Ill., 5th Ohio, &c. A schooner was seen picking up men, but do not know how many she saved.—When the Sedgwick left the Lyon had burned to a shell, and was last…[unclear] on the breakers.” (Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye, IA. “Steamer Burned—Great Loss of Life,” April 8, 1865, p. 4.) April 3, NYT: “The steamer Gen. Sedgwick, which arrived at this port at noon yesterday, brought as passengers twenty-nine persons saved from the wreck of the transport steamer Gen. Lyon, which took fire off Cape Hatteras on the morning of Friday last [March 31], and was totally destroyed. The Gen. Lyon had on board from five hundred and fifty to six hundred souls. The twenty-nine who arrived here yesterday are believed to be all that was saved. “It appears from the statements of these men that the Gen. Lyon, a screw steamer which had formerly been used as a blockade-runner, sailed from Wilmington for Fortress Monroe, on the morning of Wednesday last [29th], with nearly six hundred persons on board, including the crew. “Her passengers consisted of discharged and paroled soldiers, escaped prisoners and refugees, among whom were about thirty women and twenty-five small children….The weather was fair on leaving Wilmington, but the steamer put into the port of Smithfield for the night and resumed her voyage on the following morning. Soon after leaving Smithfield the wind, which was blowing from the southwest, increased in violence, and the vessel, which was a very slow one, made but little progress. At ten o’clock on Friday morning she was off Cape Hatteras, the wind having increased to a hurricane and the sea running very high. It is believed that the vessel was about sixty miles from land when an alarm of fire was given, and in a few minutes afterward the flames broke out at the rear of the pilot-house and nearly in the centre of the vessel. Several of the crew were in the rigging, and there were very few persons on deck at the time, many of the passengers being confined to their berths by sickness. The first mate…and the other officers of the vessel immediately put the fire pumps to work, with which and the requisite quantity of hose, the vessel was well provided. But the flames steadily gained headway, and although the pumps were worked with unflinching perseverance, the fire soon spread over the centre portion of the deck, driving the crew and those who were assisting them to the stern and bow of the vessel. The hatches had been closed in consequence of the decks being so constantly under water, but those below, alarmed by the smoke which was spreading through the cabins, rushed on deck only to be driven back by the flames. The frightful shrieks of the women and children, and their piteous supplications for help were drowned by the roaring of the storm. Several of the paroled soldiers were sick and confined to their berths. Some of them managed to crawl on deck, and clung there until washed overboard by the waves. In about half an hour after the fire broke out, the engines partially stopped, and the vessel immediately swung round with her broadside to the wind, the flames then spreading across the deck. “It had now become quite evident that the ship could not be saved. The first officer acted with great courage, and only abandoned the vessel when all hopes of saving her were gone. The fire pumps were still kept at work, and the flames were fought back with great determination. Many of those below were doubtless already suffocated. The shrieks and moans of the dying came up to those on deck, but they could do nothing to help them. Just at this time a steamer, which proved to be the United States transport Gen. Sedgwick, Capt. Starkey, and a small schooner, hove in sight. But neither of them could render any assistance, owing to the violence of the storm, and the fact that the burning steamer had drifted in toward the breakers. The flames were now spreading with fearful rapidity. The boats were launched, although there appeared to be little hope of their living in such a sea. Into the first boat ten men lowered themselves, including the Captain of the General Lyon. It is affirmed by several of those who escaped that the Captain had lost all control of himself, and was evidently crazed with fear. Hardly had this boat been loosed from the vessel’s side than she drifted under her…[unclear] was struck by the screw, and almost instantly went down….A second boat was launched, and to this twenty-seven persons, including the First Mate, John Hayden, lowered themselves and succeeded in reaching the General Sedgwick, which was about a mile and a half distant. As the boat touched the steamer’s side a wave dashed her violently against it, and she filled and went down. Of the twenty-seven persons in the boat, seven only were saved…. In the meantime a number of the men had thrown themselves over board trusting to a spar for support….One man, Isaiah C. Colby, of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, after working at the fire pumps until he was almost exhausted, seized one of the doors of the galley and sprang overboard. He was in the water three hours before he was picked up. Others were also in the water for several hours, and many, doubtless, sank before assistance could be rendered. It is supposed that the schooner did not succeed in rescuing any of them. “When the General Sedgwick left, being unable to render further assistance, the ill-fated steamer was drifting in towards the frightful breakers off Cape Hatteras. She was then burned down to the water’s edge, and every soul on board had doubtless perished. “In regard to the origin of the fire, it was stated by the First Mate, while on board the General Sedgwick, that there were several barrels of kerosene oil in the engine room, and these being shaken down by the rolling of the vessel, fell on the boiler, and of course were quickly ignited. A barrel of oil was also kept in the same room, and this served to feed the flames.” (NYT. “Dreadful Fire at Sea. Five Hundred Lives Lost…U.S. Transport Steamer General Lyon Burned off Cape Hatteras.” 4-3-1865, p. 5.) April 6, NYT: “Wilmington, N.C., Thursday, April 6, 1865. “Below will be found as complete a list as the transportation records here furnish of the passengers on board the steamer Gen. Lyon, which burned off Hatteras last Thursday. She sailed from Smithville on Wednesday, and took a larger number of passengers than any other vessel that has left this port since our occupation of it. Her boats, properly manned, could save one hundred, and there were several sail in sight at the time of the accident, so that quite a number may have been saved: [we omit the listings].” (New York Times. “The Gen. Lyon Disaster. Complete List of he Passengers and Crew.” 4-14-1865, p. 1. April 15, Harper’s: “On the 31st of March the steam. transport General Lyon, from Wilmington for Fortress Monroe, having on board between five and six hundred persons, including a number of soldiers and male and female Southern refugees, caught fire when off Cape Hatteras, and was entirely consumed. The flames were ignited by a light coming in contact with a kerosene barrel, and in a very short time the whole vessel was enveloped. The General Sedgwick and a schooner were both near the General Lyon while she was burning; but notwithstanding every effort was made to give succor, very few of the unfortunate passengers could be rescued, owing to the high wind and the heavy sea. The scene is described as most heart rending. Many, including women and children, in their terror jumped into the water to escape a fiery death, only to be swallowed up by the waves, while others remained on board and were devoured by the flames. Out of the entire number, only thirty-five or forty are so far known to have been saved, though hopes are entertained that some others may have been picked up.” (Harper’s Weekly, “News Items,” 4-15-1865, p. 227.) Dec 30, NYT: “March….31. – The Gen. Lyon, transport, burned off Hatteras, over 500 lives being lost.” (New York Times. “Events in 1865; Chronicle of Noteworthy Occurrences for the Year.” 12-30-1865, p. 2.) Sources Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972. Boots, Edward Nicholas Jr. “Passenger List of the U.S. Army Transport Steamer General Lyon.” (Website). Accessed 12-28-2020 at: http://edwardboots.com/index.php/civil-war-research/general-lyon-disaster/ Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye, IA. “Steamer Burned—Great Loss of Life” [General Lyon], April 8, 1865, p. 4. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=777601 Childs, Emery E. A History of the United States In Chronological Order From the Discovery of America in 1492 to the Year 1885. NY: Baker & Taylor, 1886. Google digitized. Accessed 9-4-2017: http://books.google.com/books?id=XLYbAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Harper’s Weekly Magazine. “News Items,” April 15, 1865, p. 227. Accessed 12-28-2020 at: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1865/April/general-winthrop-death.htm Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine 1888. “Every Day’s Record,” Vol. XLIII, January to June 1888, 1889. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=nLURAAAAYAAJ Lytle, William M., compiler, from Official Merchant Marine Documents of the United States and Other Sources; Holdcamper, Forrest H. (Editor, and Introduction by). Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. “The Lytle List.” Mystic, CT: Steamship Historical Society of America (Publication No. 6), 1952. Accessed 8-16-2020 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015018039084&view=1up&seq=8&size=125 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages. New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Government Steam4er Burned – Great Loss of Life.” 4-3-1865, p. 4. Accessed 12-28-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-apr-03-1865-p-4/ New York Times. “Dreadful Fire at Sea. Five Hundred Lives Lost. The U.S. Transport Steamer General Lyon Burned off Cape Hatteras.” 4-3-1865, p. 5. Accessed 12-28-2020 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1865/04/03/archives/dreadful-fire-at-sea-five-hundred-lives-lost-the-us-transport.html New York Times. “Events in 1865; Chronicle of Noteworthy Occurrences for the Year.” 12-30-1865, p. 2. Accessed 12-28-2020 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1865/12/30/archives/events-in-1865-chronicle-of-noteworthy-occurrences-for-the-year.html New York Times. “The Gen. Lyon Disaster. Complete List of he Passengers and Crew.” 4-14-1865, p. 1. Accessed 12-28-2020 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1865/04/14/archives/the-gen-lyon-disaster-complete-list-of-the-passengers-and-crew.html Supervising Inspector of Steamboats (U.S.). “Report of the Supervising Inspector of Steamboats,” in United States Secretary of the Treasury. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the State of the Finances for The Year 1865. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1865. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-194/report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-year-1865-5509/report-supervising-inspector-steamboats-302219