Rasmus S. Midgett (1851–1926) was a
United States Life-Saving Service
The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian effort ...
surfman in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
who single-handedly rescued ten men from the sinking
barkentine
A barquentine or schooner barque (alternatively "barkentine" or "schooner bark") is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts.
Modern barquentine sailing r ...
''Priscilla'' and was thereafter awarded the
Gold Lifesaving Medal
The Gold Lifesaving Medal and Silver Lifesaving Medal are U.S. decorations issued by the United States Coast Guard. The awards were established by Act of Congress, 20 June 1874; later authorized by . These decorations are two of the oldest med ...
from the
Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
on October 18, 1899.
Account of the rescue
![1899hurricanepriscilla](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/1899hurricanepriscilla.jpg)
Erasmus S. Midgett is listed in some records as Edward S. Midgett. He was named for St.Elmo/ Erasmus, the patron saint of sailors. Rasmus went to grammar school at Southern Woods, now
Waves, NC where he proved good at arithmetic and handwriting. Rasmus Midgett, one of a long line of North Carolina surfmen known as the Mighty Midgetts, was on patrol for the
Gull Shoals Lifesaving Station on August 18, 1899. He left the station at
Salvo for the southward patrol at 3:00 am on his horse, Gilbert. Approximately three-fourths of a mile from the station, he saw items newly washed ashore, which indicated a shipwreck. After traveling two more miles and finding much more debris, he heard what sounded like sails frapping and then faint voices. He flashed his lantern over the ocean and saw something out over the high flood tide. A ship had keeled over approximately 25 feet from shore and the mast had fallen across the ship. It was still dark, and Midgett could not see far. However, he managed to make out the remains of a shipwrecked vessel that had run aground, with men clutching to remaining wood approximately 100 yards from him. It was approximately 4:30 am.
The ''Priscilla'', a 643-ton
barkentine
A barquentine or schooner barque (alternatively "barkentine" or "schooner bark") is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts.
Modern barquentine sailing r ...
, was out of Baltimore, Maryland on August 12, 1899, passing the
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America.
In 1610, a supply ship learned of the famine at Jamestown when it l ...
at 6:00 am on August 14, and bound for
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
. She was captained by Benjamin Springsteen, who was joined by his wife and 12-year-old son, Elmer, and crewed by 12 including another son, William Nate. At 3:00 am on the stormy, windy, and rainy evening of August 18, Surfman Erasmus Midgett left Gull Shoals Life Saving Station on beach patrol. At about the same time the ''Priscilla'' bottomed out as the result of 100 mph winds from an intense hurricane called
San Ciriaco. (This was in an era before hurricanes were given names). The seas broke over ''Priscilla'' with such force that Captain Springsteen’s wife and son and two crewmen were washed away. An hour later the hull broke in two and the crew congregated on the aft part. The aft section was continually swept by the sea and finally settled near the shore. She grounded three miles south of Gull Shoals Station and 2.5 miles north of
Little Kinnakeet Station. Today, the ''Priscilla'' wreck is located just north of
Avon, NC at GPS coordinates .
Midgett had to make a difficult decision: to spend three hours bringing assistance from the station, or to attempt a rescue without any aid. Furthermore, if Midgett was incapacitated while attempting an individual rescue, another patrol would not find the men for hours. By then, it would probably be too late. Midgett decided to try rescuing the men immediately.
The surf was violent, breaching the narrow stretch of sand between the ocean and
Pamlico Sound
Pamlico Sound ( ) is a lagoon in North Carolina which is the largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, extending long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries that in ...
. Midgett waited until a wave had receded, then ran as close as he dared, yelling instructions to the shipwrecked men. He told them that when he called, one man should jump off the floating debris and head towards shore, with Midgett assisting him. As soon as Midgett had a chance, he again ran forward, calling for a man to jump. He then helped the man reach the shore, pulling him through the waves.
Midgett repeated this six more times, but then faced another problem. There were three men remaining in the water, but they were too exhausted to swim towards shore. Midgett fearlessly entered the sea, and one by one, carried each remaining man to the beach. The seven men who were still able to walk began heading towards the station at Midgett's direction, while he himself cared for the remaining three, including the Captain of the ''Priscilla'', Benjamin E. Springsteen, who survived the ship wreck but would die a year later. After Midgett was certain that the three men would be safe and giving his own coat to Captain Springsteen, he rode his horse back to the station to summon the aid of his comrades.
Keeper Pugh was on the beach when Midgett came into sight. Upon hearing Midgett’s amazing story, Pugh ordered two of the surfmen to harness horses to their carts and proceed to bring up the disabled men. The other surfmen he directed to set up a stove in the sitting room and prepare for the castaways.
For this rescue Lt. C.E. Johnston recommended, based on the transcript of the station log, the wreck report of the Keeper, and the report of the Assistant who investigated the loss of life, that Rasmus Midgett be awarded the
Gold Lifesaving Medal
The Gold Lifesaving Medal and Silver Lifesaving Medal are U.S. decorations issued by the United States Coast Guard. The awards were established by Act of Congress, 20 June 1874; later authorized by . These decorations are two of the oldest med ...
. Midgett was subsequently awarded a Gold Lifesaving Medal by the Secretary of the Treasury. With the award the Secretary transmitted a highly commendatory letter reciting the story of the brave man’s heroism. The inscription read on one side: ''To Rasmus Midgett for rescuing singlehanded ten men from the Priscilla, August 18, 1899.'' and on the other: ''In Testimony of Heroic Deeds in the Saving of Life from the Perils of the Sea.'' Midgett was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal on October 18, 1899.
Personal life
Midgett was born Erasmus S. Midgett in 1851 on
Hatteras Island
Hatteras Island (historically Croatoan Island) is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Cape Hatteras. It is part of North Carol ...
. At that time, Hatteras Island was part of
Hyde County (it is now part of
Dare County.) He stayed on Hatteras Island for most of his life. He was father to Arthur Midgett by Matilda Midgett. Rasmus Midget lived in Waves, NC; 5 miles south of
Chicamacomico Station and is buried in Waves, on the west side of NC 12 (GPS coordinates 35°34'20.1”N 75°28'13.3”W). He had 13 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren, including Christopher and Tiffany Foster, and .
[Couch, Daniel C. In 100 Years the Great Hurricane of 1899 has not been Forgotten in Island Breeze, p. 35, August 1999 and Maddry, Larry. Medal Found in Larchmont Recalls a Hero. P. E-1, 12/29/98 and Medal Honoring Lifesaver is Presented to Descendant P. E-1, 1/5/99 in Norfolk, VA Virginian Pilot.] He died on Hatteras Island in 1926. His
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
was recently restored and will be turned into a museum.
References
Books
* Duffus, Kevin P. Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks, p. 25, 2007.
Periodicals
* Couch, Daniel C. In 100 Years the Great Hurricane of 1899 has not been Forgotten in Island Breeze, p. 35, August 1999.
* Maddry, Larry. Medal Found in Larchmont Recalls a Hero. P. E-1, 12/29/98 and Medal Honoring Lifesaver is Presented to Descendant P. E-1, 1/5/99 in Norfolk, Virginia Virginian Pilot.
*Stowe, Belle and Helen Midgett. Truly One of the Mighty Midgetts in Sea Chest, p. 36-38, Cape Hatteras School Buxton, North Carolina, 1997.
Documents
*Document No. 2215, Office of Life–Saving Service, Department of the Treasury.
*Rasmus Midgett Genealogy Exhibit, Chicamacomico Life Saving Station, 8/19/1999.
Websites
US Coast Guard Awards - Rasmus S. Midgett* U.S. Coast Guard in US Lifesaving Association Website, 3/31/09
{{DEFAULTSORT:Midgett, Rasmus
1851 births
1926 deaths
United States Life-Saving Service personnel
Sea rescue
Recipients of the Gold Lifesaving Medal