Sam Clemens on the Mississippi: Day By Day

February 5 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child arrived in Cairo, and did not continue to St. Louis due to icy river conditions.

February 6 Saturday – The Pennsylvania, now repaired and refitted, left New Orleans with William Brown as pilot, George Ealer as co-pilot, John Simpson Klinefelter (1810-1885) as Captain. Sam had procured a job for Henry as “mud clerk,” so called because the job required leaping to shore in places where there was no pavement or dock. The job did not pay, but was a way to rise in the ranks. Henry Clemens was nineteen, and would make six trips with his brother Sam [Powers, MT A Life 84].

February 6 Wednesday – Sam was in Cairo, Illinois. He wrote his brother Orion and sister-in-law, Mary (Mollie) Clemens:

My Dear Brother:

February 8 Friday – The Alonzo Child left Cairo for New Orleans.

February  16 Monday – Sam boarded the packet Paul Jones (353 tons), on its way from Pittsburgh, for passage to New  Orleans, commanded by  Hiram K. Hazlett and piloted by Horace E. Bixby (1826-1912), and Jerry Mason [Branch,  “Bixby” 2]. Branch presents evidence for this date over Apr. 15.

January 1 Saturday – The Aleck Scott arrived in St. Louis.

January 10 Tuesday – A.B. Chambers left for St. Louis.

January 11 Tuesday – The Aleck Scott arrived in New Orleans.

January 11 Friday – The Alonzo Child arrived in St. Louis.

January 14 Thursday – Sam may have made the return trip on the New Falls City, an 880 ton side-wheeler freshly built that month, with Captain Montgomery. The licensed pilots at this time were Chauncy Cable and Zeb Leavenworth. Sam possibly offered his steering services in exchange for passage [MTL 1: 75].

January 14 Monday – The Alonzo Child left for New Orleans.

January 15 Saturday – The Aleck Scott left for St. Louis.

January 20 Wednesday – New Falls City arrived in New Orleans.

January 20 Friday – A.B. Chambers arrived in St. Louis.

January 21 Monday to March 30, 1861 – Ten letters signed by Quintus Curtius Snodgrass were published on various dates in the New Orleans Daily Crescent. Until 1964, most scholars attributed these letters to Sam. Alan Bates then presented an article showing that the dates penned and published would have precluded them from being Sam’s [Bates 31-7]. Could Sam have assigned them dates different than the day of composition? Or, are they, as Bates claims, “the tedious productions of an obscure newspaper reporter”?

January 24 Thursday – The Alonzo Child arrived in New Orleans

January 27 Thursday – The Aleck Scott arrived in St. Louis.

January 29 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child left for St. Louis.

January 4 Tuesday – The Aleck Scott left for New Orleans.

January 7 Saturday – A.B. Chambers arrived in New Orleans.

January 7 Monday – Brother Orion wrote Sam from Memphis. His letter of introduction to Samuel Taylor Glover (1813-1884) was intended to obtain a letter of introduction to Edward Bates (1793-1869), Lincoln’s attorney general. Orion hoped to get a government position to provide his family with a stable income and to pay debts We had a had a hearty laugh, as well as some of our acquaintances of the feminine gender (in my absence) heads of families, over your last letter. … I am greatly obliged to you for the Tri-weekly Republican till 1 st next April.

January 8 Tuesday – The Alonzo Child left Cairo for St. Louis.

July 1 Friday – J.C. Swon arrived in New Orleans

July 1–2 Monday – City of Memphis arrived in St. Louis.

July 10 Wednesday – The Polar Star Masonic Lodge Number Seventy-nine of St. Louis awarded Sam his third degree [Strong 88].