Rousters in this undated photo are doing the hard work necessary to keep a steamer operating. This photo is from the collection of my older brother George (3 minutes older) who graciously allowed me to copy his collection of Lee Line and other steamboat pictures he purchased in the early 1980’s.
This letter addressed to my grandfather belongs to my uncle Bayliss Lee.
The three gentlemen standing on the cotton bales are most likely Shelby Rees Lee, my grandfather, Robert E Lee and perhaps their brother James Lee III. The SADIE LEE is to their right and the HARRY LEE is in front of the SADIE. The colorized postcard below is almost identical to the above picture and it appears that several of the Rousters are in both pictures. These pictures most likely were taken sometime shortly after 1901 when my grandfather began working for the Lee Line.
The Lee Line did not go farther south than Vicksburg Mississippi which makes me suspicious that these pictures were not taken at New Orleans. Additionally steamboats landed upriver since controlled landings were easier going upriver than down bound. Memphis is on the east bank of the Mississippi as well as prevailing winds from the south west make me think this picture would have been taken at Vicksburg or Memphis since these steamers are landed starboard side and their smoke is blowing left to right.
The reverse of this postcard has the following description: “Loading cotton: Husky, singing Negroes handle these great bales of cotton as most people would handle bed pillows. On the great Mississippi river, packets and barges are piled high with the billowy white cotton, tightly encased in burlap wrappings.” There are no pictures showing rousters carrying cotton bales as if they were pillows. The Rousters pictured are carrying what appears to be perhaps 100 pound bags of cotton seed. Pictures of Rousters handling cotton bales show 2 or 3 men rolling bales of cotton across cobble stones or up the gang plank of steamboats. Stacking cotton bales on the decks of steamers would have required 3 or 4 men to lift and position 500 pound bales of cotton.
This postcard was postmarker October 26, 1914 at Memphis, it is one example of several different colorized cards which were taken from the previous black and white post of the JAMES LEE. The producer of the post card added several items not on the origional.
This picture of the JAMES LEE was widely reproduced as post cards. These postcards are often seen advertised by Ebay sellers for $6.00 to $15.00. I have several different postcards taken from this photograph which show various coloration additions to the black and white origional. Jim Lee
This ad is from the Memphis Polk 1904 directory. Of interest is the language letting the reader know that take home remedies were available for those who could not be inpatient. Also of interest is the language noting that the methods employed to cure the various maladies were scientific. The word scientific was often used in the 1800’s and early 1900’s to lend credibility to claims of superior ideas and methods which in modern times would be labeled as false advertising.
From the Mid-South Memories section of the Memphis Commercial Appeal November 13, 2011, the following was reported November 13, 1886, “The steamer Chickasaw commanded by Capt. E.C. Postal, has at this port with 1613 bales of cotton from the White River (Ark.), the largest shipment of that staple brought out of that stream for this port.”
This picture of the KATE belongs to Ed Provine who graciously allowed me to copy. Way’s Packet Directory 1848-1983 recorded the following “On June 29, 1917, the KATE was stranded at Helena Ark., on a falling river and remained high and dry until refloated by the John Eichleay Jr. Co., Pittsburg – this on Oct. 12, 1918.” In 1923 the name of the Line she ran under was changed to the Delta Line. In January 1924, Delta Line and the Lee Line consolidated becoming the Valley Line. Capt. Hicks as President. Peters Lee as manager.
KATE ADAMS named for the wife of Captain John D. Adams was a competitor of the Lee Line. This undated picture was most likely taken at a planters landing. The KATE was very similar in size to JAMES LEE
PAT CLEBURNE: Boat 4398 Way’s Packet Directory page 363. (Named after Confederate General). Side Wheel Packet, wood hull, built Cincinnati Ohio 1870. A fair sized boat, dimensions not at hand. Engines 20’s – 7 ft. Four boilers each 37” by 24 ft., two 14” flues. Built for the Memphis & White River Packet Co. She and ARKANSAS BELLE were partner boats and both came to the Evansville-Cairo trade owned by Evansville, Cairo and Memphis Steam Packet Co. In 1875 Capt. John Goff, master with Mat Williams clerk. On the down bound trip she was landing opposite Weston, Ky. May 17, 1876. The ARKANSAS BELLE came up and was landing alongside when the boilers of the PAT CLEBURNE exploded. Capt. Dick Fowler was in command at the time, asleep in the Texas, and was burned in the ensuing fire. The death toll was given as fourteen persons. A Banca boiler plug was later found melted. The snag boat E.A. WOODRUFF removed the wreck. Way’s makes no reference to the Lee Line concerning this boat.
General Patrick Royane Cleburne was born in Cork Ireland and emigrated to the United States in 1849. He settled in Helena Ark and enlisted in the Confederacy in 1861. Patrick Cleburne was one of two foreign born officiers to attain the rank of Major General in the Confederate armed forces. He was a skilled combat officier and distinguished himself during a number of battles. He died at the battle of Franklin Tenn November 30, 1864.