USS Berberry-- Part 3: Aiding the Stranded USS Aster

Shortly after midnight on October 8, 1864, while the Berberry was on station northeast of the Mound Light (at Fort Fisher's Mound Battery), observers reported an approaching boat.  The Berberry hailed the stranger and ordered her alongside.  She proved to be from the USS Aster, another tug on blockade duty, that had run aground on the Carolina Shoals while chasing a blockade runner attempting to enter New Inlet.

Assistance was requested.

The Berberry quickly steamed to the Aster, near New Inlet.  She took a hawser from the Aster and attempted to pull her free.  However, the hawser parted and the Aster was still stuck.  Several more attempts were made before the falling tide halted the effort.

The Berberry then attempted to go alongside the Aster to take off her crew and it took some twenty minutes of difficult maneuvering  to work into a suitable position.  She took all on board except the captain, executive officer and pilot who remained on board  to destroy the vessel if it looked like it was going to fall into Confederate hands.

During this operation, the Berberry thumped "...heavily on the bottom."

And Then?  --Old B-Runner