To Sons
of Dixie in Mr. Bristow's web site,
which contains the Dairy's full text, March 13 - 20.
. . . Friday, March
13
Reached Cincinnati [at] five o'clock this
morning and put up at the "Burett House." Had an early breakfast,
made a schedule of my business for the day, and at nine o'clock
had all my business that called me to Cincinnati done. Got my
boots by express from Buffalo; found them too large by two or
three sizes, so I am almost bootless.
[At] nine o'clock, commenced searching
for James Pennington. Searched all day, but without success. A
marked change in the atmosphere between this place and where I
was yesterday morning. There was good sleighing and the thermometer
near zero; here they were watering broadway to keep down dust.
Cincinnati at this season of the year is
remarkably brisk. The principal exports I saw was whiskey, pork,
and ready made buildings-which is a great business here. The levee
is literally crowded with boxes, barrels, carts, drays, &c, and
every steamer crowding on freight. Altogether it is the busiest
place I ever saw.
At five o'clock p. m., took passage on
board the steam packet Memphis,
bound for Memphis and Hickman, Tennessee. The officers of the
boat protested against the large amount of freight the proprietors
put on, as there was but a little over five feet water on the
bars and the boat was loaded down to a draught of near seven feet.
In this state we left at ten o'clock at night, soon after I had
retired.
Saturday, March 14
Had made good headway during the night,
but about ten o'clock a. m., when within 20 miles of Louisville,
we grounded and remained there until ten at night. Could only
get off by getting two flat boats and taking out some one hundred
ton to lighten her. These flat boats are kept along the river
for this purpose and are called lighters. The bed of the Ohio
is hard gravel and a boat can not work off as on the sandbars
of the Missouri. We have a variety of passengers, some fifty in
all, mostly Southerners. They all take me for a Southerner.
We have a "Nigger" trader on board.
Sunday, March 15
A delightful day. More like the middle
of May in Buffalo than the 15th of March. It has been a day of
anxious watching for Captain, crew, and passengers, as the barge
from Cincinnati has been hourly expected but has failed to reach
us. I have walked over the principal parts of the city in company
with a young man from Philadelphia. Louisville, like Cincinnati,
presents a very dingy appearance owing to burning so much coal.
The streets are wide and well supplied with shade trees-which
are much needed in the summer[s], which are very warm here. Towards
evening we walked up in the vicinity of the best residence, which
was quite a treat to me. Doors and windows were thrown open, and
ladies were out on the steps and balconies with nothing on their
heads, and dressed in late spring dresses. It was in great contrast
with the previous Sunday in Buffalo, which was like mild winter.
We saw during the day a number of funerals.
The hearses in use here are glazed on both sides and ends, rendering
the coffin wholly visible. The hearse is painted black and trimmed
with silver on the sides. The top is ornamented with four clusters
of Prince of Wales plumes on each side. It is altogether quite
a showy vehicle and is used for the poor classes as well as the
rich.
Louisville has a large number of colored
people, about 3000 of which are slaves. They are probably cared
better for than any city in the Union.
Monday, March 16
Last evening was very pleasantly spent
in the cabin. We have a large number of passengers, mostly Southerners,
a fair proportion of Ladies-all of which could sing and play on
the piano. We had a sociable time. Those of us that were married
showed the daguerreotypes of our wives and children. I took the
premium. They said they look like Northerners, supposing I was
a Southerner. They said they were "right fine" looking and a "heap
prettier" than I was. I knew they only wanted to flatter me and
took it for what it was worth.
An affray took place in the forward cabin
on Saturday night that came near resulting in the loss of life.
The parties were from Mississippi, were engage[d] in card playing
until a late hour and drinking freely-used their revolvers and
bowie knives. They think no more of shooting at each other than
the people North do of taking a round with the fist.
I got acquainted with a number of gentlemen
from the South, some merchants, others professional men. They
were extremely warm hearted. They consider the use of the revolver
as honorable a way of settling a dispute or punishing an insult
as any plan that can be adopted. The strong man has not there
the advantage. It is their education and they succeed in making
out quite a case in their favor. On going to bed last evening
we were in hopes to be on our way again before morning, as the
barge was still expected. Morning came, however, and we were still
at the levee in Louisville. My patience was exhausted. This was
the day we was to have been in Memphis, and now the Captain told
us it would take three to four days after the barge came to get
to Memphis. I went up town after breakfast and found I could take
the cars to St. Louis one dollar less than at Cincinnati. I returned
to the boat and the Captain refunded all of my passage money except
$2.50, so that it cost me only $1.50 extra to go by Louisville.
Many of the passengers left the boat as I did, while others remained.
I should have remained if I could have spared the time, as I never
was on a steamer where they lived as well as they did on the Memphis.
The boat is noted for the table it sets.
Friday, March 20
In St. Louis . . .
. . . Returning to my hotel, I had decided
to go back to Harriet's and stop a week or ten days, until the
ice was out of the river and I could get a passage to Omaha. With
this determination I went to bed.
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Beadle's story
is one of many featured in David L. Bristow's book, A Dirty,
Wicked Town: Tales of 19th Century Omaha (Caxton Press, 2000).
Learn more at www.davidbristow.com.
1857 diary of Nebraska pioneer Erastus F. Beadle (1821-1894).
All new material © 2000 by David L. Bristow. mailto:dlb@davidbristow.com.
