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Aboard a ship on the flooding Mississip

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 200.00 USD
Aboard a ship on the flooding Mississip
Aboard a ship on the flooding Mississippi River. Letter, Mar. 22-23, 1874, 2 -1/4 pp., during "the hardest trip in 20 or 25 years running the river," as the Captain stated. J.W. Edger writes to his children from steamer Thomas Sherlock of the hazardous journey starting 115 miles above Vicksburg. "The river is too high for safe boating...In many places it has broke through...Some places it is running over and it has flooded the country for miles back...the water up to the eave of the houses...If I had known I would go to Texas via railroad...Too much danger." In one paragraph, Edger describes the ship going off course, the Captain unable to control it, as "he hollered to us to run to our families as the boat was going. If the boat had hit the bank instead of a large tree, it would have split in the middle." Discusses prospects of buying a farm, prices having dropped drastically. A plantation costing $40 per acre "before the rebellion" now going for $2 plus taxes. "The people will never be able to pay the present tax. This nigero [sic] rule is bound to ruin this country." Very fine. With original cover, Vicksburg postmark Mar. 23, "Thos. Sherlock" cornercard (some soiling), photo of ship, and fine real-photo postcard of Edger in his office in Marion, Indiana.