Robert E. Lee Sundries Receipt – dated March 1870

Dear wedjones & steamboating colleagues:
Many thanks for your posting and fascinating photo of the ROBT. E. LEE script for 'sundries.' It would be interesting to have additional provenance for the item from the dealer you obtained it from. In my humble estimation I'd say the note, though not appearing on a LEE bill of lading, was done as a kind of quick receipt for delivery. The note appears to have been done on a period book. Some early dark brown/black inks of the day have been found to be more durable with the passage of time. During the steamboat era there must have been literally millions of freight bills and receipts churned out. Your LEE item is especially intersting and valuable.

Yes, from the late 1830s on day books, manifests, logs were sold with printed lines and blocks in black, brown or blue ink for notations. Many were bound in leather and marked DOCKET. I've a few here from that period [1830s to 1890s] and, strange to say, the leather has deteriorated while the fine grade of acid free paper remains nearly pristine. I'd opine that the darker brown area 'may' have been the result of an additional piece of non acid free paper--or some other damage--being the result. The left edge appears to have been torn from such a docket or manifest book. Your sample shown may have been a single entry from the book or the result of later 'cannibalization' of such dockets or logs. A number of fine dockets, ledgers or folios of prints and engravings are being cannibalized for sale or as souvenirs. Some ledgers/log paper was of the heavier grade of paper from 24 lb. on up. Other such papers were lighter, similar to present school composition books we know. A great item and should make a nice addition to your LEE print.

'Sundries,' and other more valuable or delicate cargo, was entrusted to the boat's Purser, as usual, or the mate for storage in the more secure 'monkey deck' room on many of the steamboats. This to protect from the elements and pilferage. Cases of wines, spirits, fine cloth etc. were confined to the 'monkey deck.' The earliest boats did have secure strong boxes in their offices and later steel safes. Keith, Alan, Judy, Shipyard and others may be able to enlighten us on the 'monkey deck' as per an earlier discussion on this web. I'm sure Keith and Alan have had more experience with such old bound dockets from the Howard Museum holdings.
Well, what do I know?

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

The racer ROBT. E. LEE was built at New Albany, Indiana (my hometown!) in 1866 and was dismantled at the Howard yards in Jeffersonville in 1876, where a second boat of the name was built. This is how the cabin arches from the racer ended up at Jeffersonville. There were other steamboats named ROBERT E. LEE, but I don't have my Way's Directory handy at the moment.

Because of the famous race of 1870, immortalized in many artist renderings and books, including the song "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee", etc., the name of the ROBT. E. LEE is well known. At the Howard Steamboat Museum we've sometimes had people bring us artifacts of questionable origin that are said to be from the LEE, mainly because that is the only steamboat name the person knew. Your receipt looks authentic and it's highly possible that the person who wrote the name on it simply was unaware that the spelling of the racer's name was ROBT. E. LEE. I hope somebody can provide additional information to substantiate the provenance of the document for you.

Steamboating colleagues:
Keith's posting on the famed ROBT. E. LEE. is on the money. Other boats bearing the same name are dated: 1866 ['Racer' Lee]; LEE of 1876; LEE of 1898; LEE [Ferry] of 1925; LEE [Ferry] of 1939 and BOB LEE, JR. of 1912 with two others bearing the name BOB LEE and BOB LEE, steam prop tug of 1912. Four of the LEE boats, as Keith mentions, were built by Howards of Jeffersonville.

The great LEE/NATCHEZ race of June 30, 1870 never fails to attract attention and renewed study of the event. There was then a great civic rivalry between Cincinnati and Louisville built boats for years. Old time steamboat engineer John G. Gibbs penned his memories of the disaster aboard the ROBT. E. LEE II on the return from the Mardi Gras of 1876 with great drama. It appeared on this web back some time and may be accessed. Gibbs opined later that the engines from the first LEE placed on the LEE II 'could' have been stressed causing the gristly event on the boat.

Keith, Alan and others may have seen original printed freight bills from the famed ROBT. E. LEE. in their work and studies. I don't recall seeing any in my time. Keith and others are members of John Hartford's famed 'Cabin Arch Society' stemming from the original LEE and it is fascinating. The spelling of boat names is interesting along with the previously posted ideas on the final punctuation mark [.] after the name painted on the boats. Such as ROBT. E. LEE. Lexie Palmore and others enlightened us on this practice.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Joseph Real ran a grocery in Natchez in the 1870s -

Dale and Keith, thanks for the great info. You were two people I hoped to hear from on this.

I emailed a copy of this receipt to Sal Reale, the fellow doing the genology research I found on the web. He emailed me back and had more information on Joseph Real(e). Joseph Real ran a small grocery and beer outpost in Natchez at that time. That would make it likely that he would be a receipient of sundries shipments from New Orleans on those dates.

This ties together, from diverse sources, in a way that would suggest this is genuine. It does not seem likely that anyone would go to the trouble to fabricate this, and if they did, to research a real (no pun intended) merchant in Natchez, as a historically accurate character.

I welcome additional comments, maybe from Alan and others, before concluding that this is an artifact from the most famous of all steamboats. I am encouraged that it could be. I posted this for two reasons, to check out its validity with experts, and to share an interesting item for everyone's enjoyment. So far we seem to be doing great on both accounts!

Thank you for your kind replies.

Ed

Dear wedjones:
Read your latest and glad that the information posted on this thead helped in your research. You mentioned mounting the ROBT. E. LEE. 'sudries' receipt at home with your print. Great idea to add interest. I would strongly suggest, as you probably already know, to have it done professionally on acid-free mounting paper and mat. I'd suggest an 'archival' glass and this can be done/obtained from generally any reputable framing store dealing in such trade. Here near me we have THE FRAME SHOPPE, individually owned, and they are capable of such archival mounting of prints, paintings, documents and even old fabrics such as Chinese or Japanese silks etc. Thing is to keep it away from light or nearby window from those bad UVs. I'd also inquire about 'stabilizing' the sundries receipt from further darkening or deterioration. Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick