Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-02-23
Ne,O Orleans, Feb. l6.
3t ot Cheever of the Stea
 mer Col. Crossman.

Capt J Cheever of the Inflated Col. Cross man, arrived in this city yesterday on the Stea- mer Win. M Morrison He has favored u, with letter of incidents which occurred sub- Sc1uent to the disaster 10 the Crossman. lis statement will be read with interest. Append ed to the letter is a note from Daniel c. Tay- Tor, esq, who accompanied Capt. Cheever iI a voyage down the river n search of the bodies of the lost. They were untring in their efforts to recover the remains of those whose lives were sacrificed by the disaster, searching on both sides of the river and at every behd and island where the floating bo'Ies would be likely to lodge They descended the river to d point one hundred and ten miles below where the boat was burned and the letter gives full ac- count of their trip. It also returns thanks to many persons by whose noble cXertions pas sengers and others were saved, and rendered as comfortable as possible in their deplorabe and bcreaved condition. The statement of Capt Cheever is as follows:
 Mr. EDITOR: The general circumstances have been published regarding the dreadful catastro- phe to the steamer Col. CrosSman. It only re- mains for me 10 relate some of the occurrences that took place afterwards. As we were picked up by the skltfs we were landed at different points on the river, and received into the hos pitable houses of the citizens in the neighbor- hood. Every house was thrown open and every care and attention afforded that could possibly be- Those with whom have become acquainted are Mrs. Malsby, Mir. Horace Chad wick and lady, and Mr. w. w. Hunter and hdy. At daylight, on the next morning, Capt. Taylor and myself started out to find those who were saved, collect together and give such information to friends and relatives as we could
 
 J. Mills, John c. Muser, and others whose names did not learn, rendered very effective service with their skitfs saving the lives of over forty persons. To Mr. Mallory l owe my life. Mir. Low, the mate, Mr. Scott steward, Mir. Johnson, the clerk, Mr. John Dillon, watchman, Mir. Wm. Woods, cook, and Mir. Bixley, pilot, remained on board and rendered all the assist ance they possibly coull l, as we'll as some of the deck hands and cabin crew. The three first named were lost, think, by being ov verheated, and when they jumped into the water were cramped and sank near the boat. As to the 6remen and roustabouts, their conduct has a- ready been published. Many of the passengers behaved nobly, the names of whom it is impos- sibe for me to esignate. After doing all they could for the protection Of passenger, property, etc, Capt Taylor and myself provided our,
 
 river in search of the lost, hunting on either side of the river. We rowed over one hun dred miles, finding none except those who were provided with life preservers
 We stopped at all the settlements, leaving printed hand bills, offering rewards for the re. covery of the bodies The first found was the body of John S Moore, from Mississippi found and buried at Asa Riddles's Point, Missouri- Next Jennie Wall, child or Capt. N Wall, of St. Louis, found at Alexauder's Point, head of Island l4. and buried by MT. Richard Phillips. We disinterred the body, took it in the vawl. and sent it up on the steamer City of Hunts vile, in charge of Messrs. Nelson and Bucban- m, of our city, who were passengers. Thanks are due to the officers of the boat for their kind ness ard attention. Next the body of Capt. Mason Convers, who was found and buried at the foot of Island IS, at Jesse Hoffman's Land ing. His money watch and papers were found upon his person, and left with the proper au- thorties.
 Nothing further was heard of any of the bo- dies until we arrived above Osceola when we found the body of Mr. D. G. Taylor. It had been buried, but was disnterred again. and prepared for shipment to Memphis. The wealth CT being very cold, raining and windy, we found 1t impossible to proceed. We also believed that we had found all the bodies that had been provided with life preservers. And in conyer sation with the captains of steamboats and citi zens on shore, we concluded it was not possible 10 find any more bodies so far down the river. It will probably be some days before the other bodies will rise to the surface. At every point on the river we have the citizens promise to search faithfully for the bodies.
 cannot close this statement without men.