February 16, 1833 Archives - The Maximilian-Bodmer Expedition

Chapter Summary

Four-and-a-Half Months’ Stay in New Harmony

Description of the region – Natural history – Messrs. Say, Lesueur, and Owen – Hunting excursions in Indiana and Illinois – Wabash, Fox River – Illinois prairies – Albion – Black River – Mr. Bodmer’s trip to New Orleans

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February 16, 1833

In the morning, overcast sky, calm weather. At seven thirty, 1°R [34.3°F, 1.3°C]. Early in the morning, Mr. Bodmer immediately went out to hunt ducks but did not get anything. We worked at home. Mr. Bodmer worked on the interesting sketches he had brought back. He brought me the following table of distances between Louisville and New Orleans:

	miles
From Louisville to Brandenburg [Kentucky]	40
From Brandenburg to Leavenworth [Indiana]	20
From Leavenworth to Stephensport [Kentucky] and Rome [Indiana]	40
To Cloverport [Kentucky]	10
To Hawesville [Kentucky]	20
To Troy [Indiana]	5
To Rockport [Indiana]	15
To Owensboro or Yellow Banks [Kentucky]	10
To Sprinklesburgh [Indiana]	20
To Evansville [Indiana]	20
To Henderson [Kentucky]	12
To Mount Vernon [Indiana]	25
To mouth of Highland Creek [Kentucky]	10
To Raleigh [Kentucky]	12
To Shawneetown [Illinois]	6
To Ford’s Ferry [Kentucky]	20
To Golconda [Illinois]	27
To Smithland [Kentucky]	18
To Paducah [Kentucky]	12
To Trinity [Illinois]	48
To mouth of Ohio	6
To Columbia or Iron Banks [Columbus, Kentucky]	22
To Mills Point [Kentucky]	35
To New Madrid [Missouri]	18
To Fulton [Tennessee]	85
To Randolph [Tennessee]	6
To Memphis [Tennessee]	59
To Helena [Arkansas]	85
To mouth of White River	80
To mouth of Arkansas	22
To Point Chicot [Arkansas]	65
To Lacona, or Lake Landing	20
To Lake Washington [Mississippi]	20
To Lake Providence [Louisiana]	35
To Vicksburg [Mississippi]	65
To Warrenton [Mississippi]	10
To Grand Gulf [Mississippi]	40
To Bruinsburg [Mississippi]	10
To Rodney, or Petit Gulf [Mississippi]	10
To Natchez [Mississippi]	40
To Hutchins Landing	21
To Fort Adams [Mississippi]	34
To mouth of Red River [Louisiana]	20
To St. Francisville or Bayou Sara [Louisiana]	60
To Baton Rouge [Louisiana]	30
To Plaquemine [Louisiana]	20
To Donaldsonville or La Fourche [Louisiana]	35
To New Orleans [Louisiana]	80
Total	1,413

At twelve noon, 5°R [43.3°F, 6.3°C]. Paid a visit in the afternoon to Messrs. Lesueur and Say to show them Mr. Bodmer’s new sketches. Worked at home in the afternoon. We began packing our animals. Toward evening a sizable group of backwoodsmen on horseback arrived in front of our house and made a frightful row. They were mostly drunk and continued drinking. The whiskey or brandy bottle made the rounds again each time a new person arrived. They forced their horses around in every conceivable way, mistreated them, rode around on a sleigh they found in front of the house, and shouted at the top of their lungs, whereby they incessantly yelled “Goddamn.” This evening Mr. Bodmer was at Mr. Owen’s. During the evening, Dreidoppel returned from an afternoon excursion but brought nothing back. In the evening we worked at home.