[1] On the evening of 5 January 1856, Benjamin Peirce was anchored in the St. Johns River off Jacksonville, Florida, when the steamer SS Seminole caught fire at a pier upstream shortly before midnight.

Burning from stem to stern, Seminole was cut loose from her moorings so that the flames would not spread to buildings ashore and began to drift down onto Benjamin Peirce.

By the time the senior officer aboard Benjamin Peirce, Sailing Master P. R. Hawley, could get her crew on deck, Seminole was only 50 yards (46 meters) away.

Leaving half of Benjamin Peirce's men aboard with buckets and axes to prevent flames from spreading to her if Seminole drifted onto her, Hawley took the rest of the men out in a boat to attempt to tow Seminole away from Benjamin Peirce.

Hawley and other men from Benjamin Pierce were instrumental in saving Iza and her cargo from burning.