History: Red River; Caddo Par., Louisiana Source: From Chronicles of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, Maude Hearn O'Pry, 1928, Submitted by: Kay Thompson Brown Date: Oct 1999 ************************************************ FULL COPYRIGHT NOTICE ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***** http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm *********************************************** RED RIVER Red River of the South is the fourth in length of navigation and commercial importance in the United States. It is the southernmost of the tributaries of the Mississippi and has a drainage basin of 89,970 square miles. It follows an easterly course between Texas and Oklahoma, enters Arkansas, and, cutting off the southwestern corner of that state, flows southeasterly through Louisiana until it reaches the Mississippi. Its volume poured into this river is greater than that of any other south of the Missouri. It covers a distance of 1,600 miles from its beginning in the Llano Estacado, or Staked Plains of Texas to its junction with the Mississippi and is navigable about 1,000 miles, Those who have seen the river only in Louisiana can form no idea of the wild and picturesque scenery a mist which its waters take their rise. At an elevation of 2,400 feet above the sea level, its waters rush through steep banks of from 5,000 to 6,000 feet forming a canyon for 100 miles, Where it enters the Mississippi it is about 341 miles above the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In olden days the Red River entered the Gulf through the Atchafalaya River. The fall in the first 600 miles is 2,208 feet and in the lower 600 miles, 188 feet. IN SHREVEPORT Elevation of the river gauge 131 feet above the sea level. Elevation in Post Office yard is 199.8 feet, Flood stage of Red River is 39 feet. The. width of Red River at Shreveport when full is 1,360 feet, while at Alexandria it is 726 feet wide, and up to this point a minimum depth of three feet may be depended upon, but steamers of four feet draught can ascend to Shreveport, as shown in the history of navigation. Many of the lighter craft of the old river were 18 inches and even 11 inches draught. WATER FRONT. In the olden days Red River was said to be as crooked as a ram's horn, but today our vernacular would express it, "a loop-the-- loop river," which gives it many times the river front of its direct route, and to maintain so extensive a coast from overflow has been a great undertaking-yet unaccomplished. Its river front is 183 miles, The history of the Great Raft is given under a separate chapter. Since 1873 the Government keeps the debris removed as fast as it accumulates. In 1894 the water route from Shreveport to Jefferson, Texas, through the lakes was reported navigable seven months of the year from the early part of November till June. LAKES AND BAYOUS For over a hundred miles a chain of lakes extend from Shreveport which are erroneously called Caddo. Those forming this chain are: Caddo, Swan, Sodo (should be Soto), Ferry, Clear and Roberta.(*1) It was through these lakes that steamers plied to Jefferson. Black Bayou drains, with its many branches, the northwestern portion of the parish running through an immense ypress brake, and, after connecting with Red Bayou through Sewell's Canal, pours its waters into Clear Lake. Red Bayou is navigable its entire length; Dooley's Bayou for many miles, Black Bayou to Sewell's Canal and a few miles above, until it reaches an impenetrable cypress forest. Many of the other bayous are navigable for flatboats, and in high water afford passage for cotton and a raft of timber. THE COLOR AND MANNERS OF RED RIVER. Its color is crystal in some places, grayish in others, but as it passes through the Louisiana red clay, is blood red. During flood tide it has reached 45.9 reet above low tide which is the highest ever known, in August, 1849. The uplands of Red River Parish form the divide between the Grand Bayou of Black Lake and Red River. Here the river flows through a narrow channel cut through solid blue and red clays to a depth of 40 feet. Not for years has it been on such a rampage as it has this year, May, 1927. In The early part of May, 1890, Red River passed the highest mark since 1849 when the country from Fulton, Arkansas, down, was flooded and the lower streets of Shreveport were also inundated. Further flood data LEVEES AND RIVER PROTECTION. On the Bossier side of the river a levee was constructed from the Cotton Belt Railroad to the old fortification, several miles up the river and the levees up to Benton were strengthened. A 300 foot break in the Ardley levee occurred, and Hart's Island was overflowed. The Fifty-first Congress was the first to undertake levee protection. The Fifty-second made an appropriation for protecting the country from overflow. EXPLORERS OF RED RIVER DeSoto, in 1542 arrived at the mouth of Red River where he died a few days later. According to a Spanish map, he wandered around in the neighborhood of what is now Fulton, Ark., in the forests, lost for one year. Certain it is that many articles of Spanish origin have been found in recent years, such as chased bands of silver worn by the Caddo Indians, lances, broken spears etc., strong circumstantial evidence that he was in this region. DeSoto's successor, Muscosa Alvarado, who seems to have been the first boat builder on Red River, built a number of brigantines in which he hoped to reach Havana. The next to come, or rather who was in the Hernando DeSoto party, was Zagal DeSoto, who died in the lake region above Shreveport. In 1544 Pere Andrew de mobs visited the Indians on Red River; then Father Membre in 1682; Vicar Gen. de Montogn in 1698 founded a church among the Tensas Indians at which time Father Davion was there as a missionary, and in 1700 St. Denys explored the Red River for more than 1,000 miles; in 1713 he presided at the Natchitoches post after its establishment. THE FALLS At Alexandria the falls were the source of great delay and expense to the boats that plied Red River. During the summer months when the water was low, freights and passengers had to be transferred to lighter hosts for Shreveport. Several attempts were made to remove the falls before they were blasted out successfully. FIRST BOATS ON RED RIVER~KEEL BOATS- The Concord, commanded by Capt. Hildredth and the Indian, lay in Shreveport one month in 1840, awaiting the opening of the river in order to pass up to Ft. Towson, four miles northeast of Red -River and east of Kiametia, Port Caddo being the landing. No doubt these were the first freight boats coming from Cincinnati to pass up into the Indian Nation. After Capt. Shreve in 1832-41, Thomas Taylor Williamson in 1842-47 and Fuller In 1850-1857,(*3) nothing was done to improve the river navigation until 1872. The Indians in their treaty had stipulated that Red River should be kept open from its mouth to the Indian Reservation. And, while the Government had never been over nice in its compliance with treaty promises, it now did so. Major Howell was placed in charge with a $50,000 appropriation and an unexpired balance of $10,000. Lieut. Woodruff was put in charge of the snaghost Aid, three crane boats and a transport. There were scarcely more than 12 miles of raft at this time, but in places it was so compact a mass of logs, mud and decayed timber that groves of trees a foot thick bad grown up in mid-channel. Maj. Woodruff manufactured nitro-glycerine to use in blowing out logs. Maj. Woodruff was a very conscientious man, but before his work was completed, he gave up his life in the yellow fever epidemic. He left his camp some miles above the city and came down to proffer his services In nursing the sick. Being a native of the North, the task was all the more hazardous for him and he sacrificed his life for others. An effort was made to secure his mother a pension hut the Government was not convinced that he "actually died at his post." The Government steamer, Florence, was stationed here from the completion of the opening of the river. The Government failed to keep the Red River and the Lakes navigable, so different companies were formed from time to time to improve navigation and thus lower freights and build up trade. Below are givein a few who made attempts at this improvement. LOUISIANA LAKE AND BAYOU NAVIGATION COMPANY South- Western "Messrs. N. D. Ellis of Texas, C. M. Hervey of Arkansas, John Hamiter of Louisiana, John M. Landrum and Dr. T. P. Hotchkiss of Shreveport organized this Company under an act of Legislature of 1854. The object of this company was to construct a navigable passage for steamers and other boats around the Red River Raft and keeping it free from obstructions. The capital of this company was fixed at $25,000, all of which is in their hands. Col. C. M. Hervey was elected president; Jno. Hamiter, vice president; and John M. Landrum, secretary." * * *"In 1854, Dr. T. P Hotchkiss was granted a charter for the purpose of rendering navigable a route from the mouth of Mack's bayou to Strange'sFerry, on to Bodceau, a distance of 70 miles with a privilege of extending for a period of fifteen years such tonnage as might be fixed by the Police Jury of this Parish, provided said work be completed by the first of August 1868. The results of this undertaking are of the first importance to Shreveport as well as to this parish. Everyone perceives the increase of trade which forces itself upon Shreveport, the facilities and advantages which would accrue to us, the great increase of the value of, and along the route and indeed, generally, throughout the parish, for everyone will have a market; instead of hauling we ship; in lieu of being waterbound for months we do justice to nature by availing ourselves of the benefits that she thrusts upon us."-South- Western. * * *"In less than three weeks this year, 1855, seven boats sank from snags involving a loss of more than a million dollars. Were all the magnificent boats which have been sunk within the last twelve months afloat with their cargoes that have been torn to fragments by snags, old stumps and sunken logs in the Mississippi and lower Red, they would form a fleet sufficient to convey an army to Crimea with provisions to supply it on its passage. Yet things must continue." The most dreadful accident recorded on Red River was the burning of the "Mittie Stevens" in 1869. List of wrecks in Shreveport waters-or near Cross Bayou, Old River, Lakes and Cypress Bayou: Woodman, Ruby, Stella, sunk; Grand Duke, burnt at Shreveport; Flavilla, sunk in Cross Bayou; Monterey, sunk in Old River; Snagboat, sunk at Hanlon's; Seven-up, sunk in Seven Mile Bayou; Old Barge, Union, Jos. Holder and Marion, sunk at Albany; Osage, sunk in Soto Lake. In 1878, 'a man who had steamboated on every navigable river from the Chattahooche to the Missouri and Monongahela, expressed the opinion that very little would be required to make good high water navigation through Bayou Pierre. Thousands upon thousands of acres between the Red River and Bayou Pierre "are worthless to the planter because of annual overflow. Nature has placed a chain of lakes along the Western bills to act as reservoirs for the surplus water coming down Red River and it needs but the hand of science and intelligence to direct that water into those reservoirs. The land which is now the haunts of alligators would be reclaimed and made to "blossom as the rose." "This man said he believed that this would be done at no distant day and "thesooner the work is begun the sooner we reap the benefits," * * *"The Red River Navigation Bill in the Senate was called up by Mr. Ray to provide for the improvement of Red River. It had been returned from the House with an amendment striking out the names of Rep. John C. Elstner and L. E. Carter and inserted in their places, the names of W. S. Mudgett, Chas. W. Keating and M. H. Crowell---the lot were Carpetbaggers and Mudgett chief of the scalawags. Thus it was poor Louisiana had to fight for her rights and against handicaps such as no other state, unless South Carolina he excepted, encountered." RED RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES, JAN. 17, 1866. Shreveport has many substantial business houses with taste and comfort blended. Many houses have, in each, goods to the amount of $20,000. Griffin opened in June with that amount. Phelps & Company have disposed of an immense amount of staple goods. Should there be but little cotton coming to Shreveport, by spring there is for market wool, beef and wheat; these, with the large amounts received for cotton, will keep up the circulating medium. Factories will be established in Shreveport which, with large improvements next year, will keep a good trade. The Verandah Hotel has comfortable rooms and a good table and liberally patronized. Shreveport will always remain the second city in the state. The railroad to Marshall, Texas, will be finished by May. On this route country houses will be built in great numbers next spring. Forest trees line this route. Passing down the river, Coushatta Chute is the landing for the pleasant village of Springhill, around which are many beautiful country homes. This landing is used by planters for forty miles into the interior. Campte burned in the spring campaign of 1864, by the Federal army, is nothing left but chimneys; a few houses are going up; a small business will be resumed soon. Grand Ecore, the landing for Natchitoches and the country extending into Texas 150 miles, was most burned by the same army. For miles around it are fortifications, die Federal army was kept on the alert by Confederate cavalry while fortifying. Seeing the immense work, no one can doubt the power of the Federal army, for shot and sh&l were pouring on those fortifying. Natchitoches, four miles from the new on Red River, is a place of beauty. More than half the people are French, well-educated. Their society is very pleasant. The residences are embowered in shrubbery. The Convent and St. Joseph's College are under the immediate supervision of Bishop Martin, who resides here. His grounds are covered with the choicest flowers; his quiet home is perfumed all the year with fragrant flowers. I have known him a quarter of a century. His purity of character, with his highly cultivated taste, have done a great deal here (as in the place where I knew him in 1840) to cast abroad a high standard of moral and general intelligence. This place is having a trade going far into Texas. Montgomery, a few miles below, has a country and position to make a place of interest and size. Considerable cotton is shipped there. Alexandria, below the falls, is famed in coming history where the Federal fleet grounded. Sugar houses were razed to the ground--the material in vast piles was placed in the river to form a narrow channel. Alexandria shows the "horrors of war" over a space of more than a quarter of a mile square, nothing remains but the chimneys of large state houses. Tasteful dwellings enveloped in choicest shrubbery before A. S. Smith put the thousand firebrands to those houses of comfort. The court house, the churches, and the Masonic Temple went in the terrible conflagration. Much energy is manifest in the South. The people are coming out of the blackened heaps, and fast removing the vestiges of war. Several store rooms have gone up and now have in their full stores. The fortifications here erected last fall and winter, are quite formidable, they loomed up too late. Pineville, opposite Alexandria, is again doing a good trade. For three miles out in the pine woods, the space is occupied by the three full regiments ofnegro soldiers, quite as useless as the pines themselves in keeping order, for the people of the country need no negro soldiers to lead them to duty. Three miles from Alexandria, in the hills in unequaled beauty, is the pure white edifice known as the Louisiana State Seminary. There are 76 rooms, the halls are large; all the chambers and study rooms are well ventilated. The institution has Prof. Boyd as superintendent (filling with ability the place occupied by Sherman at the beginning of the war) , with the most competent professors. Here the greatest advantages are presented to boys and young men. All rise at 5 o'clock, study 1 « hours before breakfast, 6 hours more during the day, and two hours at night. This is second to no school in Louisiana or Texas. Ft. DeRussey, where much labor was performed, answered one good purpose~giving the Confederate authorities time to move more supplies from Alexandria and save a train from capture. The obstructions in the river were mostly removed by the spring current. The first day in Red River having a warm sun, alligators were basking in it, many of them 15 and 20 feet long. They were fired on and beat a hasty retreat into the river, often severely wounded. Red River, its towns, and landings, have a bright future. Those wishing places of permanent business, Alexandria, Natchitoches, Shreveport and Jefferson will meet their expectations."- (N. 0.Times, 1866, Jan.). WHAT RED AND CANE RIVERS HAVE BEEN CALLED. Rigolet du Bon Dieu was the early name for the Cane River and Red River was also called Rivuere Rouge. * * *1882 a new appropriation was won by Congressman Blanchard of $85,000 and $25,000 balance of a former appropriation, Red River. * * *Appropriation for Cypress Bayou and other improvements were made in 1882. *********************************************************************** NOTES *1: Coxe in 1712 referred to the river Natchitoches which was quite probably the Red. He says: "Ten or twelve leagues higher up on the west side (of the Mississippi) is the river Natchitok which has a course of many hundred miles; sod, after it has ascended about one hundred miles, there are many springs, pitts, and lakes which afford most excellent common salt in great plenty wherewith the Indians trade with the neighboring natives for other commodities they want. Upon the river inhabit, not only the Natchitok. Natughteerrs, Natscohocks, but several other natives. *2: Bayou-corruption of the French word meaning "long soil harrow," or the Choctaw Indian word, "bayone," meaning stream. *3: Congress did nothing again until 1850, when another appropriation was made of $100,000 and Capt. Fuller, U. S. B. C., was placed in charge of the work. Instead of cutting out the twelve miles or so of raft, he contented himself with cutting canals at the head and foot of Dutch John's Lake, and sundry work on Dooley's Bayou, hoping to throw the water into Soto Lake. It was whispered that a wealthy planter, James B. Gilmer, either feared his interests would be injured by the removal of the raft, or was hostile to Shreveport, so Gilmer seduced Capt. Fuller from his duty. This fiasco seemed to have disgusted the Government and it did nothing more until 1872. The first boat did not pass through the water after Representative White's appropriation was secured for straightening out he river at Scopinis. The first boat to pass thorough this cut was the Rinaldo, Capt. Phelps, in 1862.