FLATBOATING DOWN THE OHIO AND
MISSISSIPPI,
1867-1873
Correspondence and Diaries of the
William Dudley Devol Family
of Marietta, Ohio
PART I
edited by ROBERT LESLIE JONES
Professor of History, Marietta
College
I
The phrase "flatboating down the
Ohio" is apt to evoke a
mental picture of an immigrant family
setting off from Pittsburgh
aboard a broadhorn, or of a group of
backwoodsmen from almost
any tributary taking advantage of the
spring freshets to get their
little surplus to New Orleans. It is
easy to overlook the fact that
flatboating continued long after the
pioneer era, in fact to about
1890, as a method of disposing of the
farm produce of the region
adjacent to the Ohio. According to one
estimate, about seven
hundred flatboats a year passed
Louisville between 1849 and
1870, with the exception of the Civil
War period. A few of these
were "straight loads" of
flour being shipped by millers to New
Orleans. The rest were "mixed
loads" for the local trade along
the Mississippi. A mixed load typically
consisted of from one
thousand to twelve hundred barrels of
potatoes, apples, cider,
flour, and pork, together with bags of
oats, corn, or beans, sides
of meat, firkins of butter, and other
miscellaneous articles stowed
wherever space could be found for
them.1 If the cargo was mostly
1 Adelaide F. Stacy, ed., Flatboat
Reminiscences of Capt. Miles A. Stacy (un-
published manuscript in Campus Martius
Museum, Marietta, Ohio), 6-7, 16. The
largest flatboat to leave the Muskingum
River for the lower Mississippi of which the
writer has found mention was one owned
by Pitnam Lyman Stowe (1859-1929), which
started south in the autumn of 1886 with
two thousand barrels of apples and potatoes
and some onions, beans, and
miscellaneous produce. Marietta Register, November
19, 1886. The straight loads of flour
shipped out of the Muskingum to New Orleans
ran from twelve hundred to fourteen
hundred barrels. Irven Travis, "Navigation on
the Muskingum," Ohio State
Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, XIV (1905),
417.
287
288 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
apples and potatoes, it might be worth
as little as $3,000 at its
point of origin. If it was mostly pork
and flour, however, it
would be worth about $10,000. The
common value appears to
have been about $5,000, or somewhat
more.2
The farmer who intended to go
flatboating spent much of the
summer in hauling planks and whittling
pegs, and six or eight
weeks of the early autumn in
constructing his craft. By the mid-
dle of November he had a floating box
eighteen feet wide, eighty
or ninety--occasionally a hundred--feet
long, and deep enough
to hold six tiers of barrels down the
middle under the highest part
of the roof, and five elsewhere. When
he had finished loading
into it his own produce and what he
bought from neighbors, mill-
ers, and commission merchants, the only
space he had left was one
in the stern about six feet wide. This
became the cabin, where he
and his four or five deck hands would
spend the time when they
were not on watch or manning the
sweeps. It was equipped with
a stove, a table hinged to the wall,
and crude beds placed on apple
barrels. As its only ventilation came
from a hatch, it would reek
till the end of the trip of apples,
potatoes, stale tobacco smoke,
fried pork, and drying clothes. Once
the cargo was aboard, the
farmer, or "captain" as he
now was, lost no time in getting started.
He usually ran with the current night
and day till he got out of
the Ohio, to avoid the risks incident
to cold weather. Then he
had nothing to worry about except
overcoming the multifarious
hazards of navigating the Mississippi,
peddling his cargo at the
ports, or, more frequently, at the
plantations, perhaps as far down
as "the Coast" above New
Orleans, selling his boat for its lumber
or as a wood boat, and returning home.3
Washington County was throughout most
of the nineteenth
century something of a nursery of
flatboatmen. Among them was
William Dudley Devol (1834-1906), whose
activities were con-
2 Marietta Tri-Weekly Register, November 5, 1889; Stacy, Flatboat Reminis-
cences, 7.
3 Ibid., 3-7, 9, 16-17. Captain Stacy's detailed description of
the method of
building a flatboat is quoted in
Josephine E. Phillips, "Flatboating on the Great
Thoroughfare," Historical and
Philosophical Society of Ohio, Bulletin, V, No. 2 (June
1947), 21-22.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 289
fined to the period shortly after the
Civil War. His farm, known
then and now as "Walnut
Hill," comprised over 300 acres of land
on the east side of the Muskingum
River, about four miles from
its mouth, and about three miles from
the city limits of Marietta.
About a mile farther up the river was
the farm of his brother-in-
law, Alfred Spencer Marshall
(1831-1884), the man who was
responsible, according to family
tradition, for getting him inter-
ested in the down-river trade. It is probable that Devol con-
structed all his boats here, though we
can be sure that this was
true of only one, that built in 1868.4
William Dudley Devol was a faithful
correspondent and,
when he wanted to be, a diligent
diarist. His wife, Bitha Mar-
shall Devol (1838-1896), was likewise a
copious letter writer and
diarist. Most of their correspondence
and several of their diaries
from his flatboating period have been
preserved at Walnut Hill
Farm by their daughter Helen, now Mrs.
Harry G. Chamberlain.
She and her grandson, Mr. John Dudley
Chamberlain, Jr., have
kindly made the material available to
the writer. They have also
assisted in the identification of some
of the persons mentioned in
the documents, as have other
descendants and acquaintances of
southeastern Ohio flatboatmen.
In the letters and diaries of William
Dudley Devol printed
below, everything pertaining to his
flatboating experiences has
been retained, but the trivial gossip
about neighbors and relatives,
the instructions respecting farm
operations back home, and other
topics irrelevant to the central theme
have been omitted. The let-
4 See Document No. 5 below.
Though Alfred S. Marshall was not the
only member of his family to become
a flatboatman--his uncle is mentioned in
Document No. 58-it is a plausible con-
jecture that the chief influence on him
was that of his father-in-law, James Smith
Stowe (1806-1895). The latter was
engaged in flatboating from 1829 to 1869, and
was perhaps the best known in the South
during this time of all the men from
Washington County participating in the
produce trade. Like William Dudley Devol,
Alfred S. Marshall, and the others hereafter
identified but not specified as living
elsewhere, he was a resident of the
"Putnam community" in the bend on the eastern
side of the Muskingum above Marietta.
Pitnam L. Stowe, mentioned in Note 1, the
last man to take a flatboat out of the
Muskingum, was his son. For a biography, see
Williams & Bro., History of
Washington County, Ohio, With Illustrations and Bio-
graphical Sketches (Cleveland, 1881), 620-621. For some further
information, see
Marietta Tri-Weekly Register, November 5, 1889.
290 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
ters and the diary of his wife
naturally contain mostly informa-
tion of what was going on in his
absence, but they occasionally
furnish sidelights on flatboating,
supplement one of his letters,
provide an explanation for something in
another, or echo the con-
tents of one lost to us. Only the parts
of her diary and letters
which are thus useful are given here.
II
William Dudley Devol left the mouth of
the Muskingum on
his first trip down river on or about
December 21, 1867. The part
of the correspondence which has been
preserved opens with what
is evidently his second letter, written
fifty-five miles above the
falls of the Ohio at Louisville.
No. 1
Fifty five Miles above the falls 10.
O.Ck.
P. M. Friday Dec. 27th [1867]
My Dear Wife
When I last wrote you we were
wind-bound above Cincinnatti, left
there about three in the morning, at
eight Alferd [Marshall], Stacy 5 and
myself rowed out and made fast to a
passing Toe-Boat came on to the
city, and transacted our business and
went out to our boats as they passed
by Warm weather still continues, we
have seen no ice since the night we
left. There is a nice stage of water,
there is nothing that impedes our
progress but wind, it gave us a hard
night last night and blew us ashore
here about noon to day it thundered and
rained early in the evening The
storm is now over, all hands are sound
asleep and snoring hard from
the efects of their hard night and days
work. If it is not to exceedingly
dark I will rout all hands in a couple
of hours so as to make the falls in
time to pass the[m during] day light to
morrow
We passed Warsaw in the night which
prevented my going ashore and
making some inquiry about our friends
that live near there.
Our crew is a merry one. We have a
plenty of fiddleing, dancing and
singing, when the opportunity offers
for such enjoyments
5 Miles A. Stacy (1829-1915). He made a
dozen or so trips as a flatboatman
between 1849 and 1870, this being his
last.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 291
There is nothing transpires to interrupt
the monotony of our slow jour-
ney, and nothing but my own personal
welfare that I can communicate
that will be of grate interest to you
With pleasant thoughts of your good
self and our dear Children I wish you
good night
Affectionately
W D Devol
P S I shall give this letter to the
Falls Pilott when we pass over
[P.P.S.]
A Pilott Came aboard 10 miles above
There is so little for them to do
Pilotts and stears men are to be seen
all along shore I cannot call at
the [post] office we will cross the
falls between 3 & 4 Tell Nannie 6 that
that Alferd thinks he is a going dry
WDD
No. 2
Memphis, Ten. Jan 15th 1868
My Dear Wife
I will write you a few lines to inform
you that we remain here, and
will do so as long as we can sell enough
to justify us in doing so, we
have the nicest and the greatest variety
of aritcals at the landing but it
requires a great amount of talk to sell
(Private: Prices are pretty good
and we will do well if we continue to
sell as we have begun) and will
require time. So you must exercise your
good judgement in regard to
things at home, and remember that
it is our pecuniary wellfare that
causes me to remain, and nothing else. I
have no desire to go further,
however the landing is full of boats and
some will have to leave. If we
had'nt eaten that nice jar of Butter we
would have no trouble in getting
50?? per lb for it. Dibbles 7 boat came
in to day
We have been busy today preparing
articles for sale and getting them
out of the boat I havenot been off the
boat to day
16th
It is verry cold and disagreeable to
day, the citizens of the place say,
they never experienced so long a spell
of cold weather as the present.
bad weather and bad streets make it a
dull market. . . .
I remain truly your Husband W. D. Devol
6 Nancy Stowe Marshall (1835-1917), wife
of Alfred S. Marshall.
7 Not positively identified, but thought
to be a farmer living along the Ohio
River a few miles above Marietta.
292 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
No. 3
[Walnut Hill]
Friday Jan 24th 1868
My Dear Dear Husband
. . . Pa8 came up yesterday to hear the
news in your last letter. I
have a dozen times or more; been
asked if you are getting good prices for
your produce, are you going to sell out
at Memphis &c &c. I tell them you
are doing very well and dont know how
long you will lay there-I am
so glad to know you are doing well, and,
are well your own dear self. . . .
Pa says that he reads every once in a
while about some one being mur-
dered in Memphis. Do be careful Dear,
dont get out after night alone
no time. I am so worried about you. It
makes me shiver to think of it-
Ever Your Own One Bitha
No. 4
[Memphis, Tenn.] Jan 26th
1868
To My Good Wife
When I wrote you last I expected to be
able to let you know in this,
when we would be ready to start for
home, but trade became so dull the
latter part of last week we will be
detained longer than I expected when
I last wrote. However the trip will not
be as long as it would have been
if we had went on the coast
I[f] nothing turns up further than we
know we will be home in about
two months from the time we left home. I
went out to the Post Office
yestarday, it being the first time that
I had left the Landing for 12 days.
. . . I think we will be through in
about ten days, and If produce does
not become to[o] plenty on the Market we
will make a little something,
which is better than to do the other
thing
Have had excelent health since I left
home, and I hope that you and the
children have been equaly blessed, for
it is the health of my little family
at home that gives the greatest anxiety.
. . .
Yours mos[t] affectionately
W. D. Devol
We had canned plums for supper and they
gave me quite a pain in --
8 John Marshall (1806-1876), at this
time a retired merchant in Marietta.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 293
III
William Dudley Devol was evidently so
well satisfied with
the results of his first trip down
river that he could hardly wait for
the next fall so that he could go
boating again. It was well for
him that he had a reserve of
enthusiasm, for his next venture was
marked by such a succession of
vicissitudes that he was fortunate
to come out of it without serious loss.
No. 5 Extracts from the Diary of Bitha
Marshall Devol, 1868
Tuesday [August] 4th
. . . Husband went to Lowell to see
about barrels. . . .
Thursday [September] 10th
. . . Dudley went up to Alfred's
yesterday to turn his boats and get
them ready for caulking. . . .
Tuesday [September] 15th
. . . Dudley is working at his flat
boat. . . .
Thursday [September] 17th
. . . Dudley. . . went up to Alfred's
and worked around in the water
at their boats. . . .
Friday [October] 23rd
. . . Dudley & his hand that helps
with his boat are getting it along
finely. . . .
Sunday [October] 25
. . . Finished the Flat boat yesterday.
. . .
Thursday [October] 29th
. . . Dudley is barreling Potatoes and
loading his boat.
Tuesday [November] 10th
. . . The bad weather will stop the Flat boat loading a few
days. If
nothing happens they will get off with
their boats in a week or ten
days . . . .
Monday eve [November] 16th
. . . In the P. M. [yesterday] we went
up to Alfred's. They had
been busy all day getting their
potatoes into the boat.
294 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
To-day we have washed, butchered, baked
and done a little of every
thing. The boats are about loaded and
to-morrow they start for the
sunny South. . . .
Tuesday evening [November] 17th
Here I am all alone, that is, my husband
is gone. . . . We had all the
flat boat hands to dinner to day. And as
soon as they had eaten they
started. They will lay up at Marietta
to-night and start down the Ohio
bright and early in the morning--We got
up this morning and found it
raining and it has rained all day
steadily. It made the landing so muddy
that we could not go down to the boat to
fix their beds. But Dudley said
they could do it. . . .
Wensday [November] 18th 6 P.M.
I went to Marietta this morning, and got
down in time to see my dear
husband push his flatboat out into the
broad Ohio. They had a nice day
to start. Somewhat cold but a nice high
river. May God speed them
on their voyage. . . .
No. 6
Dec 10th 1868
My Dear Wife
After our long and teadious journey we
are now nearing Cairo. And
if the wind does not raise we will pass
there about 10 to day I wrot to
May9 and put the letter in the office at
Padducca.
I expect to get letters at Cairo being
so much behind time it gives our
mail a good chance to be ahead of us. I
have not seen any thing of
Dyar's10 boat since we left Marietta. he
crossed the falls the same day
we arrived there, but we had so much
work to do that he got 24 hours
start of us at that place, and three
days more at Evensville. The prob-
ability is we will meet at Memphis
Our trip has been one of such slow
teadious character, that I have noth-
ing of interest to write you I wrote May
about our grounding at Saline
river Island.
The night after pass[ing] that place we
laid by the wind rose and
bley one of the longest steadiest and
hardest gales I ever experienced
9 His daughter Mabell Devol (1859-1935),
later Mrs. Charles P. Dyar.
10 Augustine ("Gus") Dyar
(1827-1883). He had been flatboating since about
1850. Stacy, Flatboat Reminiscences, 1.
His father, Joseph Dyar (b. 1800), had
been almost as notable in the trade as
James Smith Stowe and was credited with
being the first flatboatman in
Washington County to buy produce for cash. Williams
& Bro., History of Washington
County, 619-620.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 295
laid by two nights and one day. There
has been no cold or snowy
weather since we left, but it has winded
all the time, we having had but
two or three calm days.
It is with some difficulty I write owing
to a bad sore one the forefinger
of my right hand between the second and
third joint. It has troubled
me for a week and from appearances will
last some time yet. Those that
pretend to know call it a Carbuncle it
has the appearance of a Bile only
more so
We are resalting our meet to day that is
a job I get rid of on account
of my finger
It will take us four or five days to get
to Memphis. How long we will
remain there I cannot tell it depends
entirely upon the market.
Let circimstances be as they may I think
we will not leave Memphis be-
fore the Eighteenth, then you can direct
to Lake Providence. . . .
Yours affectionately
W. D. Devol . . .
No. 7
Extracts from the Diary of Bitha Marshall Devol, 1868
Friday [December] 18th . . .
I got a letter from my dear husband
Wensday. They are frozen up at Columbus
Ky. How sorry I am.
There is no telling when they will be
able to go below . . . .
December 19th
. . . I got a letter from my dear
husband this morning, they are still
frozen up at Columbus Ky. It is very
hard for them to bear, but they
must bear it nevertheless. . . .
No. 8
[Above New Madrid, Mo.]
December 21st 1868
My Dear Wife
I am about to write in this letter what
you had [better] not say any
thing about at present We lef Columbus
in the ice, but soon ran out of
it. The[n] every thing seemed to
brighten up in fact our prospects were
good. We laid by at Hickman for wind,
mad small sale at good proffit
started out on the morning of the 19th as nice a
morning as I ever saw,
and about noon grounded on a bar 500
yards from shore We got one
boat off before night, that is the mos
valuable boat. went to work carry-
296 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
ing freight from the grounded boat to
the other. The water was foiling
and I appreaciated the situation
I assure you, we worked hard pretty
much all night, took a bite and Alferd
and all the others seemed to think
that all would be right the next morning
but I felt damned blue and I
showed it in my countinace I expect At
it in the morning worked till
noon It was of no use water left us
faster than we could lighten her up
We carried back part of the load kep all
we could manage on board of
the floating boat, and abbandoned the
one on ground, left it in charge of
Hill11 and McKinny,12 and we are now
on our way to Memphis with
the other. I do not think the boat is a
total loss by any means If it is
there is nothing in it but that which we
growed ourselves, so do not give
yourself any cunsern about it deny
yourself and the Children nothing
that will add to your comfort during my
absence. I am very tired and
sore but will [be] regular in a day or
two.
It appears to me that we have had all
the bad luck we could have, but
dont be surprised to hear of this boat
in the same fix. It detains me
longer from home that worries me more
than all else. When we had to
leave the boys on that boat I felt bad
sure enough and I said during our
trouble If I could only talk to my wife
fifteen minutes I would be sat-
isfied to pound ahead but let her rip It
wont embarrass us any if we
have good luck with this boat but it
will tickel some. . . .
Yours Most truly
W D Devol
No. 9
December 30th 1868
My Dear Wife
Memphis Tenn.
It has been raining continualy since
arrived here, which makes it
dull enough
In cities like this they transact no
business during such disagreeable
weather. There is one encouraging
feature in this rain however that is
this, if our boat should still be
aground it will bring a raise and let
her off.
11 Prescott ("Press") Hill, a
deck hand. As he was born about 1835, according
to the manuscript census of 1850, he was
much older than the other deck hands
mentioned, most of whom were farmers'
sons in their late teens or early twenties.
12 Zachariah McKenna (born c. 1847), a
deck hand.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 297
Our crew went up yestarday to see what
is to be done, if every thing is
right they will be back within six or
eight days. It is of but little use
to try to sell potatoes in this Market
now. We cannot tell what course
to persue until we know all about the
boat behind Mr Dyar has been
selling for 2 or 3 weeks and is not
through yet. he complains verry
much about slow sales. Joel Elliott13 and Luther14
and Henry15 are
here waiting on an advance in prices
from all information we can gather
markets are better below than here
from the fact everyone that is [in] any
hurry to close out and return to
his family stop at this place. I have
been away from home a long time
for me but, but I dont want to let my
absence from home cause me to
sacrafice my property after such hard
work, many trials, much trouble and
tribulation. I am in in for it and must
make the best out of it. Our
load of Assorted stuff is our salvation
this time I think we have got that
variety that will sell in any Market.
The less we get for our potatoes
the less our summers work will amount to
that is all. . . .
Appels are selling here from 5 to 7
dollars krout from 10 to 12 we could
do well with our meet, but if we go to
another market we want to take it
with us
We will remain here at least 10 days I
think. . . .
I remain yours most Faithfully
W D Devol
No. 10
[Memphis, Tenn.]
Jan
5th 1869
My Dear Wife
The Darkest Cloud has a silver lining
the lost boat arrived safe and
sound last evening, we are all right
now. We shall leave leave this mar-
ket within a day or two there is more
potatoes here than any other market
that I can hear of and that is not all you
cant sell but a few at a time
which makes [it] so tedious that we
could run to the end of the string
and then sell out before we could here.
We are trying to get as many
of our appels out as we can the warm
weather is making them rot badly
The very firs opportunity I will write
you a chapter on Biles there is
13 Joel Elliott Stacy (1840-1925), a
farmer of the Rainbow settlement, im-
mediately across the Muskingum from the
"Putnam community."
14 Luther Barker (born c. 1846), cousin
of William Dudley Devol.
15 Henry Barker (born c. 1848), brother
of Luther.
298 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
another damned Big one on my second
finger which panes me verry
much and makes it troublesome to write,
it being the fourth one that has
troubled me. . . .
We could close out our load here and
make some money but it would
take for ever to do it and the city
would use us up in taxes Our meat
we can sell at any time for seven or
eight hundred dollars advance, but if
we have no mor bad luck we can do better
We have a nice stage of watter now which
is a good thing and we have
seen enough to make us be careful. . . .
Yours affectionately
W D Devol
No. 11
Jan 10th 1869
Lake Providence [,La.]
My Dear good Wife
We arrived here this morning. trade is
slow. The Wharfmaster and
others refused to let us sell without
paying him a big bonus for the
pruvalege, which we declined doing, but
droped our boat below the cor-
poration line We will try and do what we
can here then work our way
to Vixburgh an sell out if possible to
do so at living rates. I would like
to be at home you know as well as I
can tell but we want to make the
BEST out of this load of stuff. Lett16 and the Barker
boys lost Money
on their load. We want to talk different
when we come home. There
has none of them made any money, from
our part of the country, that
is if I am able to cipher. . . .
I remain yours affectionately W D Devol
We are laying as I told you, about one
half mile below the town. Alferd
went up directly after dinner and is
still there 4 0 Clock. he has got to
gassing I presume
We have sold and got the money for
enough to pay all that we owe and
have as much money left as we had when
we first begun to make arrange-
ments for boating this winter and I
think we have about three thousand
dollars worth in the Boat at present, so
you can see if nothing happens
we will have enough to live on a little
while at least (say nothing). . . .
. . . Try and be patient with my delay
knowing as you must that my
anxiety to get home is a[s] great as the
case will admit of
16 "Lett" was the nickname of
Joel E. Stacy.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 299
I would rather the old folks would fret
at my absence than they should
make themselves uneasy on account of
inability to pay my debts and
that they should think it necessary for
them to deny themselves one
pleasure for my pecuniary welfare. First
of all, my desire for money
is that it may benefit my family, next
that my parrents may see that it is
innecessary for them to give themselves
any uneasiness on my account.
... If I can make it pay well for me to
stay and retail our stuff a week
longer I will do so. We will leave this
place in the morning.
It is about 75 miles to Vixburgh we will
make a few landings be-
tween here and there
You see If we sell to the niggers we do
not have to knock the salt from
the meat and [we] do our own weighing
which amounts to a good sum
potatoes are an awful slow sale I
understand that [Miles] Stacy got
$2.75 but that I doubt
I can think of nothing more to writ
Most Affectionately
W. D. Devol
No. 12
Walnut Hill
Saturday eve. Jan 23rd 1869
My Dearest One
I did not get a letter to-night, and I
am so anxious to hear from you.
Nannie [Marshall] got two. Peter 17
brought them up and then came up
to Uncle Lewis 18 for us. Nannie
was there. I read them. He 19 is
doing well, selling nearly everything at a fine profit. I am so
glad.
Says that you will make almost if not
quite one thousand on your meat.
Wont that be nice. He said not to tell
it. And that he thought if he
would ask Nannie if he might boat next
winter that she would say yes.
But I told her that if it was me I
should say NO with an emphasis. No!
my darling, if you get home safely this
time No money can tempt me to
consent to you wearing yourself out to
make money for your family
boating. We will live with more economy and have the benefit of
each
others company. Dont you think so. (Answer
that question please when
you write). Alfred says that he has
carried himself with due propriety
17 Peter Finkel (b. 1850), a deck hand.
18 Lewis J. P. Putnam (1808-1888), a
granduncle of William Dudley Devol.
19 Alfred S. Marshall.
300 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
since he left home, if it is true we
will give him great praise. He says he
wrote you, & that you would get it
as soon as you got to New O ....
Your ever trusting wife
Bitha M. Devol
No. 13
Jan 25th 1869
New Orleans
My Dear good Wife
I received two more letters from you to
day. You dont know how
satisfied it makes me feel two hear you
are all well From the tone of
your letters people must think that I am
about to go into a decline. I
will simply say that I never enjoyed
better health in my life I have not
been sick an hour since I left home not
even a slight cold. I had the
head ache part of one day that is all,
and I weighed more when I landed
at this City, than at any other time
since we were jined in the holy binds
of Motrimeny. Press Hill looked through
drunken eyes. Guss [Dyar]
was verry unwell and appeared more
anxious to get Home than I ever
did, which caused him to see others as
he felt.20 I am verry anxious to
get home there is no doubt about that,
but that worries me the least of
all. A bad rotten frozen lott of
potatoes, affects my appetite a little, but
I dont think I will take to Hard drink I
am not alone now, Coussin
Luther [Barker,] Cousin Henry [Barker,]
Friend Joel [Stacy,] Frank
Stone21 Mr Edgell22 and many river acquaintances are here, all friends
in misrey....
trade is not brisk on the Coast.
Notwithstanding Alferd said I could
come home when I got through If I liked,
I do not think it would be just
in me, and it may not take but a few
days linger, and none will have
Cause to Complain. Luther has been heard
to say It would be my last
trip that it would break me from sucking
egs &c. I guess the proffits on
20 According to Bitha Devol's diary,
Augustine Dyar had been summoned home
on account of the grave illness of his
wife and had reported that "Dudley is well but
worried and thin."
21 Jonathan Franklin Stone (1838-1908),
farmer and river pilot of Belpre. He
made approximately three trips to New
Orleans as a flatboatman after the Civil War.
22 Tentatively identified as Aaron
Edgell (1811-1892) of Newport in eastern
Washington County. He had frontage along
the Ohio River a short distance above
the village.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 301
his interest will buy him but a few Hen
fruit. (I tell all that I am bound
to try again and I wish you to assist
in the delusion.)
tell the neighbors that I am sorry that
a disease has broken out among
our pigs, for I beleive more in pork
than potatoes for down the river
trade
Affectionately
W D Devol
No. 14
[Aboard the Luminary, between
Lake Providence and Grand Lake]
Feb 4th 1869
My Dear Wife
On 'Board another Boat. I Landed an
Lake Providence as I wrote
did not find Boat there but 3 letters
for me and 3 for Alferd. Took
passage on another boat for Grand Lake
about 40 miles above no boat
there took the same boat back to
Carolina Landing found a boat but
not ours but by inquiry learned that
Alferd was at Eggs Point 20 miles
above had to remain on the strangers
boat nearly two days and two
nights which was lonesome I assure you.
I am now on board the nice
steamer Luminary I cannot tell whether
Alferd has moved or not but
will try and find out at each Landing
as I pass it is so dark that I cannot
tell until the Boat lands The Boat will
land at Grand Lake and I think
I can see the Boat if it is there If it
is not there I will go above to Eggs
Point and if he is not there will take
another Boat down stream I am
very well but have a good quantity of
trouble ....
Most Affectionately
W D Devol
If you get this within 6 Days write me
a long letter to Vixburgh
for they are my only Consolation. dont
give yourself any uneasiness
about my safety This [is] just as
peaceable a country as Ohio or any
other place as long as a man minds his
own business, and as for being
robed for money there is no need of
telling people whether you have
any or not
I would like very much to send money
home to pay all our creditors.
We have it on hand but there is no
chance here to exchange or express
home
302 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
We are at grand Lake Landing.
I calculated to mail a short letter in
the boat, but I axidently found
Alferd and in the hurry of getting my
trunk off the steamer I forgot it
The mails are so irregular here I am
verry fraid you will get anxious
about my safity, but recolect a little
Care and some money will take
care of a man any place. If I have not
seen the Elefunt this winter no
person ever did....
By axident I found our boat about 3
miles below where I expected
to. I found all well on board and was
glad to get back, but I am getting
uneasy and anxious to get home. trade is
slow but good prices We have
sold $100 worth of meat to day at twice
the cost it is now noon. po-
tatoes are 350 to 4.00 in a verry slow
way. I do hope and pray you
will not get impatient at our delay but
it cannot be helped as I can see.
I calculate that I will get enough this
year of boating I never thought
of being so long from home then with all
the bad luck and botheration
makes one appreciate home a good
and peaceful and happy home
It will not do to sacrafice on this load
to gain a little time our great
expense and loss on that grounded
potatoe boat will not admit of it
. . .Tell what you want me to get in
Cin[cinnati] if any thing and
if my purse will admit of it I will do
so SURE
My health is verry good hoping your fat
good natured self and
Children are equaly as wel
I remain yours Most Affectionately
W D Devol
No. 15
[Fifteen miles above Lake Providence,
La.]
February 8th 1869
My Daughter May
. . .We stopped at this place yestarday
(Skipwiths Landing) and
expected to do a little trading here
this forenoon and then go to Provi-
dence which is 15 miles below, but it
began raining verry hard this
morning, and the prospect is it will
rain all day. Every rainy day
makes it one day longer before I get
home. We want to make a few
more landings before we get to Vixburgh,
and then try and close out
there for it is time I was at home to
attend to business there.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 303
... This is such a lonely Dreary rainy place! and the
Missippi mud
it cant be beat! . . .
Your father W D Devol ...
No. 16
[Seventy-five miles above Vicksburg,
Miss.]
February 11th 1869
My Dear Wife
As I am not busy this morning I thought
best to commence another
letter to you. Our would be Pilott left
us last night. One of the boys
got drunk and told him to many truths
for his stomache and he concluded
that he had best quit. We thought so to
and paid him off He is a
misserable growling backbiting fool for
the want of sense; we are all
glad he has gone, people can beleive as
much as they please of what he
says. I expect to stear the boat the
rest of the way down. We have
lightened her up so we can manage her as
successfully as she has been
heretofore. It is damn tedious.... It is
getting real warm here. grass
is quite green spring flours are in
bloom plowing and planting going
on as in April with us. Laborers are
scarce and when they are engaged
there is no dependance put in their
fulfilling their engagements....
... If I chance to meet with a mail boat between here and Vix-
burgh I will send another letter
I dont think we will be many days going
it is but 75 miles. it
depends upon trade however
Nothing more to day
I remain yours Most Affectionately
W. D. Devol
No. 17
Milligans Bend 25 miles above
Tuesday
Vixburgh Feb 1869 [Feb. 16]
My Dear Wife
We landed here day before yestarday for
the purpose of arranging
our load sorting potatoes &c before
going into the City thinking we can
sell out quicker by having every thing
in order. We however met with
a good trade here having sold $600.
worth at good proffit If we have any
thing like good luck we will be ready to
start for home in 10 days from
to day We will go to Vixburgh to morrow
if the wind does not blow. I
am tired enough of this slow way of
trading, but it is proffitable. if we
304 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
had brought no other boat but this we
would have been home before
this with our pockkets full, but as long
as we do as well as any of our
neighbors and have as much to contend
with as we have we shall not
complain
3 miles below where I commenced this
letter.
I succeeded in writing one line at this
Landing Now I am in Vixburgh,
got into the landing yesterday and got
ready for opperation. I think we
will opperate slow. prices are good
enough, but people dont seem inclined
to buy much. We are going no further We
have dismantled the boat,
and pay off our hands when day light
comes this morning....
I have seen so much of the Mississippi
river I guess we will take the cars
at this place for Loussville
[Louisville]. It will tak about 4 or 5 days
longer to go by boat and the expense is
about the same I presume
Luther [Barker] and Henry [Barker] are
putting on a heap of stile
with their proffits. I dont know where
they passed us on their way up....
I remain Yours
Most Affectionately
W. D. Devol
No. 18
Vicksburgh Miss
Feb 21st 1869
My Dear Wife
I am keeping house this afternoon While
Alferd is out, he staid
aboard this fore noon and let me wander
about and examine the city
made memoriable by the great seige
during the "late war" as it is called
in these parts.... I am getting tired
enough of this way of living and
will bring it to an end this week if
possible. If we can possibly do so
we want to get ready for the steamer
Richmond next friday We can travel
on her a great deal cheaper than by rail
and nearly as quick, as the
southern road is so out of repair they
travel slow and miss connections.
We will be governed by Circumstances
however and start for home the
quickest possible way ....
Most Affectionately
W. D. Devol
Monday Morning [Feb. 22]. It is raining
hard this morning there will
be no business transacted to day it is
enough to give most persons the
blues, but I have seen so much to
discourage and make one feel restless
that it has no effect on me. I never had
the least idea when I left that
it would be so long before I returned
but so it is. Some thing must be
done this week if it does not rain all
the time it will take a week to
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 305
come home after we start if not more I
would like to go by rail through
the interior and may possibly do so 23
IV
The profit William Dudley Devol made
from his second trip
south must have outweighed in his mind
the difficulties which he
had been forced to overcome, for he
started off again on or about
November 25, 1869. The few letters
extant dealing with this
third venture would seem to indicate
that it was not marked by
any noteworthy complications.
No. 19
Walnut Hill
Monday eve 13th [Dec., 1869]
My Dear Good Husband
... I was made quite happy to-night with
another of your cheerful
letters. It made my heart quite light. I
mailed you a letter to day . . .
stating, that, I had heard how you was
buying Pork for 6 cts per lb. But
you say Pork is high. Uncle Barker24 sent me word about the Pork.--
I felt so thankful when I learned
of your safe passage over the falls....
You have no idea how anxious I am
about you. I think of you every
hour in the day, wonder what you are
doing, where you are, & if you
think of home often-I hope you do, it
will keep your heart light-
Dont you think this winters work will
satisfy you? I do hope it
does.--. . .
Your loving, faithful wife Bitha M.
Devol
No. 20
Walnut Hill Dec 26th 1869
My Dear Dear Husband
. . . Jesse Barker 25 has been writing
considerable trash home about
your hands. How they got so drunk at
Evansville that you had to lay
one day longer waiting for them to sober up; that you did not
leave when
they did &c &c
23 William Dudley Devol finally reached
home March 7, arriving by train from
Cincinnati.
24 George W. Barker (born c. 1802),
father of the other Barkers (Luther,
Henry, Jesse, and James Gage) mentioned.
25 Jesse H. Barker (1840-1900). He
resided during these years near Warsaw,
Kentucky, and made more of a business of
flatboating than did any of his brothers.
There is an oblique reference to him in
Document No. 1, above.
306 Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly
I never let on but simply said that I
guessed you was capable of
taking care of your boats yet
awhile.--If they did get drunk, it is
nobody's business, thats all. ....
Monday eve. [Dec. 27]
. . . Do you discharge any hands at
Memphis? . . .
Gus Dyar says that if you sell out at
Memphis I will have to hurry
up my Carpet-rags or I wont be "ready
for you when you do come"--
He thought it was so funny because I
told him last winter that I was not
ready for you to come home untill I got
my Carpet-rags all cut--I will
send Eddie 26 to town to-morrow with
this letter, & have him send a
Dispatch to you saying there is letters
at Hellena, & you can send for
them. It will take so long for you to
get this letter. Yours was four
days coming....
Yours in love,
Bitha M. Devol
No. 21
Walnut Hill Dec 29th [1869]
My Dear DEAR Husband
. . . I felt so in hopes you would sell
out at Memphis. I cant
bear to think of your being gone all this long lonesome winter.
Aint
it possible for you to make enough to satisfy you at Memphis. Your
letter, I got Monday said you would
probably close out at Memphis, &
I have been thinking ever since, how
nice it would be, &c. I would
soon have you at home again-I am
completely out of patience with flat
boating. Dont ask me to agree to your
going again, for I cant do it--
. . . You certainly have got my
Dispatch. When I got your letter
Monday, I felt so uneasy about your not
hearing from home, & thinking
it might take my No. 1527 4 or 5 days to
go I sent a Dispatch telling
you where your letters were. They
charged me nearly $2.00 to send it,
but if it had been $5.00 I should not
[have] heisitated. You may call it
extravegance but I could not help it. I
thought of you away off there.
No letters from home & your little
girls sick, & thought $2.00 a very
triffling thing compared with your
happiness--
Yours ever Bitha M. Devol
26 Eddie Williams, chore boy at Walnut
Hill Farm. He was still going to
school at this time.
27 Printed here as Document No. 20.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 307
No. 22
[Memphis, Tenn.]
Dec. 29th 1869
My Dear good Wife
This is the fourth short letter I have
written you since landing here
one week ago....
Miles [Stacy's] hands leave for home to
day Our pilott goes also it will
take Miles eight or ten days to wind up
he will make no money, he is
home sick his hands say. I dont blame
him for wanting to go home I
would sell if I was him before staying
and trying to make money
for others. Theodore28 has hired to go
father south on a store boat.
he is of little account.
There is no end to the amount of
potatoes in this market and every
other one below here I think....
I am in Daves29 way as he is
chief cook it is a big office for him
Peter [Finkel] has about two white hairs
on his chin The boys have
been coaxing him to have them split so
that he would have four
Dave and Pete will hang to us until we
return. ...
I am afraid the water is getting so high
that trade will be suspended
on the flat boat landing
If we had nothing but potatoes and
appels I would sell here, and come
home but it would take a long time....
Most Affectionately
W. D. Devol
No. 23
[Memphis, Tenn.]
Thursday Night 2 OClock Dec 30th 69
My Dear Wife
I have arisen for the special purpose of
writing you a short letter
as we expect to go from here before many
days I received a dispatch
yestarday morning telling where my
letters were, I had supposed they
were ther and had written for them and
received one in the afternoon of
the same day that I received the
dispatch. Dont telligraph me any more
unless about matter of urgent necessity,
for it does not create a sensation
of much pleasantness to receive a message
through that source, until you
28 Not identified, but probably a deck
hand.
29 David Barth, a deck hand.
308 Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly
open and learn its nature, especially
when ones family are not well at
the last advices.... Gage80 writes to
Jess [Barker] that the Pittsburgh
market was dull no sale for potatoes and
cider sold for five dollars
I can do better than that here potatoes
are worth two dollars, slow
cider nine to ten, that is No. 1 which
our is....
We will not leave here until after
Newyears We want to get a fat goose
for dinner if possible I have agreed to
cook it.
The letters you write after receiving
this direct to Friars Point
Missippi.
The apple butter soured Dave [Barth] is
cooking it over as he has time
in the dish pan and putting it in small
jars, for the retail trade We can
sell some at $1.25 per. gal....
Hoping you and our small family are well
I remain Most affec-
tionately
W. D. Devol
No. 24
Walnut Hill Jan 3rd 1870
My Dear Dear Husband
... About that Dispatch I thought it all
over, & concluded it would
not take you long to open it & then
the scare would be over. I knew
you was so anxious about the children
& wanted you to know, so badly,
that I had written, that I thought I
would risk it. I hope I shall have
no occasion to dispatch again. Will not
anyhow- . . . & so Miles
[Stacy] wont make any money. Well I'm
sorry. Hate to see any one
go so far from home to make money &
then not make any. ... I am
surprised at the Apple Butter souring,
for that I have at home (just like
it) is very nice. Suppose it was on
account of being in the warm boat.
Dave must be careful & not get it
scorched. I would give all my old
shoes, & one pair of new ones
to help eat that goose, IF you cook it.-- ...
Yours in love
B. M. Devol
No. 25
Sunday Morning Jan 23rd 1870
Taluna Landing
Ark
My Dear Wife
I wrote you the last night we staid at
Memphis detailing our plan
of opperation as near as I could And
Alferd took the letter to the office
30 James Gage Barker (1834-1919). His
farm was across the Muskingum from
Walnut Hill, and slightly lower down the river.
Flatboating down the Ohio and
Mississippi 309
as I supposed, but did not and I never
found the mistake until we arrived
at Austin, where I mailed it. I wrote
you again at Friars Point in the
litter I told you that I should write
again the next day expecting then
to remain there two or three days, but
the sheriff of the county demanded
of us a sum of fifty Dollars as licence
money which we were satisfied
he had no right to collect We put him off
until the next day, and during
the night left for points below
We had the washing of the whole crew out
at a negrow wash womans
We went out and got it before it was
dry. The next day being fare we
put up lines on the boat and had it well
dried but not Ironed. We have
had some of the most pleasant weather I
ever experienced in the South
so warm that one does not need his coat,
but trade is verry slow prices
will do. if it does not improve we will
turn up at Vixburgh before a
great while and try and close out. The
way this river has risen the last
two or three days I am satisfied you
must have high water. . . . I never
saw the Missippi rise as fast before. .
. . Write to Lake Providence if
you get this within a week after that to
Vixburgh
I remain
Affectionately
W D Devol
[To be concluded]