Congratulations to BAMBOOZLE for the FTF!
"The Mississippi is well worth reading about. It is not a commonplace river, but on the contrary is in all ways remarkable. Considering the Missouri its main branch, it is the longest river in the world--four thousand three hundred miles. It seems safe to say that it is also the crookedest river in the world, since in one part of its journey it uses up one thousand three hundred miles to cover the same ground that the crow would fly over in six hundred and seventy-five."
- Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi
In 1828, the wealthy landowner James Gentry offered a nineteen year old Indianan a job: to pilot a flatboat filled with pork, flour, meal, and potatoes to the port of New Orleans by way of the Mississippi River. This was in no way remarkable, except that the teenager in question was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln accepted Gentry's proposal and started work on a large flatboat. Gentry's son, Allen, agreed to come along for help in case of an emergency.
On April the 18th or 19th, Lincoln's approximately 1300 mile journey began, departing Rockport, Indiana via the Ohio River. The flatboat, made of course cut timbers, measured approximately 15′ by 40′, and a canopy or roof over whole or part of it provided protection for the crew and cargo. The boat was navigated by long paddles on each side called “broad horns.”
Their journey took them down the Ohio River to its confluence with the Mississippi, after which they passed a number of historic river towns: Memphis, Walnut Hills (Vicksburg), Rodney, Natchez, Fort Adams, Bayou Sara (St. Francisville), Baton Rouge, and Donaldsonville. The boat's speed in the slower current was approximately 4.75 mph, so they would travel around 66.5 miles during a day.
Each night, Abraham and Allen would tie up their boats and rest. Near the end of their long journey, they were docked near Madame Duchesne's convent (now the town of Convent, LA). There they were attacked by seven men who may have been runaway slaves seeking provisions. Lincoln and Gentry fought the stick bearing men fiercely, and at a critical moment, Gentry called out to Lincoln to get the guns and shoot. This caused the thieves to flee, although in fact there were no guns aboard the vessel. Both men were injured during the struggle, the most historically notable consequence being a scar over Abraham's right eyebrow.
When Lincoln and Gentry arrived in New Orleans, it represented Abraham's very first visit to a major American city. The date of arrival was most likely May 14th or 17th. Relative to 1828, the bank of the Mississippi River has shifted eastward a few blocks due to sediment deposition. Where Lincoln's flatboat tied up in 1828 is believed to be in an area of South Peters Street south of the Crescent City Connection (see the waypoint for approximate coordinates).
Abraham was permitted to either sell Gentry's cargo or trade it for cotton, tobacco, and sugar. New Orleans represented the largest slave market in America, and the "barrel pork" cargo from the flatboat was most likely used to feed slaves. There is still debate regarding Lincoln's personal opinion of slavery at this point in his life and the degree to which witnessing the slave trade in New Orleans affected him; however, many years later, reflecting upon the slaves that he had seen in chains, Lincoln remarked, “The site was a continual torment to me.” The men returned to Rockport, IN upstream by steamboat, a swift thirteen day to two week trip compared to their four week trip downstream.
Lincoln made a second flatboat trip to New Orleans in 1831, and without delving too much into the details of that journey, a notable instance of the young Lincoln's quick thinking is worth noting. Near the Sangamon River community of New Salem, Illinois, his flatboat became lodged on a mill dam, and water began to pour over the boat's low stern. The crew was unable to push the heavy boat over the dam, and feared that they would lose their cargo. Lincoln, acting quickly, bored a hole in the flatboat's bow and unloaded enough cargo from the rear of the boat to tilt it upward. As the water trapped on the boat's deck poured forward toward the bow, it drained through the hole. As a result, the flatboat, growing lighter as the water drained away, could then float over the dam.
For further details, we highly recommend the recent book by Tulane scholar Richard Campanella, "Lincoln in New Orleans: The 1828-1831 Flatboat Voyages and Their Place in History."