“Extract of a letter from a gentleman of great respectability at Natchez.”

Date

2-10-1812

Newspaper

Wilson’s Knoxville Gazette

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 4

Newspaper Location

Knoxville, Tennessee

Serial Number

439

Abstract

Long felt report from Natchez that talks about the December 16, 1811 earthquake. mentions that Little Prairie had become an island and that damage was considerable on the river.

Transcript

Extract of a letter from a gentleman of great respectability at Natchez M. T. to his friend at Knoxville, dated January 7th, 1812. "I am pleased to hear that you are making exertions to shorten or facilitate the distance between your country and this by means of good roads and so forth; and it is to be hoped your efforts may be successful-I am informed that much may be done with but little comparative expense and the consequence to your state particularly will doubtless exceed the most sanguine expectations or calculations-should good roads be opened, and inland navigation, it would add much to the interest and welfare of Tennessee: more particularly of the advantages to be derived from interchange of property should invite the establishment of Steam-boats, &c. to facilitate the transportation of merchandize from your country to this and the sea-coast-it gives me pleasure to inform you, that our citizens had the satisfactions during the last weeks of seeing a Steam-boat of our landing, being the first of the kind on the waters of the Mississippi, and promises to answer well, having performed the voyage from Pittsburgh in two hundred and twenty nine hours (nine days five hours) counting the time only when under way-she sailed from this on the 5th instant with a large cargo of Cotton, and twenty passengers and calculates on returning here on the 26th of this month-This establishment will make an entire change. a new era in the trade on the Mississippi, much to the benefit of the settlers on the waters, as well as the community in general-She was a beautiful Boat, and said to be between three and four hundred tons burthen; well built and affording most comfortable accommodations, having a spacious, and indeed elegant cabin. It is believed from experiment, that she will sail about four miles an hour against the current of this father of rivers. The citizens of this place and its vicinity were considerably alarmed on the 16th and 17th of last month by the instability or rocking of our old planet, supposed to be occasioned by an earthquake----Boat men report considerable damage, at several places along the river, but particularly at New Madrid, and the Little Prarie settlement, about thirty miles lower down the river; the latter they say is now an Island, the country in the rear, having sunk to a considerable extent. We are all on tiptoe here, looking out for something from the seat of the national government bearing the character of the congregated custom of our country, and honorable to the station, America ought to hold among the patrons of the Earth. I hope every tongue may be eloquent in the matainance of our rights; that party animosities may subside, and that every heart and hand may be united, to convince the world that we are all Federalists, all Republicans," and ready to rally around and support our Independence, upon the broad basis of a dignified, and honorable neutrality-that our Eagles wings may be unpinioned, and carry her Olive branch to every quarter of the Globe; or land her new darts in efficient vengeance for every insult, or injustice committed against the persons, or property of Americans sailing under our flag, which ought to be our only passport where in honorable pursuits-for let me ask who should an American be obliged, like a slave to carry or pass or provision, when the country's flag is waving over his head 'tis disgusting, and I say let him when questioned by the minions of Tyrants, or despotism, point to our stars and stripes and sternly, and confidently reply, there is a projection which will be supported by the willing and united strength of seven millions-of Freemen"

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