GOOD OLD BOAT HENRIETTA The article on this page was published in the Fayetteville Weekly Observer Fayetteville, North Carolina, Thurs. June 15, 1893 Transcribed by Myrtle Bridges October 7, 2022
Fayetteville, NC, June 7, 1893 I believe in my last I called a halt at our "Military Academy" of '31. After that memorable fire there were but few business houses left standing except on Hay street above the Wagon Yard where the fire stopped on Hay street. Some of the merchants went to Campbellton, Henry L. Jones, Jno. Waddill, Kenyon Morgan, and perhaps others that I do not now think of. The "Jackson Hotel," now occupied by Ingram, was the Lumsden residence in Campbellton, and was cut in two through the passage and brought up to where it now stands, half at a time, on timber wagons, ie. The main building. Small houses were moved from different parts of the town on to the streets for stores, and cheap buildings put up until they could do better. At that time one of our wealthiest and most successful merchants since then, was a clerk with Henry L. Jones, in Campbellton, the late Edmund J. Lilly. Mr. Jones was the father of Mrs. Ayers. He was one of the "Ruffle Shirt" aristocracy, a fine looking man, proud as a peacock. In those days our dry goods merchants were Irish or Scotch, in fact I might say the majority of our merchants were natives of some other country, mostly Scotch, such as David Shaw, Neill Shaw, Hugh Campbell, Donald McQueen, Hugh McLaurin, Jas. Kyle, Jno. McArn, Jno. McLaurin, Jno. Kelly, Michael McGary and many others. Now and then a Frenchman as Mons Perry, Morris Frances, &c., &c., who have all passed away years ago. It was said of Donald McQueen that he walked to New York to buy a stock of goods rather than go by stage coach, which was tedious, and took some two weeks to make the trip, which we now make in 24 hours. What a difference in time and expense. The goods were shipped to Wilmington, thence by the "Old Henrietta" and flat boats up the river for all the western and northwestern towns of our State and to Tennessee. Sugar came altogether in hhds(?), also molasses, all of which the up country brought by wagons, which thronged our streets from Haymount to the river-four and six horse teams of fine horses or mules. Of clear mornings you could hear the merry jingle of their bells along the road for miles. When you come to think that all the iron, nails, salt, coffee, sugar, molasses, dry goods &c., &c., had to be carried by these wagons to the different parts of the country, you perhaps of later days might wonder why it was done so? For the simple fact we could do no better. Somethwere about the year 1834 or 5 our townspeople conceived the idea of a railroad from the river to get goods to and from, instead of by wagons, &c. There were few or no drays at that time, mostly two, three and four horse wagons. A warehouse was built to receive the goods where the railroad commenced some fifty yards below the bridge. The schools, citizens, &c., turned out, marched to the river to break ground for a railroad, myself included. I recollect it was a warm day, and I did not throw much dirt, yet I had a hand in it. The road terminated about where the C.F. & Y.V. (Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley) crosses Hay street, or a little above. It was not a success, for the goods had to be carried to the warehouses of the different forwarding merchants, Chas. T. Haigh, E.W. Wilkings, Hall & Johnson and John Huske, and others. The car held about 25 bales of cotton, was drawn by one horse, and driven by a man by the name of Brown, and like some other enterprises we have had, was a great thing for a short while, but finally was found of little use, and played out. I must say something in regard to the good old boat, the "Henrietta", which for years brought our goods up the river. We had no whistles to announce the arrival or departure, but the people were advised of her coming by a cannon placed upon the hill which sent a stampede amongst the wagons to get there first, as first come first served. In the Spring and Fall the freights were very heavy, and the old craft would be loaded down so she could hardly turn her wheels, consequently took some time to make the trip. Her machinery was not quite up the the machinery of the present day, very common, cylinder boilers, below deck, single crank, and operated by lines, &c., from the upper deck. Yet it is strange that she made the quickest trip to Wilmington that has ever been made-in less than eight hours, and went as high up the river as Averasboro several times on high water. Her engine was put in by Henry Tawes, of Philadelphia, who ran her for some time. He finally went into business in Wilmington under the name and style of Tawes & Sutton, who carried on blacksmithing and general repair shops. The "Henrietta" was built here by Jos. Sewell. Made her first trip July 14, 1824, I think. She was named after Miss Henrietta Sewell, and was sunk during the last war somewhere near Southport. I, on one occasion, went as engineer, one trip, on a heavy freshet (after a heavy rain). Old "Jack Hammonds", the pilot, held the tiller. At the "Devil's Elbow" the river was running through the woods, and in a terrible whirl, old Jack said to me, "I'm afraid she will go in the woods. I'll hold her up the best I can, and when I sing out, crack it to her", but, alas! Old Jack could not hold her, and she went crashing into the trees like mad. She struck a large poplar, which set her back. Old Jack let go the helm to keep from being swept off by the limbs. Old Simon Hilsey, the cook, came running up on deck, and laid hold of the helm, at the same time denouncing old Jack for letting go of the helm. Finally we righted her up, and by hard work got out. We had some dozen passengers on board, I think Mrs. McGuire and Washington Rose's family and others. There was some little screaming going on about that time, as a gang-plank punched a hole in the cabin, but no one was hurt. On my return trip I had two or three flats heavy loaded, to tow, besides being down so low that the "old craft" with difficulty turned her wheels. It took some days to get the freight off the boats. I was glad when we made the landing, for we had been creeping along for days and nights, and we were all about worn out. That was about 1852, some forty years ago. Jas. Wilkinson acted as captain, Jno. Watson as mate and myself as engineer, as Capt Rush and Charles Hayes, engineer, were witnesses in court as the time. The river was full of rafts going to Wilmington on the "fresh." On the second a.m. of our up trip just before day, a large raft of timber with some barrels of turpentine came floating along diagonally across the river; I just kept headway on the boat to keep from going into the woods, at the same time Capt. Wilkinson was calling to the raftsmen to pull out of our way. On the front of the raft was a colored man, he pulled his end to the bank, which threw the other end across the river. On the hind part of the raft were two white men, and in response to the Captain told him to to to hell with his old steamboat, which roused his "scotch." He ordered old "Jack" to steer for the middle of the raft, and me to put on the steam, all of which we did. A big fire was blazing up on the raft about the middle. We went throught the raft, put out the fire and set things adrift. But, alas! everyone who, composed that crew have gone below, and I alone am on "deck" to tell the tale. Respectfully "Cadet of '31"
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