C. Wickliffe to Beriah Magoffin

KYR-0001-019-0115.xml

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Citation
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Accession Number

KYR-0001-019-0115

Document Genre

Correspondence

Repository

Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Collection

Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Military Correspondence, 1859-1862

Item Location

MG5-197 to MG5-198

Place of Creation

Blandville, Ballard County, Kentucky

Date of Creation

16 August 1861

Dates Mentioned

1861-08-16

1861-08-13

1861-08-05

C. Wickliffe to Beriah Magoffin, 16 August 1861, Office of the Governor, Beriah Magoffin: Governor's Official Correspondence File, Military Correspondence, 1859-1862, MG5-197 to MG5-198, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort, KY. Accessed via the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition, discovery.civilwargovernors.org/document/KYR-0001-019-0115, (accessed December 26, 2024).

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Blandville Augt. 16 1861
Sir

I received on yesterday your despatch of the 13^th Inst. directing me to report the facts connected with the seizure of the Steam Ferry Boat at the Head of Island N^o one in this county, by an armed party of U. S. soldiers.

I have investigated the ~~fact~~matter and the following may be relied on as a correct statement of the facts: on the 5^th of August a Regiment of U. S. Volunteers encamped at the Town of Norfolk Mo. opposite to Island N^o 1; on the next morning (the 6^th) about 7 or 8. oclock three soldiers with their Muskets crossed over in a skiff to the Kentucky shore where the Steam Ferry Boat Lucy M^cConnell was lying: they went to Mr Unsell's house some six hundred yards ^back^ from the landing and without making ^known^ there the object of their visit, called for their breakfast, which was prepared for them, and before seating themselves at the breakfast table, they stacked their Muskets close to the table at which they sat. Their conduct at the Table is represented by Mrs Unsell as rude and indecent. After geting their breakfast they left the house and shortly afterwards one of Unsell's negroes who was at work near the Landing went to his Master and reported that two of those soldiers had directed him to go and inform him, that they had come over after the Ferry
Boat; Unsell immediately went to the River and found the two soldiers at his Boat, who said to him they had been ordered over to get that Boat. They had started a fire in the Furnace and one of them commenced ~~navigating~~^loosing^ ~~the~~ one of the lines; he ordered the soldier not to untie the line saying to him that "they could not take the Boat" and gave them his reasons for refusing consent. Thereupon the two soldiers stationed themselves ~~on the~~ on the Bank of the River, fired off their Muskets and waved a hankerchief as a signal to the party on the Missouri shore. Soon after that an Officer and four men crossed over in a skiff, all armed, and immediately took forcible possession of the Boat. -- It is proper to remark here that one of the three that first came over had gone back in the skiff in which the three had come, for the purpose I presume of reporting any probable resistance to the seizure of the Boat. -- The Officer'^s party kindled up the fires in the furnace, placed one of their men at the engines and required Unsell to pilot the Boat to the Missouri shore where their Regiment was encamped. Three of the soldiers however, were left on the Kentucky shore and they shortly afterwards forced one of Unsell'^s negroes to get a skiff and row them across the River, which they done by threatening
to shoot him if he disobeyed them. One of them in a spirit of recklessness while on the Kentucky shore, deliberately aimed and fired his musket at Mr David White a citizen living on Island N^o 1, at a distance of some 250 or 300 yards, without any provocation and for no other supposable reason than to be practising his gun.

Unsell'^s Boat was in the employment of the Government Forces two days, when it was accidentally run on a log near the Missouri shore and is, I doubt not, a total loss to the owner. The land near the camp of that Regiment of soldiers, and I am reliably informed, she has been rifled of furniture and usful fixtures about the Cabin and Engine Room, and badly ridled with bullet holes through her planking, chimney & pipes.

I have also to report that on yesterday another violent seizure of a steamboat occured in the River opposite Island N^o 1. A party of seven men came up on horseback from Columbus night before the last, and remained in Fort Jefferson until about 11 oclock A. M. yesterday, at which time the Steam Boat Equality came down from Cairo and landed at the head of Island N^o 1: they soon after struck a bargain with the Master of the Boat to Ferry them across the River and land them on the Missouri shore; -- the Regiment of U. S. Volunteers
that had been encamped at Norfolk, having left during the night or early that morning; -- they and their horses were taken aboard, the Boat put out for the opposite shore, and when about the middle of the River she was turned down stream and has gone below. I presume that those passengers, after the Boat reached the Middle of the channel, took forcible possession of her. The above however are the facts of the case. I am informed that the Equality was owned in the State of Illinois and until recently was in the employment of the U. S. Government as a police Boat on the Ohio River --

Very Respectfully
yr obt. servt.
C. Wickliffe
Col. Bal. Co. M.

His excellency
Gov. Magoffin

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