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according to this statement, at the beginning of my diary, we
arrived in Tuscaloosa - from Florence - on the 13th of January 1843

A e

1845
Monday Nov 10th
On this day did we leave Tuscaloosa, after having
abode there for the space of 2 years and 296 days. After a great deal
of bustle in sending all our plunder (to use a common expression)
to the Steamer Noxubee, and bade farewell to all our friends, espec
ially to the Martins & Woodruff families, with whom we had been
staying after the auction of furniture, & the evacuation of our house.
We then proceeded with due haste to the boat which was, positive
ly to start at 8 o'clock A. M. Several of our friends accompanied us to
the river to see us off. The parting was quite affecting, especially
with Thaddy who had never been separated from us before; he cried, Ma,
Julia & Cally cried, and I could scarcely contain my self when
telling him good bye; I however gave him as much good advice as I
could, by way of comforting him. I have no fears but that he will
do well with Ms White; I do not think there is any danger of
his being led astray by evil company. The servants too cried bitterly
at parting; I believe that the negroes are capable of feeling as much
as anyone. When all was ready to start, and the boat had already
pushed off and begun to snort her way down stream, behold a car
riage ride down the wharf with a lady and her baggage to be put
on board; we had to go back and wait patiently until all was safe
ly on board, and when we were about putting off once more, here came
a dozen bales of cotton tumbling down hill, which must be put on.
After all these delays we at length pushed off from the wharf for
the last time, and went puffing & thundering down stream; I look
ed back to the wharf until we were out of sight, where our friends
stood waving their handkerchiefs. Poor Thaddy, I know he felt lone
ly then. We saw many ducks along the banks of the river, and I
got out my gun and shot some, but as I could not get them,
I concluded that it was a cruel business and stopped it. As the boat
was not heavily loaded, and the steam was up quite high, it rattled,
and shook a great deal; a tree struck the boat during the night and knock
ed down one of the escape pipes, producing a great concussion; the boat
also run over a sunken flat boat, and jolted us considerably. We stop
ped at Erie & Eutaw & took in wood, cotton, & passengers.
We passed today a very narrow pass called the Gun Shoot Pass,
so narrow that the boat touched each bank. So endeth this day.