Obit: J. W. Robertson; Bossier Parish, La.



Submitted by: Kay McMahan-Noska



Source: Bossier Banner News- Sept. 1871 





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~Drowned~ 



Mr. J.W. Robertson, a citizen of our village drowned in the channel of 

Bodcau Lake at Durden's Ferry the evening of the 5th. inst. Mrs. Newsome 

Andrew Durden (Becky Young Durden) , who resided in Bellevue, had died 

on that evening. Mr. Robertson left in a great hurry as a messenger of 

the fact to her husband, at his farm beyond the lake. Arriving at the 

ferry-which is a private one-he found the boat on the opposite shore. He 

called repeatedly, but could get no one to bring the boat over; 

wherefore, he resolved to swim after it. He stripped, plunged in and 

swam over to the boat; on raising his hand to seize the end, he failed 

to catch it and sank. He arose once or twice, but at last went down to 

arise no more alive. Several freedmen, who were fishing on this side of 

the channel, witnessed the whole. They say he seemed to swim with 

difficulty when first entering the bayou, and made a great deal of noise 

by splashing the water. The distance to swim was not great, being only 

some hundred feet. The casuality can only be accounted for, by supposing 

Mr. Robertson to have been a bad swimmer, and to have over exerted 

himself from previous excitement, or perhaps, from fear of the alligator 

gars, which are very numerous and large at that ferry. 

The freedmen sent a messenger of the fact to town , and several of our 

citizens went down. The body was recovered after being under water some 

two hours. There was no appearance of its being bitten or snagged. 

Mr. Robertson leaves a widow and two young children . He was much liked, 

and had no enemies among us. The whole community was shocked at his 

sudden death, and truly consoles with his widow, father and other 

relatives in their great bereavement. 

Mrs. Durden died after a lingering sickness of many months, but 

surrounded by sister, Nancy Young Strange, children: George Washington 

Durden, Mary Hannah, Lizzie, & Frances Durden, friends, and with all 

the ministry that can ease the conch of the dying. 

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