August 4 Wednesday – The shorter run from St. Louis to Memphis and back allowed Sam to stay closer to his family after the death of Henry and make weekly visits. The John H. Dickey (403 tons) left St. Louis on this date with Sam’s old friend Sam A. Bowen, pilot and Daniel J. Able (b.1825?) captain. Andrew Hoffman claims Bart Bowen got Sam the position as steersman with his brother Sam Bowen “in order to get Sam back on the river” [55].
Sam Clemens on the Mississippi: Day By Day
August 4 Saturday – The Arago Left Vicksburg for Cairo, Illinois.
August 5 Wednesday – Sam, cub pilot, was now under Zebulon “Zeb” Leavenworth (1830-1877) and/or Sobieski “Beck” Jolly (1831-1905) on the John J. Roe (691 tons). Bixby wanted to work the more lucrative Missouri and Sam had chosen to stay on the Mississippi run. The steamboat left St. Louis this date for New Orleans. It was a freighter and not allowed to carry passengers. Sam, about the Roe:
August 7 Saturday – The John H. Dickey left Memphis. In these runs there was either one-day layover or no layover. All departures were Wednesdays from St. Louis, Saturday from Memphis.
Left For the Amazon – New Orleans & Change of Plans – Bixby’s Influence - Official Cub Pilot – Learning the Big Muddy
1857 – Sometime during his stay in Keokuk Clemens saw Henry Clay Dean (1822-1887), eccentric philosopher who inspired Twain’s 1905 “The War Prayer.” In Ch. 57 of LM, Twain described Dean:
Dream River and Dream Laura – Disaster Forewarned – A Pounding in the Pilot House
Henry Dead from Pennsylvania Explosion – More Steamboats, More Work
Pilot’s License – Sgt. Fathom & Captain Isaiah Sellers
Running Aground and Heroism – Working the River
Pilot Skills on a 300-footer – The Unfettered life – Sam the Mason
Trouble Brewed – Fortune Teller – Orion Commissioned Secretary of Nevada Terr.
River Traffic Closed – Marion Ranger Fun – St. Jo Westward; Roughing It to Carson Mine Feet
Speculation – Aurora – Conflagration on Lake Tahoe
Humboldt and Mining Fever – “a small rude cabin” at Unionville
December 1 Saturday – The Alonzo Child arrived in New Orleans.
December 11 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child arrived in Cairo, Illinois, where it laid up until Jan. 8 1861 due to ice in the river.
December 13 Sunday – Sam was a steersman under Joseph Edward Montgomery (1817-1902) on the D.A. January, which left New Orleans on this date. The captain was Patrick Yore. Montgomery would later serve as a commodore of the Confederacy’s river fleet, which was destroyed in June 1862 at Memphis.
December 13 Monday – Sam and Horace Bixby left St. Louis on the Aleck Scott (709 tons) under Captain Robert A. Reilly. Sam remarked on the Aleck Scott:
December 17 Saturday – A.B. Chambers arrived in St. Louis.
December 20 Tuesday – A.B. Chambers left for New Orleans.
December 21 Tuesday– The Aleck Scott arrived in New Orleans.
December 22 Tuesday – D.A. January arrived in St. Louis.
December 22 or 23 Friday – The Chambers ran aground five miles south of Commerce, Mo., where the channel flowed between Power’s Island and Goose Island—a notorious trap. It was soon stuck hard with ice piling up around it. Out of wood, the captain ordered Sam and seven others to take a yawl and row up river to fetch a flatboat with wood. Sam’s judgment in directing the craft avoided certain death by any other course [MTL 1: 95n4]. (See this note for the full story as told by Grant Marsh, first mate.)
December 24 Friday – The Aleck Scott left New Orleans.
December 26 Wednesday – Sam petitioned to join the Polar Star Masonic Lodge Number Seventy-nine of St. Louis, the largest in the state. In so doing, he promised “to conform to all the ancient established usages and customs of the fraternity” [MTL 1: 106-7; Strong, 88]. Sam would rise to the level of Master Mason by July 10, 1861 [Jones 364].
December 29 Thursday – A.B. Chambers reached Cairo, Illinois.
December 31 Saturday – A.B. Chambers arrived in New Orleans.
December 4 Sunday – A.B. Chambers arrived in New Orleans.
December 4 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child left for St. Louis.
December 8 Wednesday – New Falls City arrived in St. Louis.
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