On Christmas Day 1864, "Yantic" assisted in the debarking of the troops of General Benjamin Butler and covered the landing operations. At 1400, on the 25th, as Lieutenant Commander Harris later reported, the troops landed "amidst deafening and encouraging cheers from the men-of-war and from the troops still aboard the transports, cheers which were echoed by the fleet by a fire that elicited but a feeble response from the fort." General Butler, however, "to the surprise and mortification of all" (as Harris later recounted), recalled the troops; and the landing operation ceased.