“TheJournals of the
Davy Crockett
commencing December 20th 1834
BY ASBURY C JAQUESS
OF POSEY CO. INDIANA-”
H
aving finished taking in our loading we set sail from John
Robbertson’s on the 20 Day of December 1834 for New Orleans.
Our boat was 80 feet long Q 17 feet wide. She had about 1700 bushels
of corn on bord also 11,000 weight of pork, 3 thousand weight of beef in
barrels, 6 large steers, 15 bushels of oats, 40 kegs of lard, 30 dozen of
chickens Q 40 Turkeys. She had five hands on deck, viz Christopher
Editors’ note: This journal passed from one generation to another until it reached the possession of Judith Lindell of DeTour, Michigan, who consented to make it available for publication
in the IMH. The editors would also like to thank Ms. Lindell for providing genealogical information on the family and the photograph of Asbury Jaquess which appears in the introduction.
The author’s original spelling has been maintained, with the exceptions that follow. All
place names and proper names have been capitalized. Jaquess always capitalized AM and PM
but did not use periods consistently-we have done so. We have not added periods to abbreviations such as viz and Ib. Jaquess’s only structuring was the daily entry, which we have kept.
Within entries there is almost no punctuation, and therefore sentences have been created and
periods added. Occasional commas have been inserted inside sentences for clarity,
A few words have been corrected for clarity. The added letters are enclosed in square
brackets [ 1. Jaquess sometimes repeated a word from one line to another, and we have eliminated those repetitions. Jaquess occasionally smudged over words he seemed to want to exclude
and then continued his sentence. We have silently made these exclusions. We have also silently
corrected Jaquess’s numbers, which sometimes used periods and commas interchangeably.
INDIANA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY, 102 (March 2006) 0 2006, Trustees of Indiana University.
“ T H E J O U R N A L S O F T H E DAVY C R O C K E T T ”
A sketch of a flatboat
The artist clearly shows the large steering rudder aft and the two sweeps forward.
Courtesy, Bass Photo Collection, Indiana Histoncal Society
Ashworth, steersman & pilot; Adam G. Ashworth, Captain; Benjamin
Acuff, Bowsman; Jackson Ashworth, Cook; Asbury C. Jaquess, Clerk &
Journalist of the voyage.’
Dec 20 With the above lading and equipment we set sail at half pas 4
PM. droped down 2 miles & landed on the Illinoise side at sun down 1
mile above the Little Wabash mouth under a large stooping sycamore in
deep edy watter.
21st Loosed cable half hour by sun A.M. landed at Thom Bucks at 12
with the intention of taking in more corn but failed in getting it. We put
out again at 1 oclock. While we were lay ing there John B. More passd
us. We arived at the mouth of the Wabash at 3 oclock and found it
falling vary fast. We landed at Rolly (a small town on the Kentuck side)
at sun down in shallow watter. 2 steam boats pased at dusk.
22nd Monday Put out at 4 oclock A.M. pased Shawnee at Day break (a
small town on the Illinoise side). We had the pleasure to day of seeing
some of the most stupendious scenes in nature. Of the west we pased
Batterry Rock first on the right hand shore. It rises to the heighth of
~
‘Christopher Ashworth is probably Asbury’s brother-in-law, the second husband of hls older
sister Elizabeth In 1838 Asbury married Chnstopher’s older sister Jane
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I N D I A N A M A G A Z I N E OF HISTORY
200 feet with a perpendicular bluff presenting to the astonished beholder a front of sollid rock 1/2 mile in length. A. G. Ashworth & I got in our
canoe, pased imediately under the battery and landed at the mouth of
the celebrated ‘cave in rock. We entered it and found it to be about 50
yards in length, 10 in breath & about 15 feet in height with an arched
roof. The floor gently rises as you advance to the fartherest part of it.
When you speak your voise rings harmoniously & the names of thousands are written & engravd in this cavern2-our boat pased close by the
head of Huricane Island and we landed on the right side of the river at
sun down in shallow watter and rocky shore. 5 other Indiana boats landed by us here. We fell in company with Joseph Jolly.
23rd Tuesday Loosed cable at 1/2 past 4 A.M. when we got within 2 1/2
miles of Goleonda. I took the canoe and went on a head to see John
Taylor but I could not hear any thing of him. We landed 1/2 hour by sun
on the Ky side in deep watter 1 mile & a 1/2 above Dog Island. Jolly
landed just below us. We have the appearance of bad wether.
24 Dec. Shoved off at 7 oclock A.M. lashed with Jolleys boat and floted
together till sundown. Landed on the Illinoise side on a gravel & shelving shore. We pased the mouth of Cumberland River to day. There is a
town just below the mouth called Smithland. We also pased the mouth
of Tennissee River. At the mouth of it is Paduka a vary flourishing little
town. It has been founded only about 5 or 6 years. This has been a vary
disagreeable day raining continualy & the wind blowing up stream. We
landed at Fort Massac but the rema[i]ns of the fort is not to be seen325th Christmas We shoved off from Fort Massac at 1/2 past five. Floted
down 3 miles when the winds beat us on the Ky shore in deep edy watter. The wind blowed up stream all day & the white caps have been flying continualy. We had for our Christmas dinner the shank of a shoulder,
some dried pumpkins, corn dodger & coffee.
Dec 26 This has been a vary windy day. Tis said that the wind blows
more at & near Fort Massac than at any point of the Ohio. We loosed
cable at 10 A.M., pased the Grand Chain which is on the right shore
2The “Cave-in-Rock was, according to nineteenth-century folklore, the home of river pirates,
but Michael Allen has found that even in the early years of the century, the cave was primarily
“a natural curiosity and tourist attraction.” Michael Allen, Western Rivermen, 1763-1861: Ohio
and Mississippi Boatmen and the Myth ofthe Alligator Horse (Baton Rouge, La.,1990), 40.
’Fort Massiac was built by the French in 1757. Passed from British to American hands, and
renamed Fort Massac, it was used until 1814. Settlers stripped the fort for building materials, so
that passers-by such as Jaquess would not have been able to see the remains.
“ T H E J O U R N A L S O F T H E DAVY C R O C K E T T ”
“Cave-in-Rock; View o n the Ohio,” by Karl Bodmer
Bodmer records the traffic o n the river and shows one boat stopping to visit the cave
Courtesy, Karl Bodmer Pnnt Collection. Indiana Historical Society
about dark. There is a steam boat sunk on the head of the chain. We
pased New America at about 10 oclock at night & pased Trinity at 12 &
landed at the mouth on the right shore in deep edy water at 2 oclock
A.M. In attempting to land Grenade Ashworth saw a narow risk of losing
his life.4In attempting to cable he slipped off of a log that was lying at
shore where the watter was vary deep. He fell on the side next the boat
which jamed up against the log and caught him but fortunately he
escaped with but litle injury.
27th Loosed cable at day light. We soon entered the Missippi. Found her
vary low but rising a little with a current much stronger than that of the
Ohio. We pased the Iron Banks which is on the left bank, also the Chalk
Bank on the left and landed at the head of No 6 half hour by sun in deep
edy watter on the right ~ h o r eWe
. ~ had some vary hard pulling to keep
off of the shore & snags.
‘The captain, named here variously as Adam, A. G., and Grenade, was probably pilot
Christopher Ashworths younger brother.
IThe numbering system for islands in the river was developed by Zadok Cramer for his guidebook, The Navigator; see the introduction.
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I N D I A N A M A G A Z I N E OF HISTORY
Dec 28 Loosed from No 6 at 8 oclock A.M. and landed at the foot of No
9 half hour by sun at a beautiful landing on the Ky side in edy watter.
We have seen the fish flouncing in the eddy Q have set out our hooks.
This has been a vary disagreable day. The wind blew considerable Q has
been drisling rain.
29th Shoved off from No 9 at day light Q pased New Madrid at 12
oclock. It is situated on the right shore 'Misouri'. The earth below town
Q particular back of town has been sunk several feet by Earth Quakes.6
We landed at the foot of No 13 at tolerable good landing. We caught 3
beautiful catfish, 2 weighed 18 lb a piece, the other 10 pounds.
Dec 30th Let 100s from No 13 at day light Q landed below the point of
Needham's Cutoff at dusk at a beautiful landing. Several boats are lying
just below us. The river formerly had a large bend at this place runing
round 12 or 15 miles Q returning within 50 yards from where it started.
Needham was boating at the time it broke through. Tis said that he and
his hands when they saw the river busst through the Banks left their
boat Q escaped to the shore. The boat pased through safe.
31st Put out at day break from the point. Passed Plumb Point, also the
first Chickasaw Bluffs, Q landed oposite the head of No 34 on the
Arkensaw side at sun down in deep gentle water. This has been the first
fair day since we set sail. It has generaly been cloudy, rainy Q windy.
This is New Years eve Q we have been hearing the reports of fire arms
celebrating the ocasion. We had the pleasure this evening of selling
10.37 1/2$ of bacon, at 6 cents per lb.
January 1st 1835. Loosed cable at day break. Passed the 2nd Chicksaw
Bluffs which is on the Tennissee side. Under the bluff is a small villiage
called Randolph. We were forced to land at about 1 oclock P.M. The
wind blew so hard that we could not run. The landing was vary difficult
to make, the watter was so swift Q the wind against us.'
6TheNew Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812 were a series of major quakes (three of which have
been estimated at 8 or more on the modern Richter scale) and hundreds of subsequent aftershocks. The earth movement was strong enough to alter the course of the Mississippi River. See
Norma Hayes Bagnall, On Shaky Ground: The New Madrid Earthquakes of181 1-1812 (Columbia,
Mo., 1996).
'Flatboats were able to run in many types of weather, but not in high winds and severe storms,
which could render the boats unsteerable and lead, in the worst instances, to loss of cargo
and/or the lives of the crew. See Leland D. Baldwin, The Keelboat Age on Western Waters (1941;
Pittsburgh, Penn., 1980), 81-82.
“THE J O U R N A L S O F THE DAVY CROCKETT”
A map of a section of the Mississippi River from Zadok Kramer, The Nagivator (1808)
Courtesy, Filson Club Historical Society
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I N D I A N A M A G A Z I N E OF HISTORY
2nd Put out at day light but had to land at the head of N o 37 on the
Tennissee side at 10 oclock A.M. on acount of the fog. This has been the
most disagreable day that we have experienced since we started. It has
rained incessently all day and the winds have been vary high. Pased the
2nd Chicksaw Bluffs but they lay behind an island so that they canot be
seen from the main channel.
3rd Lay by for wind. The wind blew last night vary hard all night. It has
turned extremely cold but we to day lay in a good store of wood to meet
the storm. We had the pleasure to day of meeting with some of our
hoosier friends. Mrr. Cleveland, Murphy, Downey, Cale & Mr E. Meritt.
I and Capt. Ashworth had the pleasure to day of taking dinner on bord
their vessel. We fared sumptuously. Our dinner consisted chiefly of potatoes, fowls & chicken broth. They say Mike (who is their steward) keeps
them in fresh meet vary regular, that he presented them with a dozen
fowls last night, & they say he has been so kind as to find them in fowls
ever since they left the 'rock in cave.' They talk of lashing with us. We
hope that Mike will be an impartial steward.
Jan 4th Put out in company with our friends at sun rise. Pased the shute
at the head of No 40 when we lashed. We today pased the Devils Elbow.
This is a short crook in the river & the currant is vary strong. We lande
at Memphis an hour by sun at a beautiful landin in eddy watter at the
lower end of town. This place is situated on the 4th Chickasaw Bluffs. It
is a town of considerable importance and appears to be improving vary
fast.8We have not as yet made any sales at this place. Chickens are 2$
per doz, Turkeys 5 bits a piece, flower 4.50$ per barrel, pork 4 1/2 cents
per lb & we expect to put out in the morning.
Jan 5th Left Memphis at 8 oclock A.M. and landed on the right shore at
dark just above the head of 52 in deep eddy watter. We made sale of
about 75 ears of corn at Memphis, which glutted the market. I and Mr.
Murphy set out our hooks directly after we landed. He, just as I were
writing about it, enquired if I had caught any cat fish yet. I answered in
the negative. It is ten minutes past nine. I must look at my hooks and
then go to bed 6th Left No 52 at day break & landed 1/2 mile below the mouth of the
river St. Francis at dark in an eddy where the watter is deep. St. Francis
"Throughout the 1820s and 1830s Memphis competed with Randolph, Tennessee, another
Mississippi River town, for supremacy as a primary cotton-shipping port. See John R. Finger,
Tennessee Frontiers: Three Regions in Transition (Bloomington, Ind., 2001), 241-58, 264-65.
“ T H E J O U R N A L S O F T H E DAVY C R O C K E T T ”
is navagable for about 300 miles. We caught no fish last night but Mike
who is the steward of the two boats caught a couple of beautiful chickoclock at night.
ens for us. The chickens are squalling. I must go-9
He has just furnished us with 6 more, but he takes them out of my coop
for which I dont feel vary greatful
7th Loosed cable at day light and landed just above the head of 62 in deep
watter on the Arkensaw side. Here we all went out in an uncommon
heavy cane break. The kane is upwards of 20 feet high. Each man brought
on board one or more of the best he could find. We to day passed the
town of Hellena. Ellison Cale & I went out in the skift to the citty. He put
a letter in the post office & I bought a small penknife. Mike last night
brought in 8 fowls. He has got 10 in all. He has proved himself to be a
trusty stewart but his life is sought, and a reward is offered for his head.
8th Cut loose from 62 at break of day & landed on the head of 69 just
before sun down. Uncle James Murphy sold 200 pounds of pork today at
5 cents also 5 barrels of corn meal at 2$ per barrel. James Downey sold at
the landing this evening 1 barrel of flower for 5$. I mention this as it is
the first sales they have made. Mike, our steward, is no more. He has
gone to his long home. He was a faithful Stewart-he never betrayed his
trust-he provided well-but he had his enemies & they slew him on
the 8 day of January. While the Citizens of New Orleans were celebrating
the victories of General Andrew Jackson, the enemies of Mike were
rejoicing at his downfall & feasting and drinking toasts merily. While he
was in service he procured 5 dozen of chickens & 4 fat roasting Turkeys
but he has ceased toiling & rests from his labours.
9th Loosed cable at 6 oclock A.M. from 69 and landed at No 75 or
(Ozark Island) at dusk in a large deep eddy. We passed large cane breaks
to day. There are immense quantities on the Missippi of the largest kind
of cane. The banks of the Missippi in the bends are washing away, whole
acres fall in at a time10th Loosed from Ozark Island at 4 oclock A.M. and landed at Point
Checo at 10 oclock PM. to day.9We passed Columbia at 9 at night. This
is a small but flourishing villiage. Three steam boats passed us this
evening all in sight at once. I had 6 chickens killed last night by another
mink. He got on bord our boat at Ozark Island.
YBythe 1830s, nighttime navigation of the Mississippi River was possible, in some areas and
under certain conditions, because of government improvements. See Allen, Western Rivermen,
160.
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I N D I A N A M A G A Z I N E OF HISTORY
11th Loosed from Point Checo at 5 oclock in the morning and landed at
the head of No 88 1 hour by sun on the right hand shore. Here James
Downey sold 116 pounds of bacon at 5 cents per pound. This has been a
windy day and it was with much difficuty that we could make much
headway at times. The minks killed 21 chickens last night for me. They
are under deck and it is impossible for me to kill them. I have got candles burning by the coops tonight perhaps that may prevent him from
killing them. If it does not I will put the coops on deck tomorrow. They
are the fattest chickens that I ever saw-it is 8 oclock at night & is both
warm & raining ___
12th Loosed from No 88 at day break and landed at Lake Providence at
4 oclock in the evening. We had to run in the fog today. We were offered
6 bits a barrel for corn but we could not land on account of the fog. Lake
Providence is situated on the Louisaana side. It is but a small town and
of but little business. It takes its name from a small Lake 2 1/2 miles back
from the town. The mink killed two chickens last night. I sold about
$2.50 worth of chickens. They sell at 3$ per dozen. I sold 2 roosters at 4
bits a piece13th Loosed from Lake Providence at 11 oclock A.M. and landed at
Tompkins Settlement at sundown. It rained hard all last night & our
boat leaked vary bad wich made it vary disagreeable. I caught the mink
in a deadfall last night.l0This has been a beautiful clear calm day.
14th Put out from Tompkins Settlement at 2 oclock at night and had to
land on acount of wind at Milligans Settlement at 10 oclock A.M. We
have the appearance of a heavy lightning storm. We are laying on the
Louisaana side in good landing. We passed some beautiful cotton farms
to day. One man cultivated last summer four hundred acres of cotton.
Cotton is worth something like 75.00$ per acre. No wonder the cotton
planters get rich. This mans cotton was worth thirty thousand dollars. A
neat income yearly.
Jan 15th Loosed from Milligans Settlement one hour before day and
landed at Vixburgh at 12 oclock at the steam boat landing. Vixburgh is
situated on the walnut hills & is a citty of business." There are some
vary splendid buildings in this place & amongst the number is the bank
'"A deadfall trap kills the animal by dropping a heavy weight on it.
"Laid out in 1819, by the 1830s Vicksburg rivaled Natchez as a fast-growing and prosperous
river town. See Christopher Morris, Becoming Southern: The Evolution ofa Way of Life, Warren
County and Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1770-1860 (New York, 19951, esp. chap. 7.
“ T H E J O U R N A L S O F THE DAVY C R O C K E T T ”
which is a new building not finished yet. It is vary large & situated near
the centre of the citty. The streets are entirely too narrow. There is some
cases of the small pox in the lower part of town. There is a hospital erected above town on the hills. We made some few sales. Corn is retailing at
6 & 7 bits a barrel, pork at 4 to 4 1/2 but market dull. I sold 3 dozen of
Turkeys at $10.50 per dozen also 7 doz and 7 chickens at 3 dollars per
doz. In all my sales amounted today to $54.25.
16th Left Victsburgh at 3 oclock PM. & landed at Warrenton at sun
down in good landing. I sold at Victsburgh this morning 4 dozen and a
half of chickens at $3 per dozen which was $13.50. Add to this the sale
yesterday-$54.25 makes $67.75 I have received in at VictsburghWarrenton is a place of but an indifferent apperance. It has I am told
some respectable citizens in it but if we were to judge of its inhabitants
from what we have seen we would say it was a refuge for Counterfitters,
I bought the Life or
Gamblers & swindlers. John S. Brien is hereNarative of the Life of Davy Crockett to day at Victsburgh at 8 bits.
17th Lay by at Warington all day. Captain Cleveland and his boat left last
night at 2 oclock. We expect to meet with them again at the Grand Gulf
& then perhaps keep in the neighbour hood of each other until we sell
out. I sold 405 pounds of pork at 5 cents to Isaac Robbertson, he married
the Widdow Briscoes daughter, also 1 dozen of chickens at 3$ to another Gentleman. Christopher Ashworth is vary unwell today. He sent for
John S. Brien to come down to the boat to make some sort of an settlement with him. Brien came down & told Christopher that he did not
intend to pay another cent to any person unless they would give him a
clear receipte from the horse business. He also told Christopher that if
he was disposed to sue to go ahead but if he did he would make it a dear
Law suit to him & his friends. Christopher told him that he had always
been opposed to using ruff measures with him, expecting that he would
at some time pay him, but that he now saw plainly that he was a rascal
and had swindled him out of his propperty &c and that he now would
sue him on the Bond that he had given him & for damages and that he
would push the Law riggerously to its extent. By this time both parties
were pretty warm. Brien left the boat & Christopher sent for Joseph
Templeton (Who is a Merchant of that place) & gave to him all his notes
& papers with instructions to put them in the hands of Messrs Badly &
Templeton of Victsburgh for Collection.
18th Lay by at Warrington all day. I sold 2 doz of chickens at 3$ per doz,
also 2 Turkeys at 6 bits apiece. This has been as warm as May. The
wether is calm & clear-
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Jan 19 Left Warrington 1 hour by sun in the morning & landed at the
foot of Palmyra Island at sundown on the Missippi side at a first rate
landing in edy watter. Here I sold 4 dozen of chickens at $3 per dozen to
a Mr Perkins. He is, I am told, one of the richest men in the Missippi
State. His anual income is about $40,000 dollars. Although he is so
immencely rich I found to be one of the most particular men that I have
had any trading with. I sold my Turkeys out to day. There was five, I sold
them at 6 bits apiece. I have sold 43 Turkeys-most of them at 7 bits. I
had 5 to die. We saw 10 or 12 Indians to day. There was one squaw
among them. She was tollerable good looking. They are of the Chocktaw
tribe20th Left the Palmyra Islands one hour before day & landed 1 mile
above Bruinsburgh on the Louisiana side in deep edy watter. We today
landed at the Grand Gulf. This is a vary flourishing villiage. I made some
enquiries about Charlotte Jaquess but I could not hear any thing about
her. She lives about 10 miles from the Gulf.'* It has been thundering
We
today & has the appearence a thunder gust, no sales todayfound Captain Cleveland at the Grand Gulf. They have sold out their
corn at 6 bits per barel. We are lashed together at this time. Pork is dull
sale at the Gulf at 4 1/2 per lb. One man was selling at 3 1/2 cents per
pound. He certainly must be home sick. It is such sales men as this man
is that spoils the market219 Cut loose from our landing 1 hour before day & landed at the Pettit
Gulf (or Rodney) at 10 oclock A.M. This is a small but flourishing place.
There is a splendid Church just below town. Jackson Ashworth and I
walked down to it. The Church is built of brick, is vary large & finished
off with pews in the finest style. We then walked on the top of the hill
that is at the back of town. It is at least 150 feet higher than the town.
Here you can get a beautiful view of the place and of the riwer. I sold at
this place today 2 kegs of lard at 6 1/4 cents. The kegs hold about 40
pounds. Also 2 dozen of chickens (which are the last), 1 dozen at $2.50,
the other $2.25 cents. They were getting sickley & I was glad to get clear
of them. On almost any terms, Chickens are troublesome things to take
on a flat boat & to sell them at $3.00 or less as I have done is not worth
ones attention. Here we met with several of our hoosier friends viz John
"This could refer to Charlotte Copeland Jaquess, who had married Asbury's older brother
George in 1825.
“ T H E J O U R N A L S O F T H E DAVY C R O C K E T T ”
Sanders, James Wiley, Andy Walker, Asa Bacon &c. Here we got our
Cloaths washed at 6 1/4 cents a piece22nd Left Rodney at 9 oclock in the morning & landed at Montgomery’s
at sundown on the Louisiana side in deep eddy watter. Cleveland landed
1/2 mile above us. Sold nothing today. We are about 13 miles above
Nachez.
23rd Cut loose from Montgomerys Landing at day light & was hailed by
a Tennissee boat that was selling out at 6 bits. They said that they were
autherised or directed by Mr Alexander to hail and land a corn boat at
6 bits a barrel for him. We landed and closed the sale or contract with
him. Alaxander lives 4 miles from the river. I expect we will have a
tedious time unloading the boat as the corn has to be hauled that distance. After we had landed I got on bord of an Illinoise boat and went
down to Natchez to see if I could make any engagements there with the
beef. Our boat is 2 1/2 miles above the citty13
24th Satterday I staid last night in Captain Clevelands boat. Mr.
Murphey & I went in town today to see if we could make any engagements or sales of our beef but we could find no market for such as ours.
But Cincinnatti beef [?I is selling at retail $6 and $7 per half barrel. I did
calculate on returning to our boat to night but it blew up a tremendious
thunder storm and our fare was bad. The cabbin leaked like a riddle and
we all got well soaked-Grenade
Ashworth and Benjamin Acuff came
down and staid all night with Captain Cleveland in the boat25th Sunday This morning we had the pleasure of seeing Joseph Jolly &
getting our music Books that were on his boat when we parted at Fort
Massac. We left our hoosier friends at sun rise or before and went up to
our boat in our skiff. We measured out 50 barrels of corn to-day. It has
been as warm as May and the flies are as thick in our cabbin as they are
with us in summer. I fear that the green flies will injure. The pork is dull
sale at Nachez at 5 cents retail. Bacon bought out a load of bulk pork at
3 114 cents per lb. My prospects are discouraging in the pork way, to sell
for less than 5 cents is doing bad business but I must do the best I can.
26th This morning we have all been vary busy measuring out corn. John
B. Moore passed us about sun rise. James Bonner passed us about
9 oclock in Company with Harmons boat-they said that they had sold
out about 200 barrels at 6 & 7 bits per lb. About 12 oclock C Ashworth
”See D. Clayton James, Antebellum Natchez (Baton Rouge, La., reprint, 1993)
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INDIANA MAGAZINE
OF HISTORY
and I got in our skift and dropped down to town where they had landed.
They have an offer of 6 bits per barrel which Bonner and Harmon are
willing to take provided they can agree on the number of barrels that the
boats contain. The purchaser wishes to ascertain the number by the
gauge rule but they are not willing to sell by that rule thinking it not to
be a fair way of dealling. C. Ashworth went back up in the skift and 1
staid all night with Bonner at the landing. There is a small boat at
Nachez belonging to Mr. McKinny who is from Kentucky near Mt.
Vernon. The boat is 28 feet long, 14 feet wide and vary neatly and light
built. William Bonner has been talking if he sells out at this place that he
Q I will take her on the coast. I put in my pork Q beef and some other
articles that I may purchase for the sake of traffic Q he also lay in such
grocries as may be deemed most suitable for the coast.
27th This morning I have been walking up Q down the landing to ascertain the correct price of pork. I find that it is dull at 5 cents retail. Good
pork is retailling at 4 1/2 cents per lb. A first rate lot of pork was bought
yesterday at 4 cents and the day before a lot of 50,000 at 3 1/2 cents per
lb. I find that I must either go on the coast or take 4 cents per pound for
the pork. If I go on the coast it is probable that I can barter the pork for
sugar and mollasses then ship them for New Orleans or Mt. Vernon and
turn them into cash if I cannot doe any better. I left town at 12 oclock Q
returned to our boat. Bonner and Harmon had not yet sold. If they doe
not sell today they intend to start out on the coast in the morning.
28th Wednesday The river is rising vary fast and appears to be pretty
well lined with flat boats. There has well on to 20 passed us to day. We
have been informed to day by a boat-man that a flat boat loaded with
bulk pork got stove last night at Fairchilds Island 12 or 15 miles above
this. If it be the case the owner of that load will not be perplexed with a
dull market. There has been about 125 barrels of corn taken out of our
boat. To-day we will get unloaded, to-morrow morning if the wether
keeps fairJan 29th The wether has been vary unfavourable to-day. There was quite
a thunderstorm this morning Q the wind is blowing with considerable
violince at this time. I had the pleasure of selling to Mr. Alexander 4 kegs
of lard to day at 6 cents per lb. He offered to buy some of the hams but at
5 cents per pound, but I declined selling hams alone at that price thinking it might injure the sale of the pork should I whole-sale it off at
Nachez. We lack about 50 barrels of being unloaded. We will unload in
the morning and drop down to the town to see a man hung there. He is
“ T H E J O U R N A L S O F T H E DAVY C R O C K E T T ”
condemed for murder and will be put to-death at about 12 oclock.
I repacked my pork to-day and found that it has all kept good not one
joint was injured in the whole lot30th Friday This day we finished measuring out the corn. There was 826
barrels of corn. I sold 9 more kegs of lard to Mr. Alaxander at 6 cents per
lb. We let lose our cable Q droped down to Nachez at 11 oclock. After
we had landed we all except Christopher went up to the Jail to see that
man hung. After we had staid there 112 an hour the guards collected in.
There was 12, 6 of them white Q 6 molatoes. They were armed with
muskets and bayonets. The Criminal was a first rate looking black fellow
about 5 feet 9 inches high, square heavy sett Q one of the stoutest men
in the state, his left arm off close to his shoulder. Tis said that he had carried a barrel of pork in one handHe walked out of the Jail, got
into the cart & set down on his coffin, then the cart & company moved
on to the gallows. When the cart stoped the sheriff told him to get out of
the cart and walk up on the skaffold which he did with firmness. He
stood on the trap-door while the sheriff was adjusting the rope, all the
while looking on the concourse of people without showing any visible
marks of fear. After the rope was fixed the sheriff told him if he had any
thing to say to speak. Nat said (for that was his name) that he had something to say and asked the sheriff if he would give him time to speak but
the sheriff let the trap door down, he fell about 5 feet and was dead in a
few minutes. Tis said that the sheriff misunderstood him.
31st It has turned vary cold & windy, colder than it has been this season.
At this place the speculators have been flocking about our boat today.
They offer 4 cents for the pork, 5 1/2 for lard, $5.00 for beef in barrels,
$2.50 for beef in half barrels Q $40.00 for the boat. This is about as good
as the wholesale price is at this place. We doe not know hardly what to
doe. We have sold out except our pork, beef Q lard and we talk of taking
a load of wood to Orleans. If we doe take wood we may be detained on
the way till the market will be as dull at that place as it is at this. Pork is
we hear at Orleans 4 1/2 cts to 5 a pound, beef very dull.
1st Frebuary Freezing cold clear Q winday. We attended the Methodist
church to-day in the City. The congregation was respectable. We were
also in a Presbaterian Church. The building is large, well finished with
painted pews.
2nd Monday This day one of our bow hands, Benjamin Acuff, got on
bord of a Kentucky boat & engaged to go to Orleans for $10.00. There
was heavy pork retailed at the warf today at $4.37 1/2 per hundred.
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There are but vary few retail purchasers. The farmers prefer barrel pork
for their negroes. This is one reason bulk pork is so low. Pork has not
been but 5 cents at this place this fall or winter3rd We should put out from here this morning had it not been for the
wind. It is vary cold. We continue to get visits from the speculators daily.
They represent the great quantity of pork that has gone below ‘to us,’ tell
us pork there is a mere drug then offer 4 cents a pound saying we will
have to take less than that if we go below but I will risk taking less rather
than take 4 here4th Lay by for wind. We met with Captain Johnson & Hedgeman
Dalrymple. They have sold out at 6 bits a barrel. They found a canoe that
we sold to an Irishman by the name of James Mills. He put a trunk, 2
mattresses and some other articles on our boat. This was late in the
evening. He promised to meet us in Nachez the next morning but we
have not heard from him since. He was intoxicated when he left us and
we have good reasons to believe that he is drowned as the wind was vary
high when he started. I sold to Mr. Bracket of Nachez 12 half barrels of
beef at $3.50 per barrel. Beef if not of the first quality is a dull article.
5th Loosed from Nachez at 10 A.M. and landed half a mile below the
White Cliffs at 4 oclock PM. The cliffs are composed of white sand. The
hills are cut to pieces by deep gullies & have a vary romantic
appearence.
6th Loosed cable at daylight and landed at Mr D. E Millers at 11 oclock
A.M. Here we sold out all of the pork consisting of 5391 lb at 4 1/2 cents.
The pork when it was weighed in was 8750 pounds. It lost just about
one third. It was worth at home just about what it is worth here, that is
at 3 cents per pound the first weight is equal to the last weight at 4 1/2
cents. I sold 8 kegs of lard at 6 cents and 1/2 barrel of beef biscuit pieces
at $4.00. The lard will be worth about 75$ which will defray all of the
expences. Mr. D. E Millar & Johnson are the Gentlemen who bought us
out. 1 am to take a draft on Mr. Cotton of Nachez for my money.
7th Last night Mr. Miller had the misfortune to get his house burned. He
lost about $2000 dollars worth of propperty. The list of weights of the
pork was in Mr. Millers house and got burnt up but fortunately I had
drawn off a list of the same and by this we ascertained what it amounted
too. We have bought a load of wood at 2.00$ per cord. He engages to
make it good at 4.00$ per cord, that is if we doe not get $4.00 he will
make it up to us & if we get more than $4 he is to get all over that
amount. We put about 15 cords of wood in the boat to-day.
“ T H E J O U R N A L S O F T H E DAVY C R O C K E T T ”
“Birds’Eye View of New Orleans” by John Bachmann, 1851
Courtesy, Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division
8th Sunday Last night was as cold a night as I ever felt. The winds were
vary high and the ground froze two or three inches deep. We have all day
been setting around the fire, one side burning and the other freesing.
11th Wednesday This day we finished loading our boat with wood. She
has about 50 cords of cotton wood on bord. We were 3 1/2 days loading
her. We bought the wood from Mr. David E Miller formerly of Lexington
Ky. We left Millers (which is 25 miles below Nachez) at 1 oclock PM.
and landed at the upper end of Layfayette New Orleans on 19th at 10
oclock in the morning. Directly after we landed we were offered $1.75
cts for our wood. We tried most of the brick yards & wood yards but the
highest offer we have had is $2.00 per cord. The steam boats wont have
it, they want Ash.
20 Seeing we can do no better, we have sold out to a French man named
De.li.shau at $2.00 per chord. We had to sell our beef at about half its
value. I sold 1 lb & 1/2 lb of beef at $5.00 dollars.
21 We today laid in our groceres. I got 1 sack of coffee at 13 cts per
pound, 1 lb of sugar at 6 112 cts per lb, 1 lb of mackeral at $7.50 & 1 keg
of rice at 4 cts per pound. The whole amounted to 49.50$ I also bought
1 pair of half boots at $1.75, The Life of William Wallace at $1.00 & The
Poetical Works of Pope at 4 bits. We shipped on board the Uncle Sam
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and left Orleans on Sunday the 22 at 10 oclock in the morning for Mt
Vernon, Posey Co. Indiana.
Feb. [March] 9th Landed at M t Vernon at 10 oclock at night. It was
court week and although it was raining and the banks extremely muddy
and late at night yet I had the happiness of meeting with Col Casey,
Thomas Barrett and other acquantances at the landing and heard by
them of my friends at home for the first time since I had left, which was
3 months lacking 10 days. None but those who have been absent and
experianced such meetings can rightly appreciate them. We may take
pleasure in traveling and our curiosity may be highly gratified by surveying the scenery of other countries and the manners and customs of
other people but those feelings fall far short of the emotions we feel
when returning to our homes from which we have been so long absent
and meeting with our friends from whom we have been seperated so
longBefore closing this narative I will make a few remarks in refferance
to boating.I4 This business has much novelty and many charms, hardships and privations connected with it. Men thrown together from all
parts of the United States and in deed from the whole world with ther
various manners and habits unrestrained by the presence of female
influance exibits a scene of extraordinary novelty and is probaly one of
the best places for a man to acquire a knowledge of human nature.
“Allen, based on his reading of more than eighty flatboat journals dating throughout the antebellum period, notes that later flatboatmen “were gaining a self-perception” of their time on the
river. They “could afford the luxuries of self-glorification and romanticization, and many of
them possessed the mental equipment to engage in such pursuits.” Jaquess’s concluding
thoughts are but one interesting example of this phenomenon. See Allen, Western Rivermen,
210.