FLATBOATING DOWN THE OHIO AND
MISSISSIPPI,
1867-1873
Correspondence and Diaries of the
William Dudley Devol
Family of Marietta, Ohio
PART II*
edited by ROBERT LESLIE JONES
Professor of History, Marietta
College
V
More material remains from William
Dudley Devol's fourth
flatboating expedition than from the
other three put together. In
addition to the letters which passed
back and forth, it includes two
diaries covering the first six weeks of
his trip (printed as Docu-
ments No. 26 and No. 32). It has been
thought advisable to print
both Devol's diaries and the letters
for this six-week period, as
they are essentially complementary
rather than repetitive.
This fourth trading venture differed
from its predecessors in
that it was made in a
"fleet," or tow, pushed and steered by a tug.
Though this was apparently rather out
of the ordinary as far as
southeastern Ohio was concerned, it did
not mark any real innova-
tion in the flatboating business as
such.
No. 26 Diary of William Dudley Devol,
November 21-
December 11, 1872
November 21st
Left Harmer31 at one. Landed at Little
Hocking for the night, water
being so low could not run at night
22nd
Ran to Murry's Ville 6 Miles above
Buffington [Island] Montieths32
* Part I appeared in the preceding issue of the Quarterly, Vol. LIX
(July
1950), pp. 287-309.
31 Harmar,
the town on the western side of the mouth of the Muskingum,
now part of Marietta.
32 John Monteith was a well-known
flatboatman of this era, who lived along
the Ohio some distance above Marietta.
Stacy, Flatboat Reminiscences, 2.
385
386
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
boat being loaded the deepest he
insisted on laying by for more water.
We took the tug ran down to the island
sounded the water found enough
came back. Made up the fleet again in
the mean time the valve stem
became bent had it to straiten which
took until morning.
23rd
Ran Buffington Rubed bottom pretty hard came on to Sand Creek
found [our boat] fast in the channel
stopped the fleet went and sounded
around her found plenty of water, came
to Letart [Island] found the
same boat warping up, it was the Emperor
Belonging Best Brunks [?]
and others with a tow of Iron she left
her Barg at Sand Creek Came down
to Letart for the other Laid by until she
got through, ran on to Antiquity
laid by until morning.
24
There we shovveled Coal all day and
until quite late in the night
got on a supply to last some time.
25
Left Early made the best run of the trip
26
Grounded for the first time, at the
mouth of Guian33 spent about 4 hours
in getting off landed for the night at
the mouth of big sandy. hearing
of the trouble in the Union Bank of
Marietta34 having a Draft on the
Bank concluded to go to Cincinn and see
about it got on board the
steammer Kate Putnam at ten in the
eavening
27
A cold windy Day Arrived at Cincinnatti
at 8 in the Evening stayed on
the Boat until morning.
28
The day observed pretty generaly as
thanks giving Telegraphed to the
Cashier of the Union Bank received a
favorable answer. Stayed on board
the steamer Lawrence
29
Verry cold Thernometer indicates 3??
above Zero loafed around all day
and put up for the night at Broadway
hotell
33 Guyandotte River.
34 The Union Bank suspended operations
on account of the failure of a firm
with which one of its partners was
associated, but only for about a week. Marietta
Register (weekly), December 5, 1872. See also Document No. 27.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 387
30
Not quite as cold as yesturdy stayed in
the city all day started up the
river in search of the boats, on board
the steamer Wild Wood found
the boats oposite the small town of
Nevile, at Mid night
December 1
Laid arround waiting for the ice to run
out or not went across the river
in search of an ice harbor found a good
one the river is rising slowly
and weather moderating in [some degree]
think we will not need one
2
Left our landing in the morning. Warm
Wind grounded about noon on
what is called 9 Mile worked until 11 at
night getting of and landing
Ice ran all night grinding against the
boats fearfuly it and the strong
south wind made it rather difficult to
sleep.
3rd
Took the tug from the fleet and ran down
to four Mile Bar and sounded
through. came back hitched up, got
through without any trouble. Made
Cincin by two O.Clock. transacted our
business at the bank visited the
P.O. &c. There is some mashenery to
be repaired which will be done to-
morrow.
5
Bought Presents for the family Boxed and
prepared them to be sent
home. received the first letter from
home expected to start for below in
the afternoon but it was late when the
[tugboat] Capt [ain's] family got
aboard defered until to morrow
4th
Loafed arround all day Waiting for
Machinery and a raise in the river
Went to the theater at night, the
biggest fizzle I ever attended
6th
Left Cincinnati in the morning the shute
at McCullums Bar verry nar-
row inside boat rubed ground. stopped
and sounded through Medoc [?]
found plenty of Water landed at night 1
mile above Rising Sun Marshall
went down to Make arrangements about
Loading Potatoes in the morning
7
Droped boat down to the landing with the
Propeller. Valve stem bent
jus as our head line was made fast to
shore had heavy Checking in the
388 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
swift current of the shute droped to low
down had to warp up. got
ready and began loading by noon. put 500
bbls in the Boat during the
day tired at night stood watch sent a
letter home
8
Finished loading by noon Sold and
delivered stearing our stem tug
came and landed us at the fleet.
9
Made up the fleet and left the landing
in the Morning Made a good days
run passed Jess's35 in the
afternoon saw him on the shore waved halowed
to him. landed at night below Craigs bar
near Garlands. Where we landed
three years ago, and lost our dog.
10
Left landing early in the morning Heavy
ice all day. passed Madison
about noon landed at night on the Right
oposite a small village Met
Chas Robinson Brother to
Bill36 he made som inquiry about people in
Marietta
11.
Snowed a little during the night started
out in heavy ice and slush,
passed the grassy flats finding 4 1/2 ft
in the lowest place landed at
Jeffersonville in the afternoon Went to the
P O received five letters
from home went over to Louisville and
walked down to the canal office
(it being about 3 1/2 miles from where
we landed) to make arangements
about passing through in the morning
came back tired enough. ate some
supper wrote a short letter and now am
going to bed. 10 O Clock
No. 27
Cincinnatti Nov 28th 72
Dear Wife
I presume you have expected a letter
from me before this. Our
friends have undoubtedly told you, that
we ought to have known better,
that to have started on such water
&c. &c. I am well satisfied that we
done the best that we could have done
under the circumstinces Our
boat is not here yet but I think it will
be by to morrow or Saturday.
The water is so verry low we have to go
by day light all togother. I left
35 I.e., Jesse Barker's.
36 Not identified.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 389
the towe at the mouth of Big Sandy
laying by for night Having heard
of the Suspension of the Union Bank, we
thought it might get our money
matters into some trouble. I took the
Kate Putnam and came here to
attend to the Matter. When I left the
Boats I expected to be at home
to night or to morrow and may yet. We
hold a Draft on the First
National of this place given By the
Union Bank. Fearing it would not
be paid on sight I came here as stated
above. To day being thanks
giving Banks are Closed, But through the
kindness of Capt Drown37 I
managed to have a talk with the Cashier.
Not transacting any business
they could not state how the cash act. stood
but thought there would be
no trouble.
I telligraphed the Bank At Marietta to
find out positively, for we will
want to use the money to pay the balance
on potatoes at Rising Sun. I
have no fears of loosing any thing. But
if we have no bad luck will
need the Cash. If I should get an
unfavorable answer from my dispatch
will start for home to night and Make a
raise and return immediately.
I would like verry much to come home and
make another start but do
not wish to be at the expense if it can
be avoided....
Yours Most Afect
W D Devol
... I received a Satisfactory answer to
my Dispatch....
No. 28
Cincinnati, Nov 30 1872
Dear Wife
I leave here immediately for up the
river to look after the boats,
they were within about 40 miles of this
place this morning and the ice
is running so thick I am afraid they
cannot reach this place. It does
beat the Devil what times I have running
around trying to do something
and it amounts to nothing
If I had thought that I should have
remained in this place so long I
would have come home. I have been here
three or four days shivering
around and looking at it frieze.... If
we should be Ice bound any
length of time one of us will come home
and see to putting up our Ice
If I had not been afraid of getting
short of funds I would have bought
you a present and sent by the Kate
Putnam I am running the Matter
37 H. H. Drown was captain and part
owner of the Kate Putnam. This boat
was destroyed in the ice jam at
Cincinnati at the end of December. Cincinnati
Chronicle, quoted in Marietta Register (weekly), January 9,
1873.
390 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
cheap. I am verry sorry the trip as got
so rough and disagreeable so
early for I expect to see tough times
when we get to selling
The love of trying to accumulate as got
me into this kind of trouble
before so can blame no one but myself. I
put on a clean white shirt
when I left the flat Boat. It is dirty
enough now fortunately I put two
collars in my pocket.
I Dine sometimes on steam boats when I
wish to live high . . . and
some times at the Hotell It is dry sport
for me
Your Most Affection
W D Devol
No. 29
Cincinnati Dec. 5 [18721 -
Dear Wife
. . . We have been here two days
repairing machinery and waiting
for water. We expect to leave this
afternoon for Rising Sun We have
not heard from our potatoes, if the man
has done as he agreed to they are
all right I would have went there when I
was here before, but could not
get there in time to do any good, if the
potatoes had not been taken care
off before the night and Morning of the
hard freese. I wrote you that
I was to leave for the boats up the
river, left the City at dark and found
the boats at a small town 40 miles above
here, at midnight. We layed
by two days for ice stuck on a bar half
day and night, the deepest boat
drawing more water than there was in the
channel.
We will leave a box of Christmas
presents to be shiped on the Kate
Putnam her next trip....
Remain yours &c
W. D. Devol
No. 30
Rising Sun Indiania
December between the seventh & eight
[1872]
Dear Wife
We arrived here this morning and put in
part of our potatoes this
morning will finish by noon to morrow.
The water is still low here,
but I see by my mark that it has rissen
a little since evening, and as
there is enough water in the canal at
Lewisville to let us pass through
now by tight squeesing we can probaly
get through without much diffi-
culty when we get there.... I am in hope
we will make better progress
from here on.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 391
The Capt. wife and family came on board
at Cincinnati consisting of
wif an three Sons one a young man and
the boys about 12 & 14 years
old. There are 17 persons on the fleet
now big and little....
As for leaving the Mouth of the
Muskingum I think we did the best that
Could be done under the Circumstances.
We are this far along now and
s[t]oreage and other expenses to the
potatoes at this place are stoped
and it does not cost us any more to be
under way than lying still, the
absence from home being the only
drawback. We cannot learn much
about the flat boat trade yet potatoes
are plenty here, but I understand
quit scarce and high below the falls.
Peach Blows very scarce every
wheres I can think of nothing more to
write so, good night
Most Sincerly
W. D. Devol
No. 31
Louisville Ky.
December 11th 1872
Dear Wife
. . . We arrived at the Jeffersonville
landing this afternoon It is
quite cold and the ice is so thick we
can hardly get along. It is the
intention to cross over the river and
enter the canal in the morning
but I beleive that the ice will be so
heavy we cannot moove....
. . . You can answer this at Cairo if
not directed to write to some other
post, it is so uncertain where we will
get to the water being so Clear
and Cold it is luble to close navigation
at any time
I will send in this a few pages from my
note book38 so you can judge
how rappidly we travel
I remain yours
Most affectionately
W D Devol
No. 32 Diary of William Dudley
Devol, December 12, 1872-
January 24, 1873
December
12
Layed just above the pork house at
Jeffersonville waiting for the ice
to disappear the prospect of getting out
is rather slim. dropped our
boat below the tug next to shore to
avoid the ice
38 Already printed as Document No. 26.
392 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
13
Was not disturbed by the ice during the
night nor to day but constant
watch is required to avoid danger. thre
boats on the outside were cut
badly during the night and day. they
moved above trying to procure
a more secure harbor, which left us to
take the ice.
14th
About 5.O.Clock in the morning it came
against us in such force, as to
make it look dangerous to be about. We
must seek another harbor, for
this jumping out of [bed and] running on
deck in one shirt tail and
Barefoot in frost and snow for fear of
being Mashed by ice is not
pleasant in practice, let the theory be
as it may The tug moved us up to
the coal fleet about 4 in the afternoon.
After making Every thing secure
we went to town and got enough Oysters
for the whole crew. as they
helped roll our potatoes at Rising Sun.
It is warmer to night; the wind
is blowing hard, I do not know what will
come next
15th
Sunday. A verry pleasant day. the heaft
of the ice has disappeared
and as the river clars of ice the water
recedes and as we imerge from
the ice blockade we are bound to stay
for the want of water. It being
the first time during my limited experiance
in boating, that I have had
to lay by and wait for water
Spent the day in taking out and
overhauling a pump and mend the back
porch which was knocked off by the tug.
We have to pump conciderable
a great deal more than I like putting
extra load and running in the ice
is the causes of it we draw 4 ft.
16
Pumped the boat in the Morning. Cleaned
up. Took all of our dirty
Clothese out to be washed. Went over to
Louisville to see about selling
some of our load. Markets were not
egsactly satisfactory. came back
eat a late dinner played Cards. red the
papers and damned the luck
until night
17th
"Pumped" Parties came from
Louisville to buy appels after considerable
talk sold our entire lott of apples
excepting 5 or 6 bbls at $3.50 at the
boat. Went out after the washing which
was not done. Received com-
pany at our boat in the evening one
young fellow brought a fiddle made
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 393
from a cigar box, which made good music
it being the first time said
musician had visited us since the huge
joke of the coal tongs.39
18
The boat came for the appels. it was
brought up by a tug which had
to break her way through the ice, it
having stoped about 4 O.Clock this
morning sinking a coal boat about fifty
yards above us. got the appels
out and on to the boat at 2 0 Clock.
straitened up the boat and pumped
her out. Tug boats broke the ice loose
up as far as Six Mile Island and
it floated by leaving the river free
from there to the falls
19
Not being much water in the boat this
morning leads me to beleive it
has stopped leaking Marshall went to
Louisville and collected for the
appels I went and got our washing which
was pretty well done It being
the first time on shore for two days,
got new heels put on my boots.
Sat in the Cabin during the afternoon
played Cards and listened to it
rain the weather is watched with greater
interest than during harvest
It is estimated that there is 16 acres
of coal barges laying at the bank
above here waiting for water to go
below. There is the nicest arange-
ments here for sawing lumber and
building boats on the river. There is
plenty of boards and plank in the yards
from 60 to 70 ft in length of
even thickness and any desireable width
Dave [Barth] mad a nice Apple
Cobler to day. I think my Clothese begin
to tighten
20
Rained last evening with every prospect
of water but turned cold before
morning and has been cold all day and is
freeseing hard to night. took
out some freight so we could get at the
after pump which was damaged.
put in an other. trimed up the boat and
pumped her out. went to the
P O received no male Won the Oysters
from Riley40 and Charley
Benjamine,41 in the evening
we are fireing heavy to night to keep the
boat warm.
21
Colder: last night at sundown there was
no ice in the river oposite our
boat by 11 O.C. the river was frozen
over and by morning nearly an
39 This practical joke, whatever it was,
is nowhere explained.
40 Not identified, but probably one of
the flatboatmen in the "fleet."
41 Charles Wilford Benjamin (1851-1935)
of Malta, Ohio. He ultimately
concentrated on the flatboating of salt
from the Muskingum River.
394 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
inch thick. fixed up an extra stove in
the bow of the boat and began
heating her up. the tugs broke the ice
in front of the city and as far
up as the coal fleet but it is closed
agan to night, mercury indicates zero
at 9 O C Went to the post Office but
received no male Thernometer
indicates O. at Nine O Clock
22
Very cold 6.° Below O at midnight it
has grown gradualy warmer until
the present time 11 O.Clk in the evening
22° above 0 Been very busy
fireing went to the barges and got a
sled load of Coal
Cut and broke the ice from arround the
boat had Oysters for dinner the
ones we won from Riley and Charley
Benjamine. wrote home
23
26° Warmer in the morning than it was
yestarday, but still freazeing.
went down to the P.O. received two
letters from home and mailed one
Bought a Coal Cooking stove as wood is
so scarce, and we need a hot
fire. tried in the afternoon to get
skates but found none suitable in
town. it is splended skateing
There was a report of a big rise at
Cincinnati which with the heavy ice
would sweep every thing from the shore
but later advices give us to
understand it is occasioned by a gorge
at Big Miami
We try to keep the ice cut loose from
the boat but it freeses so rapidly
it is of but little use thermometer 10°
above 0 at 9 O Clock
24th
Went through our usual morning work
All hands turned in to cutting the Dutch
gap Cannal, that is making an
open space outside the boats, by cutting
the ice and crowding it under
Bought matearials for our Christmas
dinner About 4. O Clock the river
began rising rapidly with news from
above that the ice had passed
Madison clearing the banks of everything
put out extra lines About 9
the ferry boat came up Made one trip
broke the ice next to the Coal
Barges. There was quite a stir during
the fore part of the night things
looked Billious Water began falling at
1. O.Clock
25
Engaged a tug to take our boat into the
Canal Pumped out the boat
then began our Christmas dinner. Made
Oyster Pie Mince apple &
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 395
Cherry pie, in fact a Pie dinner is What
we had, went to the P.O. it
was fastened owing to Christmas got our
boat loose ready for the tug
but she did not Come cut ice got in
closer to shore Montieth pulled his
boat out along side, which makes a good
fender for us the tug failed
to come as per agreement it is raining
and sleeting this Evening
26
A Large tow boat broke the ice last
night and this morning the entire
length of the Coal fleet it snowed about
two inches last night an a
little to day thernometer about 18??
above 0 Went to the office in the
morning got a letter from home sat
arround the fire and Played Cards to
pass the time
27
Boat is leaking but little. Handled
potatoes to day to give an appetite
had Oyster pie for dinner laid in coal
in the evening played Eucher
until bed time it has been a verry
pleasant day.
28
Cold and Cloudy to day No prospect of
getting away from here. Went
to Louisville crossed on the bridge a
long walk. Bridge over 1 Mile in
length. No room for boats in the canal
Got a letter from home Brought
in washing washed from stem to S----
29
Most pleasant day of the trip. sun shone
brightly melted snow some
Tug worked at the shore ice on Kentucky
side. Men busily hauling ice
eight inches thick
Assorted potatoes in forenoon. got a
supply of Coal
30
Warm Drizzling rain all day worked hard
cutting loose and getting a
coal barg off the ground and putting her
inside the fleet. Cut a great
quantity of ice from arround the Boat
and coal Barges
pulled our boat up between coal barges
and shore Where I think we
will be safe until the coal42 sinks
Warmer to night Prospects good for a
thaw
42 A slip. For coal read ice. See Document
No. 43.
396 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
31st
Warm and Raining a little asorted
potatoes, went to the P. O. received
two letters from home
Jan 1st 1873
Slight Breese from the north asorted
potatoes in forenoon Went to
Louisville in afternoon. got a tug came
up with it hitched on and were
towed into the Canal. arrived at dusk
All manner of rumors about the
Water and ice
3rd
Moved further down the Canal Handled
Potatoes Hickey Duning &
Storm43 Helping
gorged ice running Heavy
4th
Cool went to Jeffersonville ice running
heavy a number of barges passed
over the falls in the ice
5
Sunday
6
Waiting for ice to run by river raising
shore ice floating thick and
heavy went to Jeffersonville got 2
letters from home
8
Waiting for ice to pass by bought 20
Bbl44 of Coal Steamer Mary
Huston passed Down first steamer since
the blockade
9th
Turned Cold began fireing in both stoves
heavy kept it up all day and
night
10
Thernometer indicated 3?? above zero at
8. O.Clock in the morning.
Cut the ice around barge and flat boats,
and spard off the canal wall,
Cold in the evening began moderating at
12 midnight
11
24Degree at sunrise a beautiful warm day
warm and pleasant in the evening
freezing but little
12
Sunday. Warm ice Melting in the Canal.
Company boat began break-
43 River acquaintances, or, perhaps,
deck hands.
44 I.e., bushels.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 397
ing ice at the foot of Canal gave it up.
Oakland worked a little in the
eveng
13
Began working in the ice in Earnest Cut
around the boat in a hard rain.
Tug Syren began working at the lower end
of Canal gorge, Oakland at
the upper end worked hard all day ice
nearly all out in the evening.
14
Took the fleet to the lower end of the
Canal, laid above the locks until
next morning
15
Put the boats through the Lock. Went
back with the tug after empty
barge. pump gave out took until evening
to get repaired and drop the
barge over the falls Laid by until
morning getting out of patience, think
some of Swearing.
16
Foggy in the morning. Left the foot of
the canal at ten 30 minutes.
run all day and night but little ice
rather windy.
17
Still under headway passed Sinking Creek
at 7. 0. Clock 100 miles
below Portland. Passed Clover Port a 9.
O.Clock Arrived at Rockport
12. Coaled until 4 1/2 took 800 bush
pulled out wind begun blowing at
sun down and increased until 7. Ock
river became verry rough under-
took to land got to the shore ice
crowded in so thick could not lay
rounded out and went ahead; it beats all
boating that I ever experienced.
Windy and Cold if it was not for the
wind navigation would soon be closed
by ice. Passed Cannilton at Seven the
cotton factory is in full blast, the
light from the windows shows a great
distance by ten ice began troubling
a great deal eleven the supply line to
the doctor45 got clogged and we
were compelled to drift at the mercy of
the ice for two hours, expected
to be driven ashore and ground by the
floating and shore ice. We put
on one of our sweep worked all we had
the power to do Came very
near the shore twice, it being the most
precarious situation of the trip
the wind having fallen the ice soon made
from shore to shore as soon
as we could work the engine the tug
managed to work us from shore,
but we drifted at the mercy of the
current, until morning all hands on
duty, by morning we were frozen tight in
the ice
45 Auxiliary engine.
398 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
18
Went to work with skiffs and polls to
get loose from the ice which by
the assistance of the engine we soon
did, thernometer about 12° above
O. Cool penetrating air all day, by
constant watching we were enabled
to keep off the shore A large field of
ice carried us against shore once
no prayrs were said but a considerable
exertion mad to free ourselves
which was done without damage
Our only salvation was in getting into
Green river Every precaution was
taken lines and every thing got in
rediness. and when within a Mile
and one half, gave the signel of
distress, and as we drifted nearer the
Tug Syren came steaming to our
assistance which enabled us to affect a
landing without further trouble.
Tired and sleepy, we now rest from our
labors in a harbor which is
never troubled by ice
19
Sunday 8?? above zero slept soundly
excepting when not on watch.
growing gradualy warmer. in hopes we
will not be detained but a few
days. Marshall & Montieth put out
fish line Baited with Cheese &
Chicken Entrals. Men from the Syren run
the line in the night hooked
on a herrin for a joke Marshall got up
at 2. O.Ck. Caught a nice cat
fish weighing 9 1/2 lbs on a hook baited
with herrin, which turned the
joke
20
Thernometer 33?? Snowed last night
growing gradualy warmer. Every
body a hunting and fishing
21
Warm & pleasant
prospect of leaving tomorrow Mooved our
boat down stream a short
distance as we were laying over a big
log
22
Left Green river in the morning
considerable ice passed Evensville 8
miles below went ashore to the P.O. ice
getting thicker
in the afternoon snowing fast laid by
for the night 6 or 8 miles above
Mt vernon
23
Left our landing early in the Morning
ice a great deal thicker than
yestarday. Passed Uniontown about 11.
Shawnietown about two. the
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 399
ice somewhat thinner. Landed for the
night on the Illinois Shore about
two miles above Caseyville
Ice running heavy and crowding the boat
so there will be no sleep to
night. Grind grind I would like so much
to have a Change
24
Ice running heavy no sleep last night A
great place for rabbits any
game of all kinds Billy46 shot
a wild turkey Dropped our boat bellow
the others, hauled in close to shore out
of the reach of ice. End of
volume 1st a reckord of 43
days in ice
No. 33
Jeffersonville Dec. 15th [1872]
Dear Wife
I wrote you upon my arrival here. I
stated that we had made
arrangements to enter the Cannal the
next morning but it was my predic-
tion that the ice would be so heavy,
that we could not do so, which was
the case. The floating ice has been
heavy and the river full from shore
to shore which has made it troublesome
and dangerous to lay here it
not being a verry good harbor. At the
time of running ice, we got a
pretty hard squeeze night before last,
but received no injury; flat boat-
ing in ice is rough
We have laid here three days for the ice
to disappear finaly the ice
melted and wastede and the water went
with it the cold freeseing weather
caused the river to fall so, that we
will have to wait for more water.
It being the first time I have ever had
to wait for water Will go over
to Louisville in the morning and if
there is not good prospects for
water, will make arangements to take the
boat over and open trade
provided prices will justify in so
doing. . . .
. . . You can answer this letter at
Jeffersonville in fact continue to write
me here as often as you can, until
advised otherwise
Hopeing that you and our flock of little
ones; of Whom I think almost
continualy; are well and happy
I remain yours
Most affectionately
W D Devol
46 William Lancaster, a deck hand.
400 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
No. 34
Jeffersonville Dec 19. 1872
My Dear Wife
I write you again from this place for
the simple reason that it is
impossible for me to get any other place
to write from The ice has been
running continualy since [we] arrived
here, until yestarday at noon it
having gorged above at what is called
Six Mile, and is now clear from
there to the falls; which would enable
us to leave here for but one simple
thing and that is we have no water, but there
is a little prospect, it having
rained last night; it is tedious enough
for me. That box of Notions is on
board the Kate Putnam where ever she may
be. I am informed it was
shiped from Cincinnatti
We sold and delivered our entire lott of
appels yestarday got $3.50 per
Bbl for them just as they were we have
several reasons for selling In the
first place we like to leave "well
enough alone" we wanted the room to
set another stove to warm the boat if necessary
to keep the potatoes from
freezeing. They were not insured and the
danger of being cut down by
the ice is great. Ther was a Coal boat
knocked down, just above our boat
last night. . . .
I still enjoy good health I sincerely
hope your good Self and little ones
enjoy the same great blessing
I remain yours
Most respectfuly
W D Devol . . .
No. 35
Jeffersonville December 22nd
1872
Dear Wife
It will soon be two weeks since we came
to this place. little did
I then expect to be here at this time,
not only be here but with the
prospect before me of being here some
time to come. It has turned
verry cold. last night our thernometer
indicated 6?? below 0. at 2.
O.Clock but it has moderated some Night
before last it froze the river
from shore to shore in 4 hours to day
people are skateing all over it. It
keeps us busy fireing in two stoves to
protect the potatoes from the frost.
how fortunate it is we sold our appels
It gives us plenty of room and no
fears of rotting them by heat. One great
consolation in our misery is we
have no big crew under wages and to
feed, in fact our expenses are no
greater than if we were at home
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 401
Being frozen up is to me lik Joel
Tuttles laying in jail, not very hard
but damn steady
Staying on a flat boat from morning
until night and night until morning
without going a shore only to the P. O.
is not verry lively amusement,
playing cards and listening to stale
jokes and vulgar jests soon becomes
to monotinous to be amusing to me. One
of us might come home and
spend christmas if it was not for the
expense, and the situation in which
the boat would be left neither would
like to have the care and the
situation of matters here would give one
at home but little comfort.
So we will stick it out. . . . I have
heard that Jesse [Barker] sunk his
boat above Memphis but as to the truth
of the statement cannot
vouch. . . .
We have made no elaborate arrangements
for christmas. Wheather we
will have fried Meat and boiled Potatoes
or Potatoes and fried meat has
not yet been fully determined
. . . Hoping that your own good self and
our little ones are enjoying
good health and will spend a happy
Christmas I remain yours
Most affectionately
W. D. Devol . . .
No. 36
[Jeffersonville, Ind.]
Christmas 1872
Dear Wife
. . . Alferd [Marshall] has received but
one letter from home.
pretty much all he learns of his affairs
at home he gets through me.
We had another big scare from the ice
last night, but things look
better to night. how long they will
remain so I cannot say. The Water
began raising rapidly yesterday
afternoon at 4 and by nine we thought
that the ice would give way and destroy
every thing we got things in
readiness to light out but the Water
began receding by midnight and
we have rested quiet since We learned
that the ice gave way at Madison
fifty miles above here, destroying every
thing along shore Steamboats
coal Barges &c. It has stoped
somewhere between here and there. The
ferry boat broke some of the ice last
night she ran through it without any
trouble the ice is from 4 to 6 in thick
We made arrangements this morning with a
tug to put us in the
head of the canal. got every thing in
readiness but she failed to come.
The only trouble about that locality is
the shallowness of the water.
402 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
We are in a tolerably good place now, in
deep water, close under the
coal fleet, which is composed of over 16
acres of coal barges lying along
shore from 5 to 8 abreast waiting for
Water to go below. If they can
be saved which they are making every
effort to do, we are all right if
not we are not that is all.
We have had extremely cold weather which
compelled us to fire steadilly
night and day. We keep two stoves red
hot all the time one in the bow,
and the other in the end that is not the
bow. Owing to the scarceity of
wood we bought us a coal cooking stove
which does well. It cooked
our christmas dinner well at least. it
was a Pie dinner Apple Pie Mince
pie Cherry Pie Oyster Pie and cheese. We
are at work continualy cutting
ice and fussing around trying to make
our boat secure We have cut ice
enough to fill 14 ice houses. . . . I
got but little sleep last night. My
watch is now off and I must go to bed. .
. .
I remain yours most respectfuly
W D Devol
No. 37
Evensville47 Dec 27th
1872
Dear Wife
. . . I have seen ice enough, one would think during the last
three
weeks to last a life time. . . .
We cannot sell our potatoes at
Louisville at the present time they are
sent from there south in the interior by
rail and it is to cold to handle
them. I think however there will be a
tolerably fare market there after
a while.
. . . We stay on the boat all the time
only going to the office and to get
our Washing. havenot been off the boat
after sundown since laying here.
We have been able to keep our potatoes
from freeseing and I think we
can if the weather gets 10°
colder than it has been. There is a gorge of
twenty five miles in extent between here
and New Madrid the conse-
quences resulting from its mooving,
depends entirely upon the weather
and the water. We will undoubtedly have
weather, but the water that
is the trouble.
We have undertaken a job that will
occupy our time for quite a season
provided we stick to it. That is we are
overhauling the potatoese we
47 A slip. For Evensville read
Jeffersonville.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 403
got at Rising Sun they were not put up
as we would like to have had
them. . . .
Most Respectfuly
W D Devol
No. 38
[Jeffersonville, Ind.]
December 28th 1872
Dear Wife
. . . In your last letter you speak of
our insureance policy being
cancelled, if it can be done it is
something that I never heard of before.
If the insurer can release himself from
the responsibility of his share
of the contract at will where is the
utility in insurance. We have violated
the policy in no instance I think if
there was any alteration or change
to be made we would be informed by the
propper parties there is certainly
a mistake some wheres. If you are in
town soon I wish you would stop at
Sturgisses48 office and
inquire about it tell him it is for your own informa-
tion. There has been an immense amount
of property destroyed on the
river this winter, not less than twenty
thousand barrels of potatoes that
we have heard of. how many more will be
sold in the same manner it is
hart to tell I am now taking the
bitterest pill in the way of flat boating
that I have ever swallowed and it is not
sugar coated either. If we only
get through safe I will be satisfied for
I think there is money in it yet.
We have been from home long enough to be
in market and half sold
out. I am getting uneasy and anxious to
go home but can see no chance
I feel like watching what property I
have here pretty close. if I should
loose it and the insureance also will
have to scratch hard and run the
mashine slow and saving that is all. . .
.
The hours that are spent at night
watching are good for meditation
laying plans for our enjoyment
Compearing my situation here in a
small damp flatboat cabin with that of
my neighbors who are at home
in the bosoms of their family. . . .
I remain most Affectionately
W D Devol
No. 39
[Jeffersonville, Ind.]
December 31st 1872
Dear Wife . . .
It has been warm for three days and
rainy the two last, the river
48 J. W. Sturgiss was a general
insurance agent at Marietta.
404 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
will begin raising to night and if it
does not turn suddenly cold the
immense gorges of Ice between here and
Cincinnatti will soon be here
and the story will be told. The river
is so broad and deep and the current
so slow here I cannot think there is
such great danger as many aprehend.
The reason we did not continue our
effort to get into the Cannal is
oweing to the shallowness of the Water
if we had went in as we talked
of we would have been hard aground and
probably our boat injured
upon the rocky Bottom, and if the Canal
should be needed we would
have to unload an draw out; but if the
river should rise enough before
the ice comes we may probably make the
attempt yet
You can see by the accompanying diagram49
that the ice cannot get
near us. Our chances are good as long
as the coal fleet remains, however
if their spars should give way we would
be crowded on the beach. We
are 25 or 30 feet from shore in ten
feet of Water Our position is con-
sidered by the flat Boatmen the best of
any We had hard work getting
it. In the first place the fleet left
us at the pork House. We got towed
up to where Alexander50 now
lays. We did not like our position alto-
gother so we pulled our bow in above
Spences5l boat. Montieth then
layed below. The empty Barge layed
across our bow with one end on
shore, the other extending square out
into the river it was being repared.
By the consent of the Coal men (we gave
them wine and appels) we cut
the ice from around her (which was
eight in thick) with our rigging
worked her off ground, cut the ice from
the inside the coal fleet, dropped
our boat back so the ice would float
out, started the barge in ahead and
pulled to our present position, worked
nearly all day, in the rain to ac-
complish it
I will inform you of the next Moove. I
remain Most Respectfuly
W. D. Devol
No. 40
Louisville Canal Jan. 1st 1873
Dear Wife
You will see by the heading of this
letter, that we have made
the contemplated change of our locality
This Morning I proposed to some of the
older men at the landing to
49 The rough diagram here referred to
shows a long line of coal barges along
the Indiana shore, with six flatboats
anchored just below. A seventh flatboat-that
of William Dudley Devol and Alfred S.
Marshall-is shown anchored upstream
from the other six, between the shore
and the line of barges.
50 Not identified, but apparently one of
the flatboatmen in the "fleet."
51 Likewise apparently one of the men in
the "fleet."
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 405
come over and see if we could not find a
harbor that was more safe
than where we were They thought there
was no use of being in a hurry,
we had a good place and all that, so we
went at work in the boat with
our potatoes. At noon I was surprised to
hear them talk of being over,
that the place was pretty good did not
know whether they would go
or not
I said that I beleived I would go to the
Post Office. Alferd [Marshall]
and I went but did not stop at the
office, took the ferry boat for Louis-
ville to look out for a situation.
Hailed a tug made arrangements to
be brought down before we got across the
river The first thing the flat
Boat men knew we were on hand with a
tug, taking in our lines and
making ready to get on the out side of
the fleet. We are here now safe
and sound. it was quite dark when we got
in. [If] the place does not
suit egsactly in the morning will try
and get farther in I like to be in as
far as things will permit We hear all manor of rumors about the ice and
water
I think we can tell in a few days how
soon we will leave here
It has been quite an eventful new years
day, but no feasting on good
things nor any presents. . . .
Yours Most respectfuly
W. D. Devol . . .
No. 41
Walnut Hill Jan 4th 1873
My Dear Husband
At last you are out of danger. I cant
tell you what a releif it is
to me Every body here thought your boat
would be swamped sure, in fact
it seemed to me that it would be
impossible to save her. . . . The children
& I spent this P. M. at Gage's.52
He says Jesse's53 boat was snagged 100
miles above Cairo, just as she was
pulling out from land Had 3000 bushel
potatoes in bulk. Oats, corn
&c Beans &c It was sunk three weeks ago.
Some insurance-not enough to cover the
loss. He had a partner-- . . .
I think you were a little to cute with
the boatmen. It was rather a shabby
trick on their part. Did they want to
get the situation you have? Ain't
the canal long enough for MANY BOATS-You
are still sorting your po-
tatoes. Did you get any of them frozen
Private There has been MANY
that asked me if you did. The word came
to Marietta that they were all
52 I.e., James Gage Barker's.
53 I.e., Jesse Barker's.
406 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
frozen Sturgiss asked me I just tell them all, I know nothing about
them, that you never have said whether they were frozen or
not. . . .
I am your loving Wife Bitha M.
Devol . . .
No. 42
Deeper in the Canal
Louisville Jan. 4th 1873
Dear Wife
I wrote you from this place, on the
first of the month, telling you
of our getting here &c. The next day
after our comeing the entire fleet
of flat-boats came to a man, and
it was a good thing for them that they
did so. As near as we can learn every
boat excepting ours and the two
immediately below it, would have been
distroyed by a huge cake of ice
that came in there and swept the shore
from thence to the falls. Members
from nearly every boat acknowledge to us
if we had not made the start
they would have remained and suffered
the consequences. It is the
apparant fearlessness of the ice and its
power, that has added much
to the distruction of that class of
property this winter
We continualy hear of boats being ground
up by the ice at different
points on the river nearly from one end
to the other. We get in the
commercial54 of the 4th a detailed
account of the number and the names
of the owners of boats that were lost at
Memphis and the vecinity 4 as
far down as Helena 1 of which belonged
to the man Baker55 that
loaded in our neighborhood one year ago
in all upwards of forty produce boats of
one kind and an other have
been wrecked, the cargo's of which in
most instances will prove a total
loss. It makes me feel some easyer over
our detention to think we had
a good safe harbor so near home. . . .
I remain yours Most Affectionately
W. D. Devol
No. 43
Louisville Jan. 6 1873
Dear Wife
. . . There is a bare possibility of
leaving this port to-morrow. . . .
There is to much ice running at present
for a tow but I think boats
might float with comparitive safety. it
is the ice that lays along the
shore that gives away and floats down
doing all the damage that is now
54 Cincinnati Commercial.
55 Listed in the article as J. C. Baker,
but with no further particulars.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 407
done. dispatches report more damage at
Cincinnatti to day than all
others of this season combined.
Nothwithstanding it is somewhat cold
to night I am in hopes the ice will last
but a few days longer. The
water is so muddy it will certainly
sink. We hear continualy of property
being distroued at all points on the
river even as far down as Vixburgh
4 flat boats have been sunk by floating
ice. it has a tendency to make
boatmen timid. . . .
That Matter of insureance is as I
expected. I was satisfied that it was
optional with us whether we surrendered
our policy or not. . . .
We have been quit fortunate in our
little wagers about leaving &c
two more cans of oysters came aboard to
night, to be made into a pie
tomorrow. And if we leave this week we
will have another installment.
We have been living high on Venison and
Buffalo steak, which is as
cheap here as Beef steak. . . . If we
leave here tomorrow my next Post
address will be at Cairo which point we
should make in four or five
days at the outside, including one day
to coal at Cannelton. . . .
We will have so much water our progress
will be rapid and if we meet
with no misfortune will soon be at our
journeys end where your good
letters will be awaiting me
Yours Most Affectionately
W. D. Devol . . .
No. 44
Louisville Jan. 8th 1873
Dear Wife
I am still here waiting for the ice to
get out of the way. I am
getting out of patience that is all
there is of it, four weeks to day since
we came in here. little did I expect to
remain here a month and perhaps
longer. It is quite cold to night which
keeps the ice from sinking. if
we could only get off it would take but
a few days to make the trip on
this water. We hear of another man
looseing a thousand barrels by
sinking on the lower Ohio. . . .
I dont see who could start the report of
our potatoes at Rising-Sun
being frozen. They were stored in the
basement of a large Warehouse
and covered with hay and straw the out
sid tier of barrels perhaps 100
or 150, had frosted potatoes upon the
ends. All the frozen ones put
to gether would not make twenty Barrels,
when they were put into the
boat, and by selling the appels out of
the forward end, potatoes from
the (hind end) had to be brought forward
to keep her on an eaven
408 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
keel from the two Causes they became
somewhat Mixed through the
load. After the appels were taken out we
had plenty of room and
nothing else to [do] but to sort them
out and get them in readiness for
market if we ever get there
I dont think however we could have been
in a much better place, ex-
cepting at home. . . .
I [think that] by a desperate effort you
will be enabled to keep me at
home here after as this has been such an
entirely different trip from
what I expected it to be. . . .
There is plenty of room in the canal now
the river is up, but when we
came here there was a great doubt of
there being room enough to get
in. . . .
I remain most respectfuly yours
W. D. Devol . . .
No. 45
Louisville Jan. 10th 1873
Dear Wife . . .
At the time I wrote you requesting you
to write to Caro the prospect
was good for our immediate departure
from this port but the ice con-
tinued to run much longer than I
expected and it has turned so severely
cold that we are frozen up or the ice
makes so rapidly we cannot run
at present. Steam Boats have laid by.
Navigation is virtualy suspended.
It is verry cold at present. The ice is
frozen and gorged arround our
boats very heavy. had a serious time
cutting and working in the ice this
afternoon. A heavy steam Boat and barge
crouded along side of us, and
[as] we are all frozen in one solid
bunch or mass we being next to
shore had [to] cut arround the whole
business and spar off to keep
from being caught on the canall wall. I
was working in the ice and water
and thinking of the sick at home when
Dave [Barth] handed me your
last stating that the Doctor had been up
an you were all on the mend.
It was a great releif to me. I did not
mind the work Ice nor cold not-
withstanding I was wet and my clothese
frozen stiff. I presume I have
worked in ice more this winter than any
person that has packed ice in
our Neighborhood. I have seen a plenty
and am satisfied.
As for going below Memphis, if we get
there safe I will be satisfied it
will be so late when we get there we
will not have time to go farther
in fact it will not be necessary if
prices continue as good there as at
present but there is no telling. . . .
It is verry tedious business. We are
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 409
at the wharf of quite a larg city where
amusements of all kinds are
going on, but we do not think it safe to
go out in town so we remain
on the boats night and day, except going
to the P. O. and buying
groceries. It is rather a small field
for an active man to exercise in but
it gives plenty of time to think, what a
fool he is to leave a pleasant
home, to sweat and freeze on a flat Boat
while his neighbors are tosting
their shins by the fire.
Uncle Lewis [Putnam] has taken a cold
time to start and if there is
as much ice where he is as there is here
he will not go far....
I remain most respectfuly
W D Devol . . .
No. 46
Walnut Hill Monday eve Jan 13th 1873
My Dear Husband
... I hope you find a good market &
speedy sales when you arrive
at Memphis. It will soon be two months
since you left home, or rather,
eight weeks. It seems six months I am glad you stay on your boat, for
it saves me many a worry. I wish
you could go [off it] once in a while to
help pass the time, but as you say, it
gives you plenty of time to think,
& you just think that this is
the last trip down the river for me, & keep
it in your mind--I'll be willing to bet
that if you go through safely
and do well that you will want to
go again.--
Ed [Williams] went to mill56 to-day
& he says that the mill hands
all say that Uncle Lewis [Putnam] will
have to lose his insurance if
his boat goes down that he has violated
his policy, first in taking such
a risk in starting for no other boat
would go with him-I wrote you
in my last57 about the ice on
the bottom of his boat--Look out for yours.
Ed says, 'I'll bet Mr Devol never would
[have] left port without know-
ing whether there was ice on his boat
bottom or not' --He meant that
you would have your eyes open of
course--I would not be surprised if
Uncle Lewis lost his boat, insurance and
all--- ...
... Yours with much love Bitha M. Devol . . .
56 This was Lewis Putnam's mill on the
eastern side of the Muskingum at
Devols Dam.
57 The letter referred to has not
been preserved.
410
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
No. 47
Louisville Monday
Jan. 13th 1873
Dear Wife . . .
Steamboatmen and flat Boatmen have been
hard at work to day getting
ice out of the canal The canal is about two miles in length and
was
frozen verry hard, for about 1/4 mile
at the upper end it was gorged
full in many places to the bottom
We lay just below the gorge, we began
working below the gorge with
a tug letting the broken ice run out a
spill. (a place left in one sid for
drift &c to run out). The Oakland
the nicest tow boat on the western
waters began at the uper end, and boats
that the canal Co. keep for
the purpose begun at the extreme lower
end by all working togother we
have got the ice so well broken up that
we can leave to morrow either
out at the head and down over the falls,
or down through the canal we
have about concluded to take the canal
for greater safety. it will cost
about 50c more than to pass over the
falls but misshaps and accidents
are the rule this winter and we dont
care about taking the risk....
. . I am in hopes that 10 Days or two
weeks will see us in Memphis
any how. . . .
On this state of Water we ought to make
Cairo in 4 days including
one day to Coal at Cannelton or Casseyville
. . . .
I remain most respectfuly
W D Devol
If we go over the falls will let you
know
Tuesday We are now at the foot of the
canal waiting for fog to Clear
away. . . .
No. 48
Cave in Rock Jan. 25th 1873
Daughter May
. . .We arrived at this port after many,
many, delays, in time to
visit the renowned, cave in the rocks
(which gives name to the small
village just below); before night came.
The enterance to the cave is
in the face of a ledge of rocks, which
are 50 to 100 feet in highth, and
nearly one Mile in length, extending up
and down the river. The en-
terance is about the size of the end of
our wood shed, with an oval top
or roof. the cave grows gradualy smaller
as you enter the roof and
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 411
floor approaching until they meet at 100
feet from the outer wall The
face of the rock for quite a distance
above and below, the sides as
well as the roof of the cave are
leteraly covered with the names of
persons that have visited here from time
to time A great portion of
the cave is now occuped by empty
barrels, and potatoes spread on the
floor to dry. A flat Boat ladened with
corn and potatoes, was laying in
a little nook among the rocks at the
mouth of the cave, when a larg
cake of ice striking the Island oposite
swung around and crushed in
the side of the boat
A part of the potatoes were taken out
and put in the cave to dry and
be rebarreled, a part of the corn is in
piles along shore, but oweing
to its having been in Water so long it
is of little value....
Respectfuly
Your Father
W. D. Devol
No. 49
Cave in Rock Jan 25th 1873
Dear Wife
I wrote you a hasty letter as we left
Green River, informing you of
our whereabouts, and what a severe time
we had since leaving Louis-
ville. have made but slow progress since
then. The river has been so
full of floating ice, we could run only
in day light and only part of
the time at that. We have laid by nearly
two days at what is called
Peelers landing, on the Illinois side 2
Miles above Caseysvill. We left
there this afternoon and made a short
run of 12 miles to this place
which we will leave in the morning if
the ice gets no heavyer
It is of no use for me to express my
feeling in regard to this trip, any
further than my expectations of a speedy
and pleasant trip, are forever
blighted, blasted and busted
27th
At this place, Cave in Rock, is where
Jess [Barker] makes his
stopping place. A man here who seems to
be well acquainted with his
business says that he was insured for 10
percent more than cost, his
Policy dated 2 days before the accident.
We laid by last night oposite
Paducha there was a considerable ice
this morning but it is thinning
out but will make thin ice again to
night. We have plenty of water I
am in hopes to make Cairo in time to
visit the office to night. have not
heard from home for two weeks. If the
upper Mississippi ice is not
412
Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
running will go right ahead. have seem a
good number of boats on the
lower Ohio, but not near as Many as
usual. a considerable number of
recks Saw one boat that laid in the ice
at West Franklin all safe.
started out run about fifty miles struck
a rock and broke in two ....
I mail to [you] one volume of My Diary58 I have simply noted a few
of the prominent events but think I can
tell the particulars in detail
when I get home
[W. D. Devol]
No. 50
Walnut Hill Feb 1st 1873
My Dear Husband
Saturday eve again how wearily the weeks pass away. I am so
anxious about you. Was down home (at
Father's) yesterday and his
last paper told how cold it was at
Memphis the 29th, that steamboats
could hardly make their landings on
account of the ice-That news
was two days later than yours-I
expect nothing else but that you are
frozen up again---Your Journal was read
with great interest. It did
me as much good as half dozen letters. I
think you have certainly
"seen a plenty" this winter-If you escape without anything serious
happening to you I shall be very thankful--.
. .
Write often to your loving Wife
Bitha M Devol
No. 51
Memphis Ten Feb 3 [1873]
Dear Wife
We arrived at what is called the Old
Hen, or Ground Hogs Day
after an eventful and tempestuous
journey of 11 hundred miles, per-
formed in 2 months and eleven days time,
by steam at that. Our journey
from Cairo to this place has been made
during some of the coldest
weather ever experienced by the "oldest
inhabitants of this country"
Two days in fact nearly three we made
headway when there was floating
crafts of no kind excepting ourselves
had the grit to undertake it Steam-
boats, regular packets towboats and all
were tide to the bank
We succeeded in getting good landings at
night. two mornings we could
walk all around the fleet on the ice had
to cut ourselves loose before
we could proceed on our journey ....
58 Already printed as Document No. 32.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 413
We have been a long time coming but
from present appearances will
be paid for our trouble. Our detention
has been proffitable pecuniaraly
I think, provided we can get into the
landing soon. to much ice crouding
in there for us just now When I think
we have ran in heavy ice
every day from fifty miles above
Louisville, and that ice still detains
us, I feel as if our troubles were
numerous and our vexation great. But
when I can look out the window and see
the wrecks of 6 boats within
a few rods of here, and being told out
of five boats that were insured
with us, we were the only one saved I
think that our burtherns might
have beem added too and our yoke made
heavyer. Still more, we were
in Louisville when the Small Pox was
raging as a pestilence, our entire
fleet passed through safely.... When we
spend a few days in the market,
can tell somewhere near the time you
can look for my return
Will save the rest to write another
time. I hope you got my Dioreha
which was mailed at Caro
I remain most
Respectfuly
W D Devol
No. 52
[Memphis, Tenn.]
Feb 5th 1873
Dear Wife . . .
We got into the landing last evening,
got the best place at the landing
only, we are near the upper end of the
landing and our boat is so long
she takes the Knocks, but she has went
through hell, and I think she
will Stand it We have had a verry busy Day done a great deal of hard
work as what seemed to be in most
demand was on the bottom but as
long as we can sell at a good proffit
dont mind it
We have seen some hardships in getting
here and will try to make the
best of it
If there is not to much produce brought
in on Steamboats will do well
enough. I know what is behind on flat
boats.
We done a good thing in selling
our appels when we did. . . .
Dave [Barth] is sick with a bad cold I
am now going to humor myself
with one of my great failings that is,
tell you of my aches and
pains &c
When I left the Ohio I had a severe
Cold, and the rumatics in
414 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
my neck and back, Cold in my head and
on my Lungs. Coughing some
suffing a heap. fell down and nearly
caved in my chest which is sore yet,
and have not been as well generaly this
winter as usual on the river
But am all right now....
Yours Most
respectfuly
W. D. Devol
No. 53
Walnut Hill Feb 8th 1873
My Dear Husband
. . .Nearly every body congratulated
me in town to-day, on your
safe arrival in Memphis. Say you cant help but do
well. I sincerly
hope & pray you do. You have had a
long perilous, journey but, as you
truly say you might have had heavier burdens.
Sturgiss acosted me on
the street to-day very anxious to
know of your whereabouts. I told him
you were safe in Memphis. He had
a notion to throw up his hat. He was
as pleased a man as I ever saw-Uncle
Lewis [Putnam] has sold his
boat, but not his produce. He is going to close out at Cin.
So Jesse
Barker says & also that
"they were a sick looking set of boatmen[."]
. . .Your loving wife Bitha M D . . .
No. 54
Sunday
Memphis Tenn. Feb. 9. 73
Dear Wife
. . .
Business has been very brisk since we got into the landing
oweing to the nice weather and bare
Market, but potatoes have been
arriving very plentifuly within the last
24 hours I dont know how it will
affect the price, but will make sales
slower. Clay West59 has about fin-
ished selling Curtis & Cos60 load of
Apples, and will start home on Tues-
day I think
I am in hopes that we can sell out
within two weeks from now, but it
depends entirely upon the weather, for
there is nothing done here in
cold and stormy weather
59 Henry Clay West (1843-1929), who
lived along the Ohio a few miles
above the mouth of the Muskingum. He was
operating on commission, as was a
common practice.
60 W. F. Curtis & Co., dealers in dry goods,
groceries, and produce, at
Marietta. The firm bad on extensive
down-river trade. Marietta Tri-Weekly
Register, November 5, 1889; ibid., March 1, 1894.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 415
Nearly all the boats that were in
company with us at Louisville have
arrived. The Syren and her tow came
here on Friday
I am now enjoying my usual good health.
But do but little work myself
owing to the soreness in my Chist of
which I spoke in my last....
I remain Most
Affectionately W. D. Devol
No. 55
Walnut Hill
Monday Feb 10th 1873
My Dear Husband
. . . I took Nannie [Marshall] her first
letter from Alfred at
Memphis. . . . Now my Dear you
must take good care of yourself. If
your breast hurts you put Cotton on
it. Dont forget it. You may of
hurt yourself so as to leave you with
weak breast or lungs. Be very
careful & dont overdo. You
will be so anxious to get sold out that you
may strain your breast rolling barrels.
I shall be anxious for you untill
I have you in my arms. . . .
Alfred says you have sold your boat and
skiff.--Nannie says she has had two
notes sent her (from the Bank I
suppose) but that she has not paid any
attention to them-I did not
know it untill to-day. Should there not
be something done about
them....
Yours with much love
Bitha M Devol . . .
No. 56
Walnut Hill
Thursday eve Feb 13th [1873]
My Dear Husband
Yours of the 9th was read with
interest....
Mr Stowe61 & wife were . . . by
this way. ... Mr Stowe says he hopes
you sell fast, for he thinks
there will be plenty of potatoes there from
now on-I told him that [I] thought you
would do every thing that
could be done to get rid of them at a
fair profit-
... It will soon be three months since
you left. A long time I hope
you get satisfied this winter and can
make up your mind to stay at home
after this. If Alfred wants to go, let
him go. Your home is pleasant
enough I hope to stay at & not want
to wander from it-- . . .
Yours with much love,
Bitha M Devol . . .
61 James Smith Stowe, Alfred Marshall's
father-in-law. See footnote 4 in
Part I.
416 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
No. 57
Feb. 15th 1873
Memphis
Saturday Night
Dear Wife
. . . I have been verry busy and quite
tired every night I intended
writing you a Valentine yestarday, but
was verry busy all day and when
night came was tired, and went to bed
and to seleep and did not waken
until the rain came through the roof
into my face We have had two big
thunder showers. It rained hard all
night and to day, thundering severly
at intervals. It has cleared off
pleasant to night, and I do hope it will
remain so until one week from to night
when I have good reasons to be-
leive we will be home.
Have nearly sold out excepting Cider and
Apple butter
Potatoes are beginning to arrive by flat
boat and steammer, have not had
an opportunity to run about and inform
myself but I think there will
be quite a decline in price the coming
week. . . .
As for the notices that Nan [Marshall]
received from the bank, you need
to pay no attentin to [them] We sent
them fifteen hundred this week
would send more but we expect to return
shortly and will attend to it
personaly
If Uncle Lewis [Putnam] sells out in
Cincinnatti his southern tour
will be cut short, but I think he will
do as well there as any place
South of there excepting Louisville
Have been taking out potatoes from the
pumps and the other most
exposed part of the boat and have not
found the first frozen one yet
among those we brought from home. It
required constant attention.
We kept two stoves red hot during the
cold snaps, firing up regularly
every 3/4 of an hour night and day
I hear it thundering again cannot tell
whether we will stop at Cin--
or not. . . .
Most Affectionately
W D Devol
No. 58
Wednesday
Memphis Feb. 19 1873
Dear Wife
We will not be at home by two or three
days as soon as I
expected. I expected to start for home
tomorrow (Thursday) but [shall
not do so] owing to several reasons
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 417
In the first place we have had the
heaviest rains I ever experienced which
delayed us in delivering freight the
rappid rise in the river which comes
on to the goods on the landing, requred
all the drays to move the good
to safety, and the immense sight of
freight that arrives on steam boats
since navigation has been resumed keeps
them busy but we have made
big headway to day, and to morrow we
will come near closing out, if
things work well. We have a fiew over a
hundred barrels of potatoes to
sell yet which we can get rid of
without much trouble I think notwith-
standing potatoes are not worth as much
by $1.00 per bbl as when we
arrived here.
We hit the Market when it was the
highest and sold as rapidly as pos-
sible but could not sell all until we
knew how they would turn out
Some of the boats that lay in the
Muskingum when we were there have
just arrived, and will see a sore time
before they close out. I am to tired
and sleepy to tell you much to night
Oweing to the big rains the bridge over
the Cumberland has been washed
away, and if we come by rail will have
to go by the way of Nashville.
Whether it will take longer or if we
will have to lay by on Sunday I
cannot tell I will inform myself of the
condition of the roads and if I
do not considder them safe after these
big rains will come by boat, so
you can look for us when we arrive We
want to close our business up
cleane and leave no drawbacks or
unfinished business when we leave.
We had quite a call from Uncle Lige
Marshall62 last night and also to day
his boat being here
I will write again to morrow or next
day and inform you when and
by what rout we leave
Most respectfuly
W D Devol
VI
Though his fourth down-river venture
turned out profitably
enough, William Dudley Devol never
again went flatboating. Even
if he had desired to go in 1873, he
would probably not have been
able to get away, for his twenty-months
old daughter Marsha died
in July and his father in August. The
next year the nation-wide
depression doubtless made the prospects
unenticing. When, after
five or six years, recovery set in, it
was apparent that the old
62 Elijah Marshall of Harmar (see
footnote 31), uncle of Bitha Marshall
Devol.
418 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
trade was almost a thing of the past.
The cities to the east, north,
and west, which were being made more
and more accessible from
Washington County by new railroads,
furnished steadier and more
profitable markets than the riverine
communities below the mouth
of the Ohio. This is not to say that
nothing went south. For
many years Devol (and probably many of
his neighbors) shipped
apples, potatoes, and other produce by
steamboat in response to
orders received from old customers
along the Mississippi. But
fewer and fewer flatboats were
constructed, and the old river men
began to throw a mantle of romance over
their own experiences
and to regret that their sons and
grandsons would never have like
adventures.63
In any case, as his letters show he
realized, flatboating was a
luxury which William Dudley Devol could
scarcely afford. It
separated him from his family, it kept
him and his wife from
engaging in their favorite winter
occupation of visiting with
friends and relatives, and, most
important, it deprived his farm
of the supervision it required.
"Walnut Hill" was not one of the
second-rate hill farms common in
Washington County, but a piece
of land so well adapted to the growing
of garden truck that he
was able to make it before he died one
of the most valuable farms
to be found anywhere in Ohio. Though he
devoted himself inde-
fatigably to its improvement, he also
managed to find time for
other affairs. He dabbled in Democratic
politics, being on one
occasion an unsuccessful candidate for
the Ohio Senate. He was
active in local farm organizations.
Towards the end of his life
he served as director of a Marietta
bank. He traveled in the con-
tinental United States, Alaska, Europe,
and the Near East. His
wife shared his social activities and
his travels till her death.
Both of them were throughout their
lives respected members not
only of the "Putnam
community" but of the larger nearby society
of Marietta as well. She died suddenly
in 1896 and he, after a
short illness, ten years later. Like
several of the other persons
mentioned in the documents above, they
are buried in the little
cemetery a short distance from Walnut
Hill Farm.
63 See, for example, the account of the
meeting of old river men at Marietta
in Marietta Tri-Weekly Register, November
5, 1889.
FLATBOATING DOWN THE OHIO AND
MISSISSIPPI,
1867-1873
Correspondence and Diaries of the
William Dudley Devol
Family of Marietta, Ohio
PART II*
edited by ROBERT LESLIE JONES
Professor of History, Marietta
College
V
More material remains from William
Dudley Devol's fourth
flatboating expedition than from the
other three put together. In
addition to the letters which passed
back and forth, it includes two
diaries covering the first six weeks of
his trip (printed as Docu-
ments No. 26 and No. 32). It has been
thought advisable to print
both Devol's diaries and the letters
for this six-week period, as
they are essentially complementary
rather than repetitive.
This fourth trading venture differed
from its predecessors in
that it was made in a
"fleet," or tow, pushed and steered by a tug.
Though this was apparently rather out
of the ordinary as far as
southeastern Ohio was concerned, it did
not mark any real innova-
tion in the flatboating business as
such.
No. 26 Diary of William Dudley Devol,
November 21-
December 11, 1872
November 21st
Left Harmer31 at one. Landed at Little
Hocking for the night, water
being so low could not run at night
22nd
Ran to Murry's Ville 6 Miles above
Buffington [Island] Montieths32
* Part I appeared in the preceding issue of the Quarterly, Vol. LIX
(July
1950), pp. 287-309.
31 Harmar,
the town on the western side of the mouth of the Muskingum,
now part of Marietta.
32 John Monteith was a well-known
flatboatman of this era, who lived along
the Ohio some distance above Marietta.
Stacy, Flatboat Reminiscences, 2.
385