Day 82 - Riding the Wind to Natchez

Seeing a bit of this eccentric town

Day 82: Bondurant Towhead → Natchez, MS

Date: September 28th, 2022

LRM 395 → LRM 364

Distance today: 31 miles

River Time: 7 hours

Countdown to Baton Rouge, LA: 135 miles

Local Gauge: 14.0 Natchez Gauge

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Today I set my sights on Natchez, MS. From what I’d read and heard, Natchez is a very eccentric town that sometimes sticks out like a sore thumb next to the rest of Mississippi. Natchez likes to hang out with New Orleans more, apparently.

Natchez sits on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi. The town is built on the River, and it’s one of the few places the channel has not changed course in the last 300 years, so the town it still right on the water.

I left not too long after sunrise, with the happy thought in my head that I would have a tailwind today! Hurricane Ian is not giving me any rain here, but it is giving me winds out of the north for the next few days, which is great news for paddlers!

Early in the morning I passed a dead catfish — a huge one at that. It had to be over 50 pounds. Shortly after, I passed the largest barge I’ve seen thus far on this trip. The tow was pushing 8x8 for a total of 64 barge containers! That is impressive on a normal day, but especially so when the River is lower and narrower.

Not only that, but the pilot was pushing empty barges, so they caught the wind more, which can sometimes pose a challenge for the tows. As usual, he was ecstatic to learn that I carry a marine radio. I told him my plans, so he didn’t have to guess what I’d do.

Natchez, MS

After a floating lunch, I rounded the bend and saw Natchez in the distance. It was still almost ten miles away, but the bluffs and buildings were visible from a long way out. As I was paddling along, the wind kept picking up and soon was howling. It was nice to have it at my back, but it became too much of a good thing, and it was a challenge to keep my boat pointed in the right direction. The wind kept wanting to push my stern out of alignment.

Needless to say, I was extremely relieved when I pulled up to the Natchez boat ramp and got off the water. Waiting to resupply me with water was the local River Angel, Peggy. This was initially supposed to be a fly-by water resupply, but given the conditions, I decided to end my day here.

While Peggy and I were chatting, out of the woodwork came another long-distance paddler! It was so good to see fellow river rats and just chat about our trips and dreams for a while. It’s not too often that one crosses another paddler, so we always swap stories rapid-fire, then carry on our ways.

Dave began his trip at Three Forks, Montana, and is going to reach the Gulf via the Atchafalaya. It was useful to share tips and tricks that we’ve learned over our months on rivers this summer!

River Angel Peggy

Through Paddler Dave

Natchez is very grandiose, and is well known for its antebellum mansions. Houses try to one-up each other with grandeur. I got to see a few of these homes and take some photos. Some of them are high on the bluffs with fantastic views of the Mighty Mississippi.

The view from atop the Natchez Loess Bluffs

The Under-The-Hill Saloon

There is a notorious saloon in Natchez called the Under-the-Hill Saloon. This seedy spot welcomed a lot of sketchy characters during the time when cotton was king and Natchez was filthy rich.

It’s called Under-the-Hill because although it is far off the water, there is still a lot of bluff towering above it. I got a chance to visit the saloon and have a beer there after my paddle today. That hit the spot!

One seedy character who frequented Natchez area and this saloon was Jim Bowie. The name behind the Bowie knife. Just north of the saloon, on Giles Island is where the encounter took place that birthed the legend of the Bowie knife. Giles Island doesn’t exist anymore — not in the same way, anyway — but the saloon remains. As I, too, carry a Bowie knife on this trip, I found it particularly interesting. The following is an excerpt from RiverGator:

The Sandbar Fight or The Wells-Maddox Duel

On the September 19th 1827, just 10 years after Mississippi was granted statehood, one of America’s mythic frontier figures was shaped. Jim Bowie, and his legendary blade, were engaged in a melee just a few miles north of Natchez Mississippi in an area now known as Giles Island.

The event itself was centered around 2 individuals from the Alexandria LA area, Samuel L. Wells and Dr. Thomas H. Maddox.  Wells and Maddox, both prominent members of the Alexandria community, had a prior beef concerning honor disparaging comments made by Maddox towards Wells’ daughter. As matters of honor went in that day, differences could only be settled in the gentlemanly sport of dueling.

As dueling had been outlawed in both Louisiana and Mississippi, the party agreed to meet on the first sandbar north of Natchez to settle their dispute, the thinking being that the sandbar was neither Mississippi nor Louisiana.  Preparations were made, seconds were called and witnesses gathered. The respective parties left Alexandria to meet up in Natchez.

The Wells party consisted of his second, Jim Bowie, Major George McWhorter, General Samuel Cuny and several others. Maddox was seconded by Judge R.A. Crane, with Major Norris Wright, Carey and Alfred Blanchard as witnesses. Behind the scenes there were simmering tensions between General Cuny and Judge Crane as well as between Major Norris Wright and Jim Bowie for some past transgression left unsettled.

When the duel began Wells and Maddox squared off, fired shots at each other, both missing. A custom of the day required, a second pair of pistols were produced and fired. Again, Wells and Maddox missing. At this point in the duel, it was common to call the matter settled, have a drink and get on with things. As Wells and Maddox made off to the tree line to have a drink, Bowie walked forward to greet them.  

About this time General Cuny decided that he and Judge Crane should attempt to resolve past differences with a pistol. Crane, being a bit quicker than Cuny, fired his pistol, missing Cuny and striking Bowie in the thigh, knocking him to the ground. Crane fired from a second pistol as Cuny fired at Crane. Crane’s shot stuck Cuny, leaving him dying in the sand, Cunys’ shot causing minor injuries to Crane.

It was at this point that Bowie picked himself up, charged Judge Crane, only to be smashed in the head by Crane with a pistol. It was at this point that Major Wright entered the fray, shooting Bowie in the arm and then attempting to stab Bowie in the chest with his sword cane. Wright’s sword stroke failed to pierce Bowie, becoming lodged in his sternum. Bowie then grabbed Wright, shoving his knife into Wright’s belly, dispatching the Major. Bowie was then rushed by the Blanchard brothers, both firing pistols, one shot striking Bowie in the arm. Mr. Bowie then cleaved a sizable chunk out of Alfred Blanchard’s forearm. As the Blanchard brothers turned to run, one of Mr. Bowies party fired and hit Carey Blanchard. At this point the melee concluded.

Major Norris Wright and General Samuel Cuny lay dead. Alfred and Carey Blanchard, Col. Crain and Jim Bowie all suffering wounds, with Bowies being the most grievous. Jim Bowie survived 2 gunshots, 1 stab wound and a pistol blow to the face.  Crain helped carry Bowie away, with Bowie recorded as having thanked him, saying, "Col. Crain, I do not think, under the circumstances, you ought to have shot me."

Newspapers picked up the story locally and then spread to gain national interest. Jim Bowie went on to defend himself with his knife several more times, only heightening his and his knife’s reputation for being deadly, before dying at the Battle of the Alamo 9 years later.¹

1. Elliott, Adam. The Sandbar Fight or The Wells-Maddox Duel. Rivergator Appendix VIII, Additional Stories from Natchez Area. Accessed 29 Sept., 2022.