Disturbance on the River 1862

Steamboats were often commissioned into service to move  soldiers and supplies during the Civil War.  The Ohio River, a dividing line between the North and South, saw quite a bit of action. One event involved the Hazel Dell, which did transport service during the war.

During the foggy, early morning hours of the 14th of October 1862, rebel forces attacked the steamer Hazel Dell as she pulled into the wharf at Caseyville, Union County, Kentucky. Upon reaching the wharf, a number of guerrillas jumped aboard and took possession of the boat.

The rebels, numbering about 2000, were stationed nearby and were commanded by Col. Anderson of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, Col. Johnson and Col. Martin. The rebels proceeded to take about $3000 worth of boots, shoes, clothing, sugar, coffee, lead and powder. Anything edible and wearable was confiscated plus even the boat's medicine chest was taken.

The U.S. mail agent, Mr. Duncan, and Lieut. Col. Olney of Shawneetown, Illinois, were taken prisoners and the mail was confiscated. Also taken were eight or ten free persons of color from Shawneetown

Capt. Clark, who had just purchased the Hazel Dell one month before the encounter with the rebel troops,  was given the choice of paying $3000 in cash or have his boat burned. He refused to pay and the rebels agreed not to burn the boat. Col. Johnson told Capt. Clark that he should not expect to make regular trips as the rebels now had sufficient force to command the river and if he did not catch him at one point, he would at another.

The leader of the rebels said his orders were to burn and destroy any boat found on the Ohio River after the first of November.

After being released, the Hazel Dell  started across the river to where the steamer  Campbell  was located. Men on board the Campbell thought the Hazel Dell was in possession of the guerrillas and fired two shots at her, but no one was injured.

It was later reported that the mail taken from the Hazel Dell was recovered.

Sources:

Advertisement, Evansville Daily Journal,  Wed., 17 Sep 1862, p. 2

"Outrage on the Hazel Dell," Evansville Daily Journal, Fri., 17 Oct 1862, p. 2.

"The Hazel Dell," Evansville Daily Journal,  Sat., 18 Oct 1862, p. 2.

Frederick Way, Jr., Compiler. Way's Packet Directory, 1848-1994, Revised Edition (Athens, OH: 

   Ohio University Press, 1983), p. 209. #2560, Hazel Dell.

Published 8 Nov 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

In the News ... Steamboat Style

The news items about western Kentucky steamboat folk seem to be popular, judging by the comments received from readers of this blog. The following items pertain to steamboat families in Livingston and Crittenden Counties. I hope you enjoy them.

"We learned yesterday of the death of Capt. R.H. Brown, formerly of the steamer J.P. Webb, which melancholy event took place at his residence in Dycusburg, Kentucky, where he has been merchandising since he retired from the river. Capt. 'Hodge' Brown, as he was familiarly known, was a popular steamboat man and a merchant of high repute. We could learn no particulars of his death. He was about 60 years of age."[1]

"Capt. Robert Ferguson, a veteran steamboat man, died at his home in Smithland Friday night. He was attacked with pneumonia a few days ago and his advanced age made the disease hard to treat, and he succumbed. The deceased used to run on the river with Capt. Joe Fowler of Paducah. He was 75 years of age."[2]

"Mrs. Judge Fowler, step-mother of Capts. Gus and Joe Fowler, died at her late residence near Smithland a few days ago."[3]

"The estimable wife of Hon. W.P. Fowler, who died a few days ago at Smithland, Kentucky, was not the mother of the Paducah steamboat captains J.W., W.P., D.G., J.H. and L.A. Their mother was the sister of H.F. and D.A. Given, and the first wife of Judge Fowler."[4]

---

[1] "River Intelligence," Evansville Journal,  9 Jan 1877, page 9.

[2] "River News," Evansville Journal-News, 26 Mar 1902, page 3.

[3] "River Intelligence," Evansville Journal, 21 Apr 1877,  page 7.

[4] "River and Steamboat News," Evansville Daily Courier, 21 Apr 1877, page 3.

Published 8 October 2015, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

William Washington Phillips (1834 - 1897)

A number of steamboat men got their start on the river while living in Smithland, Livingston County, Kentucky and later moved to Evansville, Indiana, which was a center for steamboat traffic. The Evansville newspapers are full of news of the steamboats and their pilots and passengers. The following obituaries caught my attention.

William W.

Phillips

Aug. 5 1834

April 3, 1897

Evansville Courier  4 April 1897
Captain William Washington Phillips, one of the best-known pilots on the river, died yesterday afternoon at his residence. He was 62 years old. Capt. Phillips had been a sufferer of Bright's disease for about three years and for the last four months he had been confined to his home.

Capt. Wash Phillips, as everybody called him, was born near Smithland, McCracken [sic] county, Kentucky on August 4, 1835 [sic], being the oldest child in a family of seven. He attended the public schools of Smithland until he was 16 years old.

On October 5, 1853, he married Miss Martha J. Tigner, a prominent young lady of Smithland. Thirteen children were born to Capt. and Mrs. Phillips, six of whom are now living. They are: Mrs. E.M. Gordon, of this city; Mrs. Richard Martin, of Knight township; Mr. Charles B. Phillips, of Berryville, N.Y.; Mrs. L.C. Schultz, East St. Louis, Ill.; Mrs. Gus Phillips, of Memphis; Miss Ada Phillips, of Evansville. Capt. Phillips' wife survives him.

At an early age, Capt. Phillips learned the trade of ship carpentering and during his whole life was connected with steamboats in various capacities. When the civil war broke out, Capt. Phillips was a young man in the prime of his life and had bright prospects. When his country's flag was fired upon at Fort Sumter, he was seized with a desire to help save the union, which then seemed certain of destruction. He was engaged as pilot of an union gunboat and served throughout the war. He participated in many of the fierce engagements that took place on the rivers of the southern states.

At various times [after the war], he was employed as a pilot on the John S. Hopkins, Dick Fowler, Dexter, Cumberland, Idlewild and City of Evansville [steamboats]. He was proprietor of the tug Robbin at one time. Capt. Phillips had not been engaged in active service on the river for several months owing to his failing health.

Evansville Courier 6 April 1897
The funeral of the late Capt. Washington Phillips occurred yesterday afternoon from the family residence at 1612 East Virginia street. The services were conducted by the Rev. Samuel Reid, pastor of Ingle street M.E. Church. The remains were buried at Locust Hill.

Evansville Courier 30 January 1917
Following an illness of three weeks, Mrs. M.J. Phillips, 79 years old, passed away yesterday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Jeanie Gordon.

The 1850 Livingston County, Kentucky census shows William W. Phillips, age 16 and born Kentucky, living in the household of William and Judah Phillips in Smithland. When William Washington Phillips married Miss Martha Jane Tigner in Smithland 5 October 1853 he stated he was born in Massac County, Illinois and was living at West wood or the Point. His mother, Judith Phillips, a widow, gave consent for the license to be issued. He was 19 years old and his bride was 16.  By 1860, Wash Phillips and his family were living in Evansville. Wash Phillips, Martha Tigner Phillips and son, W.T. Phillips, are all buried at Locust Hill Cemetery, Evansville. Martha does not have a tombstone.

Published 22 May 2014, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

According to Buz ...

Those of you who follow this blog know that I have spent a lot of time researching Smithland, Kentucky and its residents. One of the town residents I enjoy most is Ben F. Egan, more commonly known as Buz. I've written about him Here and Here .

Buz was a steamboat captain on the Ohio and Cumberland rivers for many years and knew just about everyone in the business or connected to the business.  He also knew the men who reported the news of steamboats. So, when he was in a town, he visited the reporter who wrote the river news and talked. And talked and talked some more. He talked about old steamboat men in Smithland, calling them "old mariners." He talked about which ones were buried on "graveyard hill" in Smithland, which was often called "mouth of the Cumberland" or "mouth of Smithland."  Because of his talking, we get an inside look at people he knew in Smithland and on the rivers. Thank you, Buz!

Below are some of the news items found in the Evansville, Indiana Journal, which is available on microfilm at Willard Library in Evansville:

15 December 1884:  Speaking of his life-long friend, A.J. Duncan (deceased), Ben F. Egan says: Allen and I were boys together at that good old town at the mouth of the Cumberland river. When I first learned to know him well he and I were officers, in 1855, on the Nashville and St. Louis packet, Aleonia ... Capt. Duncan married  the niece of Capt. J.V. Scyster, of Smithland ... The widow of Wm. Mantz, a favorite engineer on the Cumberland river, is the niece of Capt. Duncan.

22 April 1885: [Speaking of J.W. Mills] His earthly voyage is ended, and he now sleeps on the graveyard hill down at the mouth of Smithland, and near him lie his old-time friends R.C. Weston, J.V. Throop, D.G. Fowler, N.F. Drew and Blount Hodge.

11 October 1886:  When a boy down at the mouth of Smithland, I played with the Matheny boys, Clem, Will, Tobe and Jim. Clem died at the pilot's wheel of the W.A. Johnson; Will committed suicide; Tobe was executed at Paducah by a military order issued by Gen. Payne, and now comes the intelligence from Evansville that Jim died there a few days ago, a victim of that dread disease, consumption. All of these boys were boatmen, and all, except poor Jim, died with their boots on. W.S. Gupton, a well known pilot, is their nephew.

3 December 1890:  Recalling ante-bellum days, Buz says: In the long ago Dixon Given drove a stage and kept a tavern on the point opposite the Mouth of Smithland. The old gentleman is dead and forgotten, and not a vestige of that house, nor of the ground on which it stood, remains. It has tumbled into the Ohio River. H.F., D.A., Mildred, Emily and Kate are dead. Judge W.P. Fowler married the oldest daughter. There [sic] sons are Dick, Joe, Whyte and Gus. Only Joe survives.

This is just a sample of what Buz had to say. I'll share more in the future.

Published 27 March 2014, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Capt. R.Y. Northern of Smithland

Another of my on-going projects centered in Smithland, Kentucky is the collection of information on men connected to the steamboat trade. A great deal of my information comes from newspapers in towns along the Ohio River, sometimes from the columns  that tell of the arrival and departure times of the steamboats. Nestled in other places in these newspapers are little nuggets of info that almost seem to be fillers - until you read them and learn they contain valuable information.  The following article appeared at the bottom of the page in the 8 June 1905 issue of the Crittenden (County) Press. I didn't know much about R.Y. Northern except that he married Davidella Patterson 17 August 1855 in Smithland and both are buried in Love's Chapel Cemetery, Livingston County.  R.Y. died in 1911 and Davidella died in 1901. Below is the article that prompted me to search for more information. 

Veteran Steamboatman

 

Capt. R.Y. Northern, of Smithland, Ky., is here this week visiting Mr. Paul J. Northern, who is his great-great nephew, says the Sturgis correspondent to the Morganfield Sun. Capt. Northern is a veteran river man, having been a boat captain for over forty years, running from Nashville to New Orleans. He owned and commanded the E. Howard, built at Louisville many years ago. This boat ran during the terrible yellow fever scourge when as many as 400 a day were dying at New Orleans. The captain is 85 years old, but is very entertaining, taking great pleasure in telling of his many and varied experiences during this fearful epidemic. 

 

He will go from here to visit his sister, Mrs. Yeager, and nephew, T.Y. Northern, of Providence, Ky.  Capt. Northern called on us ... and we found him a very pleasant gentleman, a good conversationalist, with an exceptionally bright memory of the old happy steamboat days.

 

Capt. Northern knew all the great river men of his day who commanded such magnificent steamers as the Robt. E. Lee, the Belle Lee, the Natchez, Vicksburg, Old Hickory, Emma C. Elliott, John Clilgore and many others. Capt. Northern was commander of the Howard when she collided with the large side-wheel steamer, Swallow, just 40 miles this side of New Orleans. The bow of the Howard plunged through the Swallow's fore deck to her boilers, sinking her instantly with a loss of several lives. The blame of this fearful collision was laid to the Swallow.

The above article was the catalyst for more newspaper research - and it paid off.

Crittenden Press 31 October 1901
Mrs. R.Y. Northern died at her home, "Woodlawn," in Livingston county Wednesday evening, Oct. 23d. The funeral took place at Loves Chapel. Mrs. Northern was the wife of Capt. Northern, one of the wealthiest and most prominent men in Livingston County. She was a Miss Patterson.

Crittenden Press 5 January 1905
Mr. Chas. Leffler of Sanford, Fla. and Mrs. Ida Northern Flanary of this place were married Saturday at the parsonage of the M.E. church of this place. Mr. Leffler is an old Smithland man, was born and raised here but has made his home in Florida for many years. His bride is the daughter of Capt. R.Y. Northern and was the widow of the late E.C. Flanary of Marion, Ky.

Crittenden Press  18 May 1905
Capt. R.Y. Northern moved his household goods to his farm near the Berry ferry last week and will reside there with his son, Mr. Ernest Northern, most of the time.

Paducah Sun 4 December 1905
Capt. Northern of Smithland was in the city yesterday en route to Florida to visit his daughter, Mrs. Charles Leffler, of Tampa. Capt. Northern enjoys the distinction of having brought to Paducah the first locomotive ever seen here. It was about '54 and he brought it from New Orleans on his steamboat.

Crittenden Record-Press 5 October 1916
A telegram was received conveying the news of the death of Mrs. Chas. H. Lefler of Sanford, Fla. at the home of Mrs. H.A. Hodge, her sister whom she was visiting in Dallas, Texas at the time of her death. Her remains will arrive here Thursday and will be buried at the new cemetery after the funeral at the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Lefler was the widow of the late Eb. C. Flanary and was Miss Ida Northern, daughter of Capt. Northern of Livingston county before her first marriage. Her only child, Walker Flanary, killed himself accidentally while hunting at Smithland about 10 years ago.

I am still searching for an obituary for Capt. Northern, who died 31 May 1911 and is buried at Love's Chapel Cemetery.

Published 3 January 2014, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/



Steamboat Christmas Dinner Menu 1890

Lavish meals were served on steamboats in by-gone days and if you doubt it, just take a look at the menu for Christmas dinner on the steamer W.F. Nisbet in 1890. This menu appeared in the Evansville Press on Sunday, 26 April 1936. Personally I think the Baked Opossum could have been left off the menu.

Menu

Oysters

 

Fish

Baked Red Snapper     Potatoes Croquette

 

Broiled

Leg of Beef   Brown Gravy   Joint of Veal

Currant Jelly   Lamb   French Peas   Young Shoat

Applesauce   Baked Opossum   Sweet Potatoes

 

Poultry and Game

Young Turkey   Oyster Dressing   Cranberry Sauce

Wild Goose   German Dumplings

Fried Chicken   Maryland Style Quail on Toast

 

Vegetables

Delmonico Potatoes   Okra   New Asparagus

Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes   Green Corn

Puree of Spinach in Cream

 

Entrees

Fricassee of Sweet Breads   Baked Macaroni Cheese

 

Salads

Chicken   Lobster   Potato

 

Relishes

New Onions   American Cheese   Green Olives

 

Pastry

Steamed Apple Pudding   Frozen Sauce   Mince Pie

Cranberry Pie   Lemon Pie

 

Dessert

English Cream    Charlotte Russe  Italian Cream

Macedonia Fruit   Wine Jelly   Pine Apple Cheese

Brandy Jelly Soufflé  Peaches   Floating Island   Ice Cream

 

Assorted Cakes

Pound Cake  Lady Cake  Fruit Cake  Chocolate Lady Fingers  Jelly Cake

Jelly Roll  Sponge Drops   Coconut Macaroons   Egg Kisses   Brandy Snaps

Ice Cream Cake  Jenny Lind

 

Fruits, Etc.

Bananas   Oranges   Pine Apple  Mixed Nuts  Assorted Candy

 

Coffees, Teas, Etc.

Mocha and Java   Melson Chocolate   Green Teas   Sweet and Buttermilk

Indiana Lemonade   Tennessee Corn Dodgers

 

 

Published 24 December 2013, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/



Ben F. Egan's Story

Since beginning my project on the history and people of Smithland, Kentucky,  I've "met" some very interesting people and I am especially drawn to  those who made their living on the rivers. Because Smithland is located at the confluence of two navigable rivers, the Ohio and the Cumberland, it was the perfect spot for steamboat people to work and live. Many of these  men continued living in Smithland long after they were too old to work the rivers, but others moved on to other places.

One steamboat man who has captured my attention probably would not be recognized as one of the "movers and shakers" of Smithland, but he certainly led an interesting life and has a story to tell.  His name was Ben F. Egan, the same man who sent the Citizens Report on the Federal troops to the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The son of Edward Egan and Martha "Patsy" Barner of Logan County, KY Ben was born about 1827 in Smithland.   After Edward's death, Martha  married  15 March 1837 to Henry Wells, a commission merchant of Smithland who had previously been married to Martha's sister, Mayes Barner.

By 1840, Ben was an orphan.  It is believed that Ben went to live with his uncle, Benjamin Barner, in his house on Charlotte Street in Smithland. There he probably  heard stories about life on the river from his Uncle Benjamin and later from Benjamin's brother, Sterling M. Barner, who was a renowned steamboat captain for many years. Ben was well educated, having graduated from St. Mary's College in Marion County, Kentucky.

Ben F. Egan married his cousin, Nettie Miller, 15 May 1852 in Davidson County, Tennessee. Nettie was the daughter of Joseph Miller, a steamboat captain on the Cumberland River. Ben and Nettie moved to Paducah before 1860, but by 1870, they were back in Nashville.  They had three known children -  Frank , born about 1858 Kentucky,  lived in New York City as late as 1930; Kate, or Kittie, was born about 1860 in Kentucky and a child stillborn in 1863.

Ben had firsthand knowledge of two wars. He was a Mexican War veteran, having enlisted in the 4th KY Infantry in Smithland in 1847 and served one year.  He is reputed to have received a pension for this service, but that has not yet been verified. For his services in the Mexican War, he received a tract of land in Iowa from the government. Although not a soldier during the Civil War, Ben was an active witness of Federal troop movements and fortifications in and around Smithland.

In the early 1880s, Ben became convinced his days were numbered and began a round of being admitted to various institutions and hospitals and then going AWOL. He spent time in the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers or hospitals in Leavenworth, Kansas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dayton, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri and Evansville, Indiana. At one time he requested admissions to an institution in California, but was rejected.

His physical description on one admission records describes him as being 5 feet 10 inches tall, being of light complexion and having grey eyes and grey hair. His occupation was given as steamboat captain and his religion as Catholic. His nearest relative was Frank A. Egan of New York City.

An article published December 1896 in the Morning Herald, Lexington, Kentucky newspaper, was titled titled "Going Home to Die." It states the following:
"Captain Ben F. Egan, one of the survivors of the war with Mexico, is a guest at the Phoenix on his way to his home in Nashville, Tenn. He has been at the soldiers home in Dayton, where, he says, he went last October to die. Death did not come as expected, however, and his surroundings were not what he desires his last to be, so he is returning to his old home to be buried by the side of his relatives, all of whom are dead. He says he is not despondent, but does not hope to live many months."  Ben did die, but not for several more years.
 

In the 11 January 1902 issue of the Paducah Sun, the following was printed: "We regret to learn that Captain Ben F. Egan, the veteran steamboat man, is an inmate of a hospital in Washington, being treated in for an incurable disease. He was a resident of Smithland many years ago and is recollected by our older citizens, and has friends here. The sick man is a Mexican war veteran and was a steamboatman before the war."

Ben F. Egan died 24 February 1908 in the Government Hospital for the Insane in Washington, DC.  He was 81 years old.

 Published 4 April 2013, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Tombstone Tuesday - Throop and Scyster

John H. Throop
1850 - 1911



Mary S. Throop
1856 - 1927

Both are buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Evansville, Indiana. Tombstones photographed 31 July 2010.

John Hamilton Throop, well known on the Ohio River, was the son of Joshua V. Throop , prominent steamboat captain from Smithland, Livingston County, Kentucky.

J.H. Throop's obituary appeared in the Crittenden Record Press 7 September 1911. It states: "Capt. J.H. Throop, aged 63 years, one of the best known steamboat men along the lower Ohio river, died here [Evansville] yesterday. For many years he was United States inspector of steamboat hulls here. He was a native of Smithland, Ky. The deceased had spent practically all his life on the Ohio River."

Mary Scyster Throop was daughter of Capt. Jacob V. Scyster, also a steamboat captain. Mary Troop's obituary appeared in the Evansville Courier Monday, 21 February 1927: "Funeral services for Mrs. Mary S. Throop, 76, who died Saturday afternoon at the residence, 1052 South First street, will be held at the home this afternoon. Conducting the service will be Dr. A.E. Craig, pastor Trinity M.E. church, and the Rev. T.A. Wigginton, pastor Washington Avenue Presbyterian church. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. Death was due to pneumonia. Surviving are two sons, J. Vail Throop of Kansas City, Mo., and John Throop of Water Valley, Miss; and a daughter, Mrs. J. Fort Abell, Paducah, Ky."

Published 2 October 2012,  Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

1811 Trip to New Orleans

Two Hundred years ago a momentous event occurred on the Ohio River. The first powered steamboat on the inland waterways, the New Orleans, began its journey down the Ohio River toward the Crescent City. The steamboat left Pittsburgh on 20 October 1811 with a captain, engineer, pilot, six hands, two servants, a waiter, a cook and three passengers. If this trip was successful, its builders, Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston, would learn if the design of the steamboat was sufficient for future trips. Also, it would likely open up a whole new venue for transportation of goods and passengers.

The New Orleans was 26 feet wide and 148 feet long, a massive ship compared to the canoes and flatboats that were in common use. The ship was propelled by a 34 cylinder steam engine that produced 160 horsepower. There were large paddle wheels located amidships on each side of the ship's hull. The ship could travel at 10 miles per hour downstream.

On the 27th of November, the New Orleans arrived in Cincinnati and two days later made it to Louisville. After laying over in Louisville for several weeks due to low water level, the New Orleans proceeded to navigate through the dangerous Falls of the Ohio. Traveling through the Falls was so difficult that only certain experienced pilots were allowed to conduct steamboats through the area.

Then, another momentous event happened. On 11 December 1811, the first New Madrid earthquake occurred. There would be three different 8.0 magnitude trembles at 3 am, 8 am and 11 am. One has to wonder how the passengers and crew aboard the New Orleans felt. Did the New Orleans rock and roll when the quakes hit? The noise alone must have been frightening - from both the earthquake and the steamboat itself. The New Orleans was not a silent steamboat - its engine was so loud that it could be heard some distance away. What excitement must have been created in all the town along the river as the New Orleans chugged its way toward New Orleans. And reach New Orleans it did on January 10, 1812.

The New Orleans never returned to Pittsburgh; she was thereafter used as a packet carrying mail, cargo and passengers between Natchez and New Orleans. This voyage from Pittsburgh to New Orelans in 1811 was just the beginning of the great steamboat era on the Ohio River. Towns such as Evansville, Cairo, Smithland, Paducah and Cincinnati would flourish with steamboat traffic. Without steamboats, Smithland might have been nothing more than another little river town. With steamboats and the businesses it created, such men as Nathaniel Drew, Joshua V. and J.H. Throop, Amon Price, Blount Hodge, Napoleon B. Hayward and Sterling Barner made Smithland their home and enriched the history of the town.



Sources:
Harold Morgan. "1811: A Year of Miracles," Bicentennial Indiana Territory 1811-1815, http://thefirstvolley.com/steamboat.html, accessed 9 December 2011.


Copyright by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG
Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog

Capture of the Alice Dean

 

Western Kentucky genealogists and historians are familiar with John Hunt Morgan and his activities on land during the Civil War. Fewer of us are familiar, though, with his capture and destruction of the steamboat Alice Dean. The following account is found in the Henderson Reporter of Thursday, 16 July 1863.

From Captain James H. Pepper, who was in command of the Alice Dean at the time she was captured and burnt by the rebels under John Hunt Morgan, and who arrived in this city yesterday, we learn particulars of the occurrence.

The Alice Dean was on her way from Mound City to Cincinnati and when, on Tuesday last, near Brandenburg, Kentucky, Capt. Pepper discovered the steamer McCombs lying near the shore, apparently in distress, making signals for him to bring his boat alongside. As the Alice Dean came up, in obedience to the summons, Capt. Pepper discovered that the McCombs was in possession of rebel troops, who evidently intended to board and capture his boat as soon as she came within reach, but all his efforts to get his boat again underway, and escape, were unavailing. She was immediately boarded by a large force of rebels, and himself, officers and crew placed under arrest, the soldiers in the meantime helping themselves to such valuables as came within their reach. When Capt. Pepper found that it would be impossible to escape with his boat, he ran to the office with the intention of secreting the money there belonging to the boat, the silverware &c, but he found himself confronted by a number of soldiers, who leveled their guns and ordered him to desist.

The rebel commander, General Morgan, informed Capt. Pepper that a large number of his troops had arrived at Brandenburg; that he wanted to take them across the river; that having no boats of any kind of his own, he was compelled to take possession of the Alice Dean to be used for that purpose and that as soon as his men and their horses and equipment, artillery &c were safely on the Indiana side of the river, she would be released and allowed to proceed on her way.

There were but few stores on the Alice Dean at the time she was captured, which were taken possession of by the rebels.

Tuesday evening Capt. Pepper received an order to prepare supper for 50 men, which, he informed the officer bearing the order, it was impossible as he had no provisions. The next morning a similar order was received and a like answer returned.
Capt. Pepper and his crew were engaged about 2 days in ferrying the rebels and their equipment across the river, during the whole of which time they had not a mouthful to eat, nor were they allowed to take any rest.

After all the rebel troops had been ferried across the river, Capt. Pepper received the following order:
"Indiana, U.S., July 2.
Capt. Pepper: Sir, in keeping with order from my superior officer, Major General John H. Morgan, I hereby order you to move your crew from your boat, Alice Dean, together with all your individual property as I am ordered to burn your boat. I am, sir, respectfully, Your obedient servant, Jas. W. Mitchel, Captain and Provost Marshal. Second Brigade, Morgan's Div. C.S.A."

Capt. Mitchel very politely informed Capt. Pepper that he could take from the boat such articles as he desired. Capt. Pepper placed the silverware belonging to the boat and a few other articles in a satchel and then went ashore, when his men were drawn up in line in front of the rebel soldiers. Capt. Mitchel told his men they could go on the boat and take such articles as they desired as he intended to burn her. Capt. Pepper asked the same privilege for the crew as a compensation for the labor they had performed for the rebel General, which was readily granted. They all helped themselves to bed clothing and such things as could be removed when the noble vessel, the finest on the Ohio River, was fired by the rebel Captain, and in a short time all that remained of the beautiful, finely furnished and fast running Alice Dean was a charred and smoking hull.

The Alice Dean was valued at $60,000 and was not insured against the vicissitudes of war.

Added note: Way's Packet Directory, 1848 - 1994, p. 12 states that a steamer of the same name was built in 1864 and ran the Cincinnati - Memphis route With Capt. Pepper commanding. After only three trips, the second Alice Dean hit the bank in March 1864 and sank.

Researching Steamboats on the Ohio River

The past few months I have become very interested in steamboating on the Ohio River. I like looking at pictures of steamboats, reading about them and learning about the types of cargo they carried. Steamboating was big business in this area. Evansville, which is practically next door to where I live, was the home base for a number of steamboats back when steamboats were a major source of transportation.

If you are familiar with Jefferson’s Nephews: A Frontier Tragedy by Boynton Merrill, Jr., you will recall that the steamboat New Orleans was launched in March 1811 at Pittsburgh. It is stated in Jefferson’s Nephews that the steamboat had “some features of a sailing craft … was painted the improbable color of sky blue. These odd features, along with her paddle wheel and belching smoke stack, guaranteed that she was the most curious if not the most frightening apparition that had ever come down the Ohio.” You can imagine how suspicious people were of this new mode of transportation.

It wasn’t long, though, before steamboats were common, going up and down the Ohio, carrying cargo and passengers to larger cities, where they disembarked to visit friends, do business or to simply enjoy some leisure time. The steamboat opened up the world to those living in rural areas.

I am fascinated by the number of men in Livingston County, Kentucky who worked on the steamboats as pilots, clerks or general laborers. I had heard people say “I can’t find anything on my ancestor. He worked on the river and there is no information on him.” Don’t believe it. There is some information online, but I have found my best sources to be newspaper items in the Evansville newspaper. Titled “River Intelligence,” the daily paper, the Evansville Journal, began reporting the activities of steamboats as far back as the late 1840s. Willard Library in Evansville has three published volumes of abstracts of “River Intelligence” ending in 1875. After 1875, you need to search the Journal for information. Not only is there information on the activities of the steamboats, but also the crews, marriages and deaths of family members, and the types of cargo carried by the steamboats.

I thought all cities of any size on the river that had a newspaper might have newspaper information on steamboats. The Paducah, Kentucky newspaper had a similar column on river news, but it was not as extensive as in the Evansville Journal. The Henderson, Kentucky newspapers carried very little steamboat news, unless it dealt with a disaster. I suspect the Louisville and Cincinnati newspapers did carry a lot of river news.

The other really great source of information is Way’s Packet Directory, 1848 – 1994, compiled by Frederick Way Jr. I bought my copy through Amazon.com, but your local bookstore might be able to special order it for you or your local library might have a copy. The book is arranged in alphabetical order by name of the steamboat, contains the date and place it was built, years in operation and what happened to end its career. For example, the John L. Lowry was built in Cave in Rock, Ill. 1909, the size of its engines and boilers was listed, states that the owner was Capt. John L. Lowry and the boat ran between Evansville and Paducah. It burned at Hamletsburg, Ill, opposite Smithland, Kentucky in June 1911.

Another entry states that the John L. Lowry was rebuilt in Evansville in 1913, sank in a storm in 1919 and returned to activity in a different capacity the next year.

Willard Library has some photographs of steamboats, and you will find some on steamboat.org, but the best place is the Inland Rivers Library in the Rare Books and Special Collections Department of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Ohio. This is the largest collection of river books and photos.

Capt. Napoleon B. Hayward

Copyright on photographs and text by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

May not be copied without written consent

It was almost inevitable that Napoleon Bonaparte Hayward would go into the steamboat business. He lived in Smithland, the home of many men who earned their living working on the rivers, so he was exposed to river talk and river men. In addition, his sister, Sarah, married Capt. Nathaniel F. Drew , who was a steamboat captain for many years.

Napoleon B. Hayward counted several Smithland families among his relatives, including Washington Beverly and James McCawley. Napoleon B.’s father, James Haywood, married Sarah Beverly, daughter of John Beverly and Anne McCawley, in Livingston County in 1822. The Haywards lived for a while in Jefferson County before moving back to Smithland before 1840.

Napoleon B. and his first wife had one child, Sarah Addie, who was born about 1854. With his second wife, Virginia Quertermous, he had the following children: Lavinia, Walter Scott, James T., Charles W., Bertha, Harry C., Virginia Grace, Ruby I. and John F.

The Hayward family lived a couple of years in Crittenden County, where Napoleon B. is listed as a blacksmith on the 1860 census. Shortly after that date, the family moved to Evansville, Indiana, where Napoleon went to work for his brother-in-law, Capt. Drew. In 1867, the steamboat Linton, was built in Pittsburg for Capt. Drew and first operated on the Monongahela River. The Linton later transferred to the Evansville-Nashville trade before it sank 25 October 1869. Napoleon later became captain of the steamer, Glasgow, which operated on the Ohio River.

Capt. Nathaniel F. Drew, Napoleon B. Hayward’s brother-in-law, died in the spring of 1874 and Napoleon was appointed administrator of Capt. Drew’s estate. Napoleon B. never completed the administration of Capt. Drew’s estate as he died about a year later. An account of his death is found in the Evansville Daily Journal on 22 and 23 April 1875. It is stated that Mrs. Hayward was on board when the Glasgow left Evansville, planning to visit Mrs. Drew in Smithland. When they reached Smithland, a physician was consulted, who attributed his illness to a severe cold. Mrs. Hayward attended her husband on board the steamer, but Napoleon B. Hayward died shortly after becoming ill.

News of the death of Napoleon B. Hayward reached Evansville before the Glasgow arrived. His obituary in the Evansville Daily Journal states the following: “Capt. Hayward was an excellent citizen and was rapidly accumulating property and become daily more and more identified with the general interests of the city. He was a sober, honest and enterprising gentleman, about 48 or 49 years old.”


Capt. Hayward left a will, dated 16 March 1872. With the exception of $1000 left to his oldest daughter, he left his entire estate to his widow, Virginia, who lived until 29 September 1920.

Most of Hayward family is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville. The tall, imposing tombstone marks their burial place in section 30, lot 29. The only family member buried elsewhere is Sarah Addie, who died in 1942 Shreveport, Louisiana.

Sinking of the Belmont 1884

Tombstones of Mathew and Sarah Lyon, Oak Hill Cemetery, Evansville, Indiana.

After Mathew S. Lyon married Sarah Frost in 1845 Hopkins County, Kentucky, they settled down to rear their family. Lyon was first a merchant and later a hotel keeper in Madisonville. By the mid-1860s, the family had relocated to Evansville, Indiana, where Lyon became a clerk and loan agent. The family grew to include the following children: Ella, Lawrence, John, Sallie, Harvy, Thompson, Laura, Edward and perhaps others.

On the morning of the 30th of August 1884 in Evansville, Sarah Lyon and two of her daughters, Mrs. Sallie Bryan, a young widow, and Miss Laura Lyon, boarded the transfer steamer, the Belmont, which was headed toward Henderson. The Belmont was towing a barge containing a passenger train carrying about 60 people.

Suddenly, a cyclone blew in along the Ohio River, striking the Belmont and causing it to rip apart from the barge. The Belmont, which was carrying about 20-25 people, turned bottoms up, throwing passengers and crew into the dark water or trapping them in their rooms. There was no chance for escape as the storm raged for over an hour. All aboard the Belmont drowned in the storm. Among those who perished were Capt. Smith and his crew, who remained with the sinking boat until the end. All passengers on the barge survived.

The storm also hit Uniontown, Kentucky and damaged Hamilton’s warehouse, Dr. Brown’s residence, the roof of the Commercial Hotel, Cartmell’s warehouse and there was much destruction to crops in the fields. Also badly damaged were the Evansville steamers, Josh V. Throop and Silverthorn.

The body of Sarah Lyon was among the first recovered from the river. It was placed on the steamer, Iron Cliff, and returned to Evansville. The bodies of Mrs. Sallie Bryan and Miss Laura Lyon were recovered shortly thereafter. All three bodies were placed in a vault at Oak Hill Cemetery, Evansville, to await burial the following day.

The funeral for Mrs. Lyon and her daughters took place on Sunday, the 31st of August. The bodies were laid to rest side by side – Mrs. Lyon on the left, Mrs. Bryan on the right and Miss Laura in the center. A large crowd was in attendance as the Rev. Mr. Berger of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church read a scripture and said a prayer.

Mathew S. Lyon moved to Sturgis, Union County, Kentucky and died there on the 19th of May 1890. Sadly, his obituary in the Evansville Courier of 20 May 1890 does not mention the deaths of his wife and daughters. His body was brought back to Evansville and he was laid to rest beside his family at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Joshua V. Throop - Steamboat Captain

Copyright on photographs and text by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG

May not be copied without written consent



Tombstone of Maria R. Throop, Smithland Cemetery, Smithland, Kentucky.

The past couple of years I have been photographing tombstones in Smithland Cemetery, which is in Livingston County. I am rather partial to Smithland Cemetery and many tombstones from this cemetery have been featured on Tombstone Tuesday. The tombstones are varied here – some showing the artwork and epitaphs common to the mid-South and others are similar to those found in other parts of the country. Being located at the confluence of two rivers, Smithland experienced a great deal of river traffic in the past, which resulted in people from various parts of our country making this their home. When they came to this area, they brought with them their beliefs and traditions. Subconsciously or not, these traditions are revealed in the artwork on their tombstones.

Some tombstones are very plain with only the name and dates of births and deaths. Many others have a weeping willow tree, the universal symbol of sorrow. And there are the tall, elaborate monuments marking the final resting places of the more affluent. None grab my attention more than the plain, simply carved stones. One such stone (see above) is that of Maria R. Throop, whose inscription is this:

Maria R. Throop
Born Novr. 8th 1822
Died Decr. 19th 1842

Weep Not for me Nor Shed a Tear
My tender husband and relations dear
My debt is paid my grave you see
You all must die as well as me
Depart my friends and dry your tears
I must lie here till Christ appears.

This inscription is a variation on the well-known epitaph of “Pause as you pass by, As you are now, So once was I …”

Maria died just one month past her 20th birthday. Surely there was a story here – if not about Maria, then about her family.

As she died so young, I did not learn much about Maria, but her husband had a wonderful life story. Maria married Joshua V. Throop 8 April 1842 Livingston County. Just eight months later, she was dead. Was it from consumption, that dreaded disease that racked the body and stole the life from the soul? Or was it a premature childbirth? No records have been found to tell us what happened and there is no record of the birth of a child. We do know that on 12 April 1847, her widowed husband married her younger sister, Eliza Johnston. Both were the daughters of John Johnston, who is buried next to Maria.

Joshua V. Throop descends from the Throop family that was part of that large migration from Vermont to the area that is today Lyon County. He began working on the Cumberland River early in life, commanded his first steamboat at the age of 19 years and spent his entire adult life either as a commander or pilot. He is found in Smithland on the 1850 and 1860 Livingston County census records and by 1863, he and his two sons had moved to Evansville. Steamboatin’ on the Cumberland by Byrd Douglas describes the family in the following words: “The patriarch of this family was Captain Joshua V. Throop, who started on the river as early as 1830, and continued until the outbreak of the War Between the States. John Throop and George S. Throop succeeded their distinguished kinsman after the War, and their boats during this period brought heavy cargoes of grain and other commodities from the rich Ohio Valley section up to Nashville.”

Joshua V. Throop died 25 November 1874 in Evansville, Indiana. His remains were taken to Smithland upon the steamer Silverthorn for burial beside other members of the family. It is of interest that the only tombstone for any Throop in Smithland Cemetery is that of his first wife, Maria. If Joshua or Eliza ever had tombstones, they have disappeared.

The Evansville Daily Journal of 30 November 1874 describes his return to Smithland and funeral as follows:
“The Silverthorn came up from Smithland at 2 p.m. Saturday. She reached Smithland at 9 a.m. Friday, and the whole population attended the funeral services of Capt. Throop, which were held in the Methodist Church, and followed the remains to the grave. Judge Fowler pronounced a beautiful and touching eulogy over the remains of the son of an old and intimate friend, for such had the father of Capt. Throop been to the venerable Judge, who spoke feelingly upon this occasion, his voice at times being suppressed by his emotions.”

Death did not extinguish the name Joshua V. Throop. A steamboat carrying his name distinguished itself by being the first inland vessel in America to fly the America Red Cross flag and, along with Clara Barton, carried emergency supplies to the victims of the Ohio and Mississippi river floods of 1884. A fitting tribute to a good, honest man.

Wordless Wednesday - Mississippi Queen

Mississippi Queen churning down the Ohio River past Newburgh, Indiana and headed toward Henderson, Kentucky. Photographed early 1990s. Click on the photograph for an enlarged view.

City of Golconda Goes Down

The following article appeared in the 20 August 1901 issue of the Evansville Courier and describes the sinking of the steamboat Golconda.


City of Golconda Goes Down Five Miles This Side of Paducah

The Drowned
Miss Lizzie Graham, Grahamsville, Ky.
Miss Trixie Grimes, Grahamsville, Ky.
Mrs. W.A.. Hogan and three children, Paducah, Ky.
Watts Davis, Livingston County, Ky.
Mrs. David Adams, Smithland, Ky.
Miss Lockey Barnett, Smithland, Ky.
Clarence Slayden, Lola, Ky.
Unknown man, Lola, Ky.
Five negro rousters
Two peddlers, names unknown.

Paducah, Ky., Aug. 19 - Eighteen people lost their lives in the sinking of the steamer City of Golconda tonight. It was the worst disaster that has taken place on the Ohio river in 50 years.

Caught in a storm which came up suddenly, the boat was turned over in the middle of the river in the twinkling of an eye and 18 lives were sacrificed. Forty-five passengers escaped.

The City of Golconda plied between Golconda and Elizabethtown (Illinois) and was on her way down the river with a large number of passengers. The boat had fine sailing and nothing had happened to mar the trip of the many pleasure seekers on board.

When the boat was five miles above this city, a storm came up. It was sudden. The crew did not see the black clouds in the west. In fact, the passengers were at supper and all were merry.

Suddenly there was a loud noise, like a clap of thunder, and the boat was turned over in mid river. It was too sudden for those on board to tell how it happened.

In an instant passengers were fighting for their lives in the middle of the river and many were caught in the cabin like so many rats in a cage, never to escape.

The fortunate ones who happened to be thrown in the river held on to the steamer until she drifted down stream a mile. Skiffs that are always kept on top of a steamer were finally secured and with these the passengers got to shore.

News of the terrible disaster reached here at 8 o’clock and a relief party was sent up the river to aid in the work of rescue. The party arrived too late to save any lives and began searching for bodies of the dead.

Some of the passengers who lost their lives were from the most prominent families of Kentucky. Watts Davis was a cattle buyer of Livingston County, Ky., and one of the wealthiest men in western Kentucky. Miss Locky Barnett was the wealthiest woman in Smithland and her father, who recently died, was prominent in politics.

The City of Golconda was the property of Golconda, Ill., people and was valued at $10,000. She was one of the best little boats in this port and was insured for $5,000.

On board the steamer when the accident happened was a Methodist minister. There was also a white horse on the boat. Passengers who saw the horse taken on remarked at the time that there would be an accident of some kind, as there was already a minister on the boat. The minister escaped with his life and says he will never again go on board a steamboat where there is a white horse.

Published 10 September 2008, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

Explosion of the Pat Cleburne

Another steamboat disaster occurred at 11 p.m. on 17 May 1876 when the Pat Cleburne exploded her boilers while landing along side the Arkansas Belle, six miles below Shawneetown, Illinois and just across from the Kentucky shore. The Arkansas Belle was tied to the bank and disabled by a line of coal flats, which fouled her starboard wheel and could render no assistance.

The Cleburne floated down about a mile and burned. Capt. Dickson Given “Dick” Fowler was caught in the timbers and burned to death. Four others were killed and ten were injured.

The Arkansas Belle was badly wrecked - the chimneys blown overboard, staterooms shattered and on fire in many places.

Capt. Dick Fowler, of the Pat Cleburne, was the eldest son of Judge W.P. Fowler and was born 8 Feb 1830 in Princeton, Caldwell County, Kentucky. He was named for his maternal grandfather, Dixon Given, who lived in early Livingston County and is buried in Smithland Cemetery. Dick Fowler was educated at the Kentucky Military Institute near Frankfort and began his business career in 1849 as a clerk on the Paducah wharfboat owned by his uncles, H.F. and D.A. Given. In 1855, he went to Cairo, Illinois, where he formed a partnership in a wharfboat business, but returned to Paducah the following year. There he secured the contract for carrying the semi-weekly mail between Paducah and Evansville. Dick Fowler purchased the sidewheel steamer Dunbar and placed his younger brother, Gus Fowler, in command. The Dunbar continued as a mailboat to the beginning of the Civil War.

Dick Fowler gave allegiance to the South during the Civil War and was made captain in the Confederate ordnance department. His brother, Capt. Joe Fowler, kept his interest in the river business and when Dick Fowler returned at the end of the war, his brother gave him command of the Jim Fisk, which ran between Paducah and Cairo. Subsequently he commanded the Idlewild and then took charge of the elegant sidewheel steamer Pat Cleburne, which took the Idlewild’s place in the Paducah trade. That ended with the explosion on the night of 17 May 1876.

When the Cleburne was blown up, he was caught in the wreck and burned to death with no one near and able to save him. He was laid to rest in the Fowler plot of Smithland Cemetery, which is high on a hill and has a view of the Ohio River.

The Dick Fowler, a steamer, was named for the revered captain. The Dick Fowler was launched in 1892 in Evansville, Indiana and Capt. Dick’s brother, Capt. Joe Fowler, and other citizens of Paducah made the first trip on the steamer. They were greeted in Paducah with crowds on the wharfboat and along the river bank. There was great excitement and fanfare to welcome the new steamer to Paducah.

In June 1911, the Dick Fowler was sold at public auction to satisfy a debt of $1400 and, in November of the same year, the Dick Fowler sank during a wind storm.

Sources
Glenn Dora Fowler Arthur. Annals of the Fowler Family, (privately published, 1901), 93, 94.

“Terrible Steamboat Disaster,” The Evansville Journal, 19 May 1876.

"Famous Steam Boat to be Sold at Public Auction," The Lexington Herald, 15 June 1911.

Burning of the John L. Lowery

 

Although the “Golden Age” of steamboating began in 1840, according to “Steamboatin’ on the Cumberland” by Byrd Douglas, passengers and goods continued to be transported on the rivers well after 1900. Steamboating was not without its dangers, though, as witnessed by the many fires, which destroyed the steamers and sometimes resulted in loss of lives.

The following article from the Crittenden Press describes the burning of the John L. Lowery in 1911.

Paducah, Ky., June 15, 1911 - The steamer John L. Lowery, with 50 passengers aboard, burned to the water’s edge off Hamlettsburg, Illinois at 1:30 o’clock this morning. There was no loss of life. The place where the accident occurred is opposite Smithland, Ky., and rescue parties put out from the Kentucky side to aid in the work of saving lives.

How the flames started has not been learned, but a faulty boiler is believed to have been responsible. The steamer started burning near the Illinois bank and the glare lighted up the water front on both sides of the river. The whistles of distress disturbed the stillness of the night and were heard for many miles.

The wildest of scenes were enacted on board the vessel when the flames were first discovered. Women shrieked and became hysterical, while many men frantic with fear, fought their way to the rails. All landed safe, however.”

The Henderson Gleaner of 12 January 1913 says, “The new John L. Lowery, Capt. John L. Lowery’s fine new boat, made its maiden trip from Evansville to Paducah last night, leaving Evansville at 8 o’clock and passing here at 9 o’clock. On account of the rain, very few Henderson people saw the boat pass. It will ply between Paducah and Evansville.”

Published 14 April 2008, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/