October 2 to 25 Tuesday – Sam stayed “at home awhile” in St. Louis until he learned that he was to pilot the A.B. Chambers [MTL 1: 95n4].
Sam Clemens on the Mississippi: Day By Day
October 20 Wednesday – The Dickey was laid up for repairs, so Sam and probably Sam Bowen and Captain Able, made the St. Louis to Memphis run on the White Cloud (345 tons).
October 20 Saturday – The Alonzo Child arrived in New Orleans
October 21 Sunday – The Alonzo Child left for St. Louis
October 22 Friday – Sam’s article was printed in the St. Louis Missouri Republican using the signature “C” [Branch, “Dickey” 199-200]. Note: MTPO Notes on Aug. 1, 1876 to Cist calls this “chatty river correspondence.”
October 23 Saturday – The White Cloud left Memphis.
October 24 Sunday – Sam’s article, “Memphis—The Cotton Trade—Illinois Politics—What Tennessee Thinks of Them,” was printed in the Memphis Daily Appeal [Branch, “Dickey” 201].
October 26 Monday – William M. Morrison arrived St. Louis.
October 26 Wednesday – Sam left for St. Louis as the pilot of the A.B. Chambers (410 tons), copilots James C. DeLancey and Will Bowen; Captain George W. Bowman.
October 28 Sunday – The Alonzo Child arrived in St. Louis.
October 30 Saturday – Sam left St. Louis on the New Falls City (880 tons; built in January of that year, the largest ship Sam served on. Sam took passage on the boat in January as well) Pilot Horace Bixby, Captain James B. Woods.
October 31 Wednesday – The Alonzo Child left for New Orleans.
October 5 Tuesday – The John H. Dickey arrived at St. Louis and unloaded 1006 bales of cotton, “the largest lot brought on any one boat this season” [Branch, “Dickey” 198].
October 6 Wednesday – The John H. Dickey left St. Louis.
October 6 Saturday – The Alonzo Child arrived in St. Louis.
October 9 Friday – Sam, cub pilot, now under Horace Bixby again with co-pilot, possibly Isaiah Sellers (1802-1864) on the William M. Morrison (662 tons). On this date the steamboat left St. Louis [Schmidt].
October 9 Saturday – The John H. Dickey left Memphis.
October 9 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child left for New Orleans.
Sam Clemens on the Mississippi
On February 16, 1857, Sam Clemens took passage from Cincinnati, Ohio on board the packet Paul Jones, piloted by Horace Bixby. Somewhere along the journey Bixby agreed to teach Sam to pilot a Mississippi River Boat. On March 4, 1857, they departed New Orleans on board the Colonel Crossman with Horace as pilot and Sam as his cub pilot. On May 4, 1859 Sam would be a pilot on the Alfred T. Lacey. By May of 1861 Sam's career as a pilot would end.
September 1 Wednesday – Sam’s article was printed in the St. Louis Missouri Democrat using the pen name “Rambler” [Branch, “Dickey” 196]. The John H. Dickey left St. Louis.
September 1 Thursday – The Edward J. Gray arrived New Orleans.
September 10 Thursday – John J. Roe arrived New Orleans.
September 11 Saturday – The John H. Dickey left Memphis.
September 12 Sunday – Heavy fog delayed the Dickey’s arrival in St. Louis [Branch, “Dickey” 198].
September 13 Tuesday – The Edward J. Gray left for New Orleans.
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