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Telescope 3 Tale of the TURNCOAT TUGBOAT By Richard J. Wright With the emphasis on the Civil War Centennial celebrations today, one does not have to look far for some connection with the Great Lakes. One little-known story is that of the Lake Erie "turncoat tugboat," UNCLE BEN. For the first four years of her life, she led a normal existence engaged in tawing in and around Buffalo, N.Y. She had been built at Buffalo in 1856 by Bidwell and Banta, for Jacob W. Banta, Benjamin and Vincent Bidwell, and Sidney Shepard,all of Buffalo (Permanent Enrollment #199, Buffalo, October 14, 1856). She was registered as being 95 feet long, 20 feet 5 inches wide, had a depth of 9 feet, and was 155 31/95ths tons. UNCLE BEN was subsequently ovmed by Harvey M. and Leander W. Mixer of Buffalo (Permanent Enrollment #20, Buffalo, March 27, 1357); Harrison B. and Leander W. Mixer of Buffalo (Permanent Enrollment #144# Buffalo, September 14, 1857); and David R. Morse, Henry E. Perine,and Morris Hazard, all of Buffalo (Permanent Enrollment #61, Buffalo, July 13, 1859). at Dn December 31, 1359, the Buffalo tugboat was sold to Andrew F. Viggins and Henry W.Johnson of New York (Permanent Enrollment #115, issued at New York). On January 9, 1861, the steamer STAR OF THE VEST was driven out of Charleston, South Carolina, by gunfire while attempting to bring supplies to Fort Sumter. On April 12 Fort Sumter was bombarded by Confederate shore batteries and was forced to surrender. In the interim, as the fort was running shor of supplies, a plan was devised to relieve the besieged garrison by carrying supplies in under Confederate gpns. Accordingly, Union frigates POWHATTAN, PAWNEE, and P0C0H0NTAS, the revenue cutter HARRIET LANE, and steamer BALTIC, and three tugs, the FREEBORN, YANKEE,and UNCLE BEN, set out from New York on April b, lobl. The tugs had been chartered at exorbitant rates through the insurance brokers Johnson and Higgins of New York and tneir agent, Russell Sturgis. The UNCLE BEN was under the command of Captain