TS Calhoon’s Diary 1869
In 1869, Thomas S Calhoon was an owner and the captain of the str Sallie on its trip to Ft Benton in the Montana Territory. Capt Calhoon was also a shareholder in the str Ida Stockdale which was also running to Ft Benton that season. Two other packets from Georgetown, the Mollie Ebert and the Nick Wall, were in the mountain fleet bound for Ft Benton. Of the four Georgetown boats, only the Sallie docked at the levee in Ft Benton. The other packets ended their trips at Cow Island.
The following journal entries were taken from a photocopy of a translation of Thomas S Calhoon’s Diary 1869. [1] Most of May 1869 is missing. The original journal I have not seen, nor know where it is. The Heinz History Center research library has a typed copy which I assume was transcribed from the original by Harriet (Calhoon) Ewing. I have attempted to stay true to the copy.
Steamers identified during the 1869 season:
Mollie Ebert
Nick Wall
Tacony
E Labarge
Faragut
Arkansas
Colossal
Peter Balen
Huntsville l
St John
Andrew Ackley
Columbia
Tempest
Flirt
Ida Stockdale
Utah
War Eagle
Evening Star
Colorado
Minnie
Diary 1869
Fri, 01 Jan Loading Stmr Sallie for Louisville Rained hard all day River rising
Tue, 05 Jan Left Pittsburgh this AM with a mighty small trip
Wed, 06 Jan Arrived at Wheeling at 5 AM
Sun, 10 Jan In Louisville Went over the Falls at 4 PM to meet Stmr Dexter
Mon, 11 Jan Left Louisville for Pittsburgh
Wed, 13 Jan Left Cint for Pittsburgh at 4.15
Mon, 18 Jan Arrived at Pittsbg this AM at 4
Mon, 01 Feb Left Cint for Pittsbg at 4 PM
Fri, 12 Feb Left Pittsburgh for Louisville at 9 PM
Sat, 13 Feb Past Marietta at 4 PM
Sat, 13 Mar Stmr Sallie left Pittsbg 12.30 PM this day for Omaha City
Amt freight on the Omaha trip 5632.20
Passage 1323.35
6955.55
Mon, 15 Mar Arrived at Cincinnati at 3 PM Left at 6 PM
Tue, 16 Mar Arrived at Louisville at 5 AM Left at 11 AM
Wed, 17 Mar Arrived at Evansville at 5 AM Left at 6 ½ AM
Thu, 18 Mar Arrived at Cairo at 1 AM Left at 3 AM
Fri, 19 Mar Arrived in St Louis at 6 PM
Sat, 20 Mar In St Louis unloading
Sun, 21 Mar Left St Louis for Omaha 11 ½ AM Laid up at Dr Penns above St Charles at 10 PM Got 11 cords wood at 2.50
Mon, 22 Mar Left Dr Penns Wood Yard this Am 5 ½ oclock Laid at anchor below Smith Point all night
Tue, 23 Mar Left at 5 ½ Landed at Washington at 7 ½ AM
Wed, 24 Mar Laid up at Claysville for the night
Mon, 29 Mar Got aground below Leavenworth and had to be lighted Left Leavenworth at 8 PM
Tue, 30 Mar At Atchison Left at 8 AM St Jo at ? PM
Sat, 03 Apr Arrived at Omaha at 2 oclock this morning Left for St Louis at 11 ½ AM
Mon, 05 Apr Left Kansas City this morning
Tue, 06 Apr Landed in St Louis this evening at 7 ½ PM
Fri, 09 Apr In St Louis
Fri, 16 Apr In St Louis The Mollie Ebert left this PM at say 4 AM
Sat, 24 Jan Left St Louis this PM at 6 oclock for Fort Benton M T in company with the Nick Wall & Tacony Past St Charles at 2 ½ next morning AM Run all night
Sun, 25 Apr Past Augusta this morning 24 hours out to Herman Past Gasconade at supper Run all night
Mon, 26 Apr Past Providence at breakfast Took supper below Glasgow
Tue, 27 Apr Landed at Goodings at 3 ½ PM 70 hours out from St Louis
Wed, 28 Apr Landed at Kansas City at 7 ½ AM
Thu, 29 Apr Past St Joseph at 7 AM Run all night Rough night
Fri, 30 Apr Past Arago at 8 AM Past Brownsville at 2 ½ Past Sonora at 4 ½ PM
Sat, 01 May Stmr Nick Wall sunk this morning at one oclock opposite Wyoming
Fri, 11 Jun Stmr Sallie arrived here this morning at 6 ½ oclock 47 days out last night from St Louis
Sat, 12 Jun Left Fort Benton for Grand Island this morning
Sun, 13 Jun Met the Mollie Ebert at Cow Island Arkansas at Grand Island Left this PM Laid all night a Wook ldg
Mon, 14 Jun Past the Mollie Ebert & Arkansas this AM at Cow Island Got part over Dauphins and laid up for the night
Tue, 15 Jun Got over the rapids and left at 7 ½ AM Past the Colossal just above
Wed, 16 Jun Run all night Past the Coal Banks at 7 AM Raining
Thu, 17 Jun Arrived in Benton at one oclock this AM
Fri, 18 Jun In Fort Benton Raining this AM
Sat, 19 Jun In Benton Stmr Peter Balen arrived River rising Raining
Sun, 20 Jun Left Ft Benton at 4 PM Stmr Colossal arrived In port Peter Balen & Huntsville
Mon, 21 Jun Left Camp Cook this morning No wood until Grand Island Plenty then to Musselshell Took 28 cords @ 4.50 20 cords 5.00 below Musselshell Left Mollie Ebert at Musselshell
Tue, 22 Jun Left Powers Wood Yard at 2 this morning Met the St Johns & Ackley laid up below Very cold this morning Met Stmr Columbia at Lost Island Ida Stockdale above Ft Peck Tempest below Dry Fork
Wed, 23 Jun Met the Flirt at at Little Porcupine Saw Ida Stockdale frt pile above Spread Eagle Camp
Thu, 24 Jun Laid all night at the wood yd Met the Tacony above Little Muddy
Sallie 4 days 201/4 hours out to Yellowstone Met the Faragut & E Labarge below Yellowstone
Fri, 25 Jun Fine day Robt Chaney a passenger Died the PM and was buried at a wood yard above Fort Berthold
Sat, 26 Jun Past Ft Stevenson this AM Past the Sully at 9 AM at Knife River Submarine below Past Ft Rice at 6 PM
Sun, 27 Jun Lay all night at the wood yard with the Utah Met the Nick Wall at the Mouth of the Moreau this forenoon
Mon, 28 Jun Lay all night at the Scheyenne Agency with the Stmr Utah Met the Stmr War Eagle below Fort Thompson this evening
Tue, 29 Jun Laid up in the woods all night Past the Evening Star this AM above Neabriah Met the Ida at Bonhams Island
Wed, 30 Jun Lay all night above Bow River Got 47 cords wood @ 2.50 Past the Colorado below Vermillion Landed at Sioux City at 12 M Left at 3 Pm
Thu, 01 Jul Laid up in the woods all night Past Omaha at 12M
Fri, 02 Jul Lay all night at the Sonora Shute
Sat, 03 Jul Lay all night at Leavenworth Past the Minnie at Mo City
Sun, 04 Jul Rainy day We run all night
Tue, 13 Jul Laid the Sallie up this day at the arsenal Stmr Mollie Ebert arrived at 10 AM I left for home at 6:30 PM
Wed, 14 Jul On the train Arived in Pittsburg at 6.50 PM
Thu, 15 Jul In Pittsburgh Arrived at home on this PM
Fri, 16 Jul through Aug 17 At home in Georgetown
27 Jul At the Picnic
30 Jul Spent the day in Pittsbg
Sunday at Sunday School
16 Aug Spent the day in Pittsburgh
Wed, 18 Aug Going to Pittsburgh
Thu, 19 Aug In Pittsburgh getting the Stmr Baranquilla ready
Fri, 20 Aug In Pittsburgh The river fell 2 inches last night 2 ft in the channel
Sat, 21 Aug and Sun, 22 Aug In Pittsburgh
Mon, 23 Aug Left Pittsburgh for N. O. on Stmr Baranquilla
Tue, 24 Aug Got away from Glasshouse at 10 AM Past Georgetown at 5 PM Laid up above Wheeling
Wed, 25 Aug Coaled at Belmont Coal Works this AM Took 400 @ 6
Thu, 26 Aug Laid all night at Parkersburg Took 700 Bush of coal at 6
Fri, 27 Aug Run all night Took 600 Bushels of coal at Sheridan @ 8¢
Sat, 28 Aug Arrived at Cincinnati at 6 ½ this AM Left at 8 PM
Sun, 29 Aug Got to Madison this AM Got to Louisville at 6 ½ PM
Mon, 30 Aug Left foot of the canal at 3 this AM
Tue, 31 Aug French Island Got aground
Wed, 01 Sep Still aground at French Island Got off this PM
Thu, 02 Sep Landed at Paducah this evening
Fri, 03 Sep Lay all night taking on frt at Paducah Left Cairo for New Orleans at 4 ½ PM
Sat, 04 Sep Run all day Landed at Memphis at 9 PM
Sun, 05 Sep Run all last night & today Past Napolean tis PM at 3 1/2
Mon, 06 Sep Run all day Past Vicksburg at 1 PM Wooded at Rodney at 8 PM Took 6 cords at 2.75
Tue, 07 Sep Left Red River at 12 M
Wed, 08 Sep Arrived in New Orleans at 4 this AM
Thu, 09 Sep through Sat 11 Sep In New Orleans
Sun, 12 Sep Left New Orleans on the Stmr Olive Branch for St Louis at 2 oclock this AM
Mon, 13 Sep Left Natchez at 5 this morning Wooded opposite Rodney Past Vicksburg at 5 PM
Tue, 14 Sep Landed at Greenville this AM At Eunice this PM Good ash wood above at $3.50 Past White river tonight
Wed, 15 Sep Took coal at the foot of 62 and 63 at 11 AM Past Helena at 1 PM
Thu, 16 Sep Left Memphis at one this morning Randolph at 8 ½ AM Wooded at Fulton @ 9.45 Met the Ida Stockdale at Hales Point at 2 PM
Fri, 17 Sep Landed at Cairo this morning at 7 ½ Left Cairo on Ills Cent at 2.40
Sat, 18 Sep Arrived in Chicago at 7 ½ thtis AM Left for Pittsburgh at 8 AM
Sun, 19 Sep In Allegheny City
Mon, 20 Sep Arrived home this PM
Tue, 21 Sep Left to meet the Stmr Sallie at Wheeling
Wed, 22 Sep In Wheeling all day Weather hot 4 ½ ft water
Fri, 08 Oct Left Pittsburgh for Louisville
Sat, 09 Oct Aground in Glasshouse
Sun, 10 Oct Aground in Glasshouse
Mon, 11 Oct Still aground
Tue, 12 Oct Get off last night Aground in the Sisters
Wed, 13 Oct Get off the Sisters this PM & went on
Sat, 16 Oct Portsmouth this AM
Sun, 17 Oct In Cint
Mon, 18 Oct In Louisville
Tue, 19 Oct In Louisville Snowed hard today
Wed, 20 Oct Left Louisville at 7 PM
Thu, 21 Oct On our way to Cint
Fri, 22Oct In Cint Left for Pittsbg at 5 PM
Sat, 23 Oct Past Maysville at 5 AM Coaled at Hang Rock at 7 PM
Sun, 24 Oct Landed at Gallipolis at 5 AM At Buffington at 6 PM Here all night
Mon, 25 Oct Left Buffington at 5 AM Landed at Parkersburg at 12 M Left at 7 PM Got aground at Menelta three hours
Tue, 26 Oct Past Grand View at 7 AM Wheeling at 8 PM
Wed, 27 Oct Georgetown at 6 AM Pittsburgh 3 PM
Thu, 28 Oct In Pittsburgh
Fri, 29 Oct Left Pittsburgh for Cint at 12 M Laid at Rochester all night
Sat, 30 Oct Landed at Wheeling at 2 PM Left at 8 PM
Sun, 31 Oct Marietta at 6 AM Pomeroy 7 PM
Mon, 01 Nov Portsmouth at 9 AM
Tue, 02 Nov Left Cint for Louisville at 12 M
Wed, 03 Nov Landed at Louisville at 7 AM Left for Cint at 9 PM
Fri, 05 Nov Landed at Cincinnati this Am at 2 oclock Left Cint for Pgh at 9 PM
Sat, 06 Nov Past Ripley at 8 AM Past Portsmouth at 9 PM
Sun, 07 Nov Past Guyann at 10 AM
References.
[1] The Ewing Family Papers, Thomas S Calhoon’s Diary 1869, Box 5, Heinz history Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
Copyright © Francis W Nash
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