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Story Archives: Ouachita Expedition launched below Natchez in 1804
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Ouachita Expedition launched below Natchez in 1804
 When the keelboat docked at the mouth of St. Catherine's Creek along the Mississippi River about 15 miles south of Natchez in July of 1804, William Dunbar of Natchez scratched his head. He immediately worried that the vessel was too heavy and its draft too deep for his purposes.
The boat's designer -- Dr. George Hunter -- was a Philadelphia druggist appointed by President Thomas Jefferson to take part in what became known as the Ouachita River Expedition. This journey was one of four organized to explore the Louisiana Territory.
In late May 1804, Hunter and his teenage son arrived in Pittsburgh where Hunter supervised construction of the boat. Later, the two traversed the Ohio and Mississippi rivers onboard the craft, which was also loaded with some of the provisions needed by the expedition. While Hunter had experience on the frontier, he was not familiar with Southern waterways.
Before Hunter's arrival at Natchez, word that a band of Osage warriors was disrupting river traffic up the Arkansas led President Thomas Jefferson to suspend an excursion up that river. Jefferson suggested that Dunbar, a planter, surveyor and astronomer who resided at the Forest Plantation south of Natchez, look into sending a party up the Red. But that idea was dropped when Dunbar learned that the Spanish would oppose such an excursion because the Red flowed through Spanish possessions in Texas.
During this period of indecision, Dunbar sent Hunter to New Orleans where a commander at the U.S. Army garrison there was to further supply the boat and assign enlisted men and an officer as the military escort for the expedition. Dunbar instructed Hunter to make some modifications on the vessel and then return as quickly as possible with the full party.
By the time the boat docked for the second time at the mouth of St. Catherine's Creek, it was early fall and by then Dunbar had determined that he would lead the expedition up the Ouachita. In all the party consisted of 19 men.
THE BOAT: The "Chinese-stile" boat designed by Hunter was, according to his description, "made somewhat in the form of a ferry flat, with a mast fixed to strike occasionally, & provided with a large sail (24 ft. x 27 ft.), manned with 12 and a Sergeant." The boat "was 50 feet long & about 8 feet beam (wide) on deck at the mast (36 feet long) which was her extreme breathe, tapering to the stern. Had a cabbin abaft (rear) & a pavilion (large tent) amidships (middle) for the accommodation of the Officers & crew, with tarpaulins & curtains to keep off the weather.."
By comparison the boat used by Lewis & Clark for their journey up the Missouri was only five feet longer, eight feet wide at the center of the vessel, had a much shallower draft, and a mast four feet shorter than Hunter's boat.
Hunter's boat could be propelled either by oar, by sail or the use of poles. What Dunbar saw in the vessel was trouble. By autumn, the Mississippi and her tributaries would be at low stages, and Dunbar knew the boat would not maneuver well through shallow water, especially along the Ouachita north of present day Harrisonburg, where the first of several gravel-bottomed shoals existed.For the full story, subscribe to the The Concordia Sentinel's NEW E-Edition! |
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