(Obituary, recorded in the Kirchebuch of Wersabe parish by Pastor Fromme)

On December 13, 1860, Johann Hinrich Butt died at age 86 and 7 months in Wurthfleth, Germany. He was to me the most remarkable man in the parish, not only for his singular vicissitudes of life, but also for his frank and candid declaration of his faith in the Lord Jesus, and the confident expectation of a life hereafter. But it struck me as conspicuous that he did no longer come to church. I reproached him for it, his excuse was his advanced age, however he was hale and hearty until his last days. He passed his time in reading the Holy Scriptures, in which he was well-versed, and must have read them several times. In addition he read Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, and just as I my Baxter’s Sermons, both books in the English language. When he received Holy Communion at home, he was very excited at confession, walking up and down fervently beating his chest, at the same time reciting aloud the scriptural passages selected, and confessing in a deeply felt genuine voice.

He was tall, somewhat bent by age, had light blue eyes which later became tearful, long silver white, curly hair and a slightly hooked nose. In answer to one of my questions, that in his youth he must have been a very tall lad, he answered: “Tall and slender. If there had been a rope hanging from heaven, I would have been able to climb it!” He had certainly caught the love-rope thrown at him from heaven, and he had been climbing it all his life. Already in his early youth he had loved God’s word. It had always given him a particular pleasure, and he had been instructed and stimulated by his very old grandfather and his teacher. At the knees of his grandfather he had learned beautiful prayers and hymns.

When he was grown and confirmed, he went into service on a Dutch ship, as did almost all the youths from the region. Every Spring a Dutch ship called the “Snail” came up the Weser and took all young men who wanted to go to sea to Holland. That must have been about 1788. Eventually Butt came on his Dutch ship to Bergen, Norway. There he became seriously ill, and had not yet recovered when his ship was ready to sail again. He was left behind in quarters rented for him in a shoemaker’s home. There he had to endure terrible tribulations. When he recovered from a long period of unconsciousness, he found himself in a totally foreign environment in a wooden shed. He was too weak to get up and knocked on the wooden partition. After knocking for a while the door opened, a wild coarse woman’s face appeared calling: “You beast, haven’t you kicked the bucket yet?” and disappeared again.

He receives very little food, the doctor called by the Dutch Consul comes once in a while, but on the whole is little concerned about the foreign sailor. His recovery is progressing, and he becomes ravenously hungry, but he is given very little, hardly anything, by his impious landlady. He can not yet get up and make demands. When he sees some turnips stored under his bed, he eats some with an avid voracity. When the ferocious landlady discovers that the amount of turnips is getting smaller, the rest is removed and nothing substituted. Now he learned to put his trust in the Lord, about whom he had heard and loved to hear at his grandfather’s knees, in the school and the church of his beloved native village.

Winter arrives and with it more distress. When he is at last sufficiently recovered to get up and look for his possessions, everything has been taken by the avaricious landlady and nothing is returned to him. Wretched, poor, and destitute he is put out in the street. He finally manages with difficulty to find the Dutch Consul and receives from him a small amount of his pay, not enough to live on and too much to die. He is weak, unable to work. As he grows stronger, he succumbs to another illness. He becomes crippled to the extent that his chest is almost bent down to his knees. How he stayed alive in this miserable condition, who helped and nursed him, I don’t remember. Only this I recall from his accounts: “One day a doctor invites him to go with him to a minister in the neighborhood, who cures crippled and arthritic people.” According to Butt’s story, he must have used an electrical machine. The walk to the minister was not very far, but led over high and steep cliffs covered with snow and ice. The first treatment failed, he is consoled with others, and he continues to go sometimes alone on hands and knees over the difficult and dangerous path. He never thinks about it, when he passes by the cemetery for foreigners, that someday his remains too may repose there. All attempts with the electrical machine are without success. Butt is and remains a pitiful cripple. How he survived the long winter, what people God sent to help him, I don’t remember now. The old man talked rapidly, adding his views and observations along with his narrations, including souvenirs, incidents of earlier, later, and present periods. He did not like to be interrupted, which made it difficult to follow the thread and sequence of the events.

Finally, Spring arrives, and with it come the Dutch ships. He knows one of the captains, who takes him aboard and with his wife’s loving care and her nursing skills his weakened body regains its strength, but he is still bent with arthritis. Soon they set sail for the high seas into a gale, the waves wash over the deck, and in this salt water bath the sick body is completely healed by the Grace of the Lord. Butt is healthy strong, and stands tall again.

Eventually, Butt reaches New York. Here he meets a virtuous maiden: Hannah Newhouse, the daughter of a godfearing family, and they are married. Apparently the parents were deceased. She lives with her brothers who are also pious people. Butt described their Sunday services as follows: Sunday mornings and afternoons we went to church, evenings we gathered at the home of the oldest brother-in-law. There the sermons and religious subjects were discussed, and before we separated for the night we knelt down and prayed together.

Butt related further, I was married for about four or six weeks. One day I walked in the harbor area and contemplated with pleasure a streamline shaped cutter that was about to sail. When I admired with the genuine pleasure of a sailor, a short elderly gentleman in a gray coat approached and asked if I am a sailor, I answered in the affirmative, and if I am serving on a ship? I denied it. He continued his questioning, if I wanted to make a trip on the cutter to deliver goods to Port-au-Prince in the West Indies, which meant running the blockade. The trip may take four weeks, and the cutter is the fastest sailing ship out of New York. I answered therefore, that I would go only with the approval of my wife. Thus we went to her, she approved, and the following day we set sail.

Before Port-au-Prince we were captured by an English warship and taken to Kingston, Jamaica. The captain had the compromising documents in a tin box which he dropped at sea; however, there must have been something else against him. The ship was confiscated and the crew members had to shift for themselves. Naturally, I was longing to return to my young wife in New York, but there was no opportunity. Only one American ship in port was ready to sail, but she was sailing first to Bordeaux and only then to America. I signed up on the ship and arrived safely in Bordeaux. Many ships were in the port, but an embargo was placed on the American vessels. The crews started to riot and all were locked in the Citadelle and jailed for several weeks. Eventually they were released.

Apparently Butt went to another port, because he related with profound and righteous indignation, what he had seen in the cities and villages in France. How they had changed the churches into dance halls. His efforts failed to sign up on a ship for America, and he returned to Bordeaux, where he had left his personal property, a chest with his good clothing. But he found that everything had been stolen, and now he was in Bordeaux again without funds and friends. There he was offered to serve as pilot on an 18 cannon corsair named “Les Trois Frères” (The Three Brothers). He accepted, they eluded the English blockade squadron and sailed into the Spanish sea. The ship proved to be an excellent sailing vessel; they captured several ships and released them as useless. From the Spanish sea they sailed to a position off Cadiz, where they encountered three armed English merchant ships. The French attacked, but couldn’t harm them and had to withdraw.

One day during a violent gale, Butt sees in the distance an ensign on high masts. He notifies the officers of the ship, they say that it is a French frigate. After a while the strange ship is covered with a cloud of sails and is heading for us. It proves to be a 50 cannon English frigate. Now we run. “Les Trois Frères” is sailing splendidly, but our officers lose their heads. One orders one thing, another the opposite. Some raise the sails, others lower them. In the meantime, precious time is lost; probably we could have escaped, if the wind had not increased to gale force. The bow went low into the waves, because of her streamlined build, and took a great deal of water on deck, which impeded the speed. In vain our cannons are thrown overboard! The English frigate is closing in. Finally, she is on our side, and the flag is lowered. A boat leaves the frigate in a raging storm and comes alongside the corsair. The English officers and sailors come on board with drawn pistols. Butt and the others are taken prisoner and transferred to the English frigate. This took place in the darkness of evening. The next morning the captain inspects the prisoners. There was another German crew member from Hamburg. When the two come on deck from the quarters, the captain notices at once their seamanlike bearing, because the French sailors or pirates lack the proper training. He questions them, who they are and how they got there. They answer that they are Americans. To that the captain replies, since you serve the French, you can just as well serve the English king, so much is the bounty and so much is your pay; go and let them pay you the bounty. Both are agreeable and Butt is now in English service.

He is full of praise about the proficiency and bravery of the English crew. He said, he has often watched the cabin-boys and sailors during a gale and the violent rolling of the ship, how they run back and forth high up in riggings without holding on. When meeting enemy ships, the crews at the cannons only wish that there be more; the thought of coming off the losers never enters their minds. After Butt had been cruising for a while on the frigate, she is ordered back to England. Butt becomes homesick to see his Hannah and speculates about escape plans. He feigns illness, and is sent to sickbay. When they arrive in Portsmouth, he along with the French prisoners are to be taken into custody. He hides in an empty water barrel. At roll call he is missed, a Scot sergeant, who was responsible for the prisoners, rummages through the ship and jabs his sword into every empty barrel, shouting out, out! Finally, he reaches the one in which Butt is hiding and he has to come out. The sergeant gives him a sound scolding, not cruelly, but as a Christian and a friend, because he is a pious man. They had become friends, and he says the kind scolding hurt him more than any bullying or insults. Butt has to go with the French into the fort and they are locked up in a barracks. Now he and the other German are among the impious French. They get together daily, reading the Bible which Butt has rescued. He said they could understand all the books of the scripture except the prophet Ezekiel. The French jeer at their faith, pointing to the sun, saying “That is our god, when he isn’t shining, he doesn’t see anything and we can do as we please.” They do as they please. They do what they want, all sorts of gruesome acts and cruelties, that are so horrible that Butt can not talk about them. He has not told anyone and will not discuss them. Only one thing he mentions, they have made several attempts to escape. Among others, they have undermined the walls as follows: They bring the earth from the tunnel in small bags into the courtyard, there many prisoners form a circle and dance around. Those coming out of the tunnel, carrying the bags under their smocks join them, jumping around and pouring the dirt on the ground to trample it down. When the tunnel is almost finished, it is discovered, filled in again and security is doubled. The French are furious, they are sure that there is an informer among them. They suspect one and that night attack him, beat him to death, dismember him, and throw the body parts into the latrines, which are emptied every morning. Butt said, such murders have occurred several times. The English never question it if one or several Frenchmen are missing. It seems a miracle that they have never suspected the two Germans. Butt and the other one must have spoken English fluently. The Lord’s angel has watched over them.

Of course, Butt too is thinking about ways to be freed from confinement. He attempts to earn money with all kinds of small services, and with these earnings he obtains a sailor’s uniform. Finally he is successful, it has taken months to get a complete set. He wears it under his prison outfit. He patches and sews at night in the dark. He removes all the buttons from his prison suit and replaces them with thread and strings which he attaches so skillfully, that he can take off the outer garments with few movements, and then stand there dressed as an English sailor. He practices many nights to become proficient in removing his prison garb, here and there things have to be improved, changed, started all over again, and always thinking of new ways. Finally he is able to remove the garment quickly, and now must depend on his skill to use it for his escape.

His plan is complete. Every morning bread is delivered through the gate and, as already mentioned, the latrines are taken out. Prisoners come to the gate which is opened and closed by a guard. Outside the gate is a bridge and then another gate. Sometimes the curious come inside and walk out again. Butt knows the guard at the first gate, he talks with him frequently. When he is on duty, Butt can’t attempt his escape. Now, every morning he goes to the gate, but the familiar face is always there. At last, after weeks pass, another one is there. Butt joins the carriers of the latrines, the guard opens the gate, turning his face away. The prison outfit is quickly removed and Butt stands there in the uniform of an English sailor. Like that, he leaves unrecognized through the first gate, across the bridge, through the second gate, and is now on the street. He thinks the sentry ought to hear his heartbeats, he looks with disinterest as at any trustworthy person. Butt starts to walk, he can barely draw a breath, he feels that he ought to run the faster the better, but his common sense prevails. He continues slowly, not to provoke suspicion, until he has lost sight of the sentry. Now he accelerates his steps, turns and proceeds into the city of Portsmouth, with a hymn of praise in his heart for his fortunate rescue and liberation.

He finds a bed in a seamen’s shelter and service on a small coastal vessel sailing for Liverpool. On the return trip they encounter a storm during the night close to the Irish coast, and the ship is beached. The captain falls overboard while lowering a boat. In the meantime day is breaking, and they find themselves close to shore. The water is so shallow that the captain can stand up, when the waves roll back. The crew throw him a line, but he does not grab it. He smiles and looks at them calmly without saying a word, his face and hands become red as a lobster. The boat is pushed off and two sailors jump in to help the captain, but an incoming wave knocks him down and pulls him out. Butt said, he doesn’t know what came over him, a decent and pious fellow, they never saw him again.

They had heard from the captain that there is a rebellion in Ireland, and that they kill all Englishmen. The sailors are fearful and approach the shore carefully. They don’t get very far when they see an armed man coming. They assume that he is a rebel and decide to fight for their lives. They agree to ambush him and hide behind some shrubs. When the supposed rebel passes, Butt jumps out, seizes him from behind, shaking him and threatening frightful injuries. He finally gets a chance to talk, and proves that he is a peaceable man who is hunting. He tells them that the uprising has been put down in this area and English rule has been restored. He also shows them the way to the nearest city, where Butt witnesses the summary proceedings against the rebels. In the middle of a bridge is a gallows on which they hang them one after the other. As soon as one dies, the relatives – women – come cutting them down and with them on their backs run away yelling: “St. Patrick, St. Patrick!”

Butt leaves Ireland for England on another coastal ship. The captain helps him that he is not seized by the naval police and he becomes a crew member. When Butt enters into this service, he is completely without funds. He wants to buy a little chewing tobacco, an indispensable stimulant for a sailor. He hesitates to ask the captain for money, because he hasn’t earned any. One day he has to row him to shore and wait for him in the boat to bring him back. While passing the time looking around, he sees nearby a piece of paper floating, he picks it up and it appears to be money. To make sure, he goes to a tobacconist, it is identified and accepted as a three shilling note and Butt now has enough tobacco. He remembers this incident with distinct pleasure and gratitude. Butt did not talk about his additional fortunes in England, and how he succeeded in returning to America.

After an absence of about three or four years, with palpitating heart he goes ashore in New York. He loves his Hannah like the apple of his eye. He had decided, first to make secret inquiries to see if she is remarried, which is a possibility. If that were the case, he would go immediately to sea without disclosing his presence, in order not to disturb Hannah’s peace of mind. In the darkness of evening he questions acquaintances about his wife, he hears that the is still in deep mourning for her missing husband, and working as a maid. Now he goes to see her brothers, neither do they recognize him. On his inquiry he hears the same report. Then he goes to the house where his wife is employed and asks to see here. Hannah comes, he greets her, and she falls into his arms with shouts of joy, and faints.

Now comes a happy period for them and their relatives, which is not lacking in praise and gratitude. But then Butt receives a letter from his home with the news that his father has passed away, and his old mother needs him. She depends on him in her old age, because she can no longer support herself. In his heart Butt is immediately ready to act according to the Fourth Commandment. But what about his wife? Is she ready to leave friendship and her native country and follow him into a far off land? Will his brothers-in-law let their beloved only sister leave? Butt tells his wife what is on his mind, that he is called to his old mother’s side, in order to provide and protect her against poverty and hunger, with God’s help. His wife listens to the end: then gives him her hand clasping it with tears in her eyes without saying a word. Butt said, now I knew where I stood, my wife consented from the bottom of her heart that she wanted to go with me.

Now begin the preparations for their departure. Hannah bids a tearful farewell and they go aboard. As the anchor is lifted, a boat approaches and the people in it are waving. They are Hannah’s brothers, they bring what they have forgotten to pack. Something essential and they can’t understand how it could have happened – namely, an English Bible. It was the old man’s favorite Bible, he preferred to read it instead of the German one. It was his Hannah’s Bible whose letters and chapters reminded him of the face and pure soul of his faithful wife, who long since lies under the green turf. These were the sounds in which he had heard her implore the Lord with pure heart and childlike faith.

Butt led here a poor and indigent existence in Aschwarden and Wurthfleth, but rich in piety and children. Once his wife received the visit of one of her brothers, who had become esteemed personalities. In her old age she became paralyzed and was bedridden for a long time. Their grandchildren have given the old man a great deal of pleasure. Two of his daughters live here – the widow Rügge [Hedewig Margarete Butt], most of her children are in America with the blessings of the grandparents – and the widow Horning [Geshe Elisabeth Butt], who has one of her sons living with her [Hinrich Wilhelm Horning].

Translated from the German by Alwine Sophie (Horning) Doyle, a great great granddaughter, and transcribed by James Jay Horning, a great great great grandson.