The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-06
St. Louis steambOatmen in Rebellion.

st. Louis SteambOatmen In Rebellion.
From the st. Louis Democrat
A refugee from Mobile, lately arrived
here; gives us some particulars about
former ST Louis boatmen, &c, which
are as follows:
John Burk, who commanded the
steamer Ed Walsh at the breaking out
Of the war, was Captain of the rebel
gunboat JEFF. Thompson in the naval
engagement at Memphis Hewas after
wards clerk of a steamer running be-
tween Vicksburg and Red River. Not
withstanding the encroachments Of the
Union troops and gunboats upon that
portion of the whilom rebel Confedera-
cy, John Burk resides upon the banks
of Red River, and is reported to be one
of the wealthiest persons in rebel
dom
Capt Thomas H. Briefly, at the be-
ginning of the war left this port as com
mander of the fine steamer Ferd. Ken
nett He ran his boat up the Yazoo,
where she was destroyed by fire in
order to prevent her falling into the
hands of the enterprising enemies Of
the c. s. A 1t is reported that the
rebel government paid him for the
Ferd Kennett Although it is sup
posed that Tom Briefly made little
money ''down South, he succeeded in
purchasing a fine plantation on the
Yazoo, six mile below the mouth Of q
lake, which is pronounced Choely. He
lives on the plantation, but is not work
ing it in fact he is said to have done
no work of any kind since his boat was
burned.
Dick Love was also well known in
this city, having been popular steam
boat clerk, and afterwards lived in
Memphis, where he is said to have taken
an active part in the Instruction at the
commencement of hostilities. Our in
formant had not heard of him since
1862, when was at Grenada, Miss, and
employed in the rebel quartermasters
department
Tom Hawthorne was a steamboat
mate, was captured as an officer of the
rebel navy department at Memphis,
brought here, and afterwards ex-
changed. He is now at Mobile, fitting
out gunboat. His family is believed
to be still in ST. Louis
His brother, Judd Hawthorne, is mate
of steamboat plying on the Alabama,
between Mobile and inner points
Bill Hurst, engineer, is at Mobile, as
sisting Tom Hawthorne in fitting out
the gunboat
There is large number Of boatmen
still in the rebel reg on, who were
formerly engaged in the St Louis trade,
but communication by letter or other
wise is so rare and difficult in that
happy portion Of the country, that little
is known of each other by the boat
men, who were formerly well acquaint-
cd with each others movements. Many
of them are working in gunboat yards
and shops, and some on transports on
Red River, the Alabama, and their tribu-
taries. 1t is supposed that there is
very general desire among them to do
little steamboating under the Rgis Of
Uncle Sam. Steamboat engineers at
Mobile are paid $500 per month-equal
to about $50 in greenbacks Other
boatmen are paid in about the usual
proportion These salaries will not 20
far towards securing luxurious living or
dress, when three dollar hat costs
500, a pair of mems boots $50 to 500,
common jeans pants, a pair of which
we saw, 500, coat worth SIS here, no
less than $780, and a common white
shirt 500
At Mobile, in the Battle House, our
informant, the refugee, paid SIS per
day for board: at Selma, Sl3 per day,
and nothing to brag of for that. Every
thing else was in proportion.
At Mobile, pork was 81 50per pound,
bacon 81 so, and coffee $l4 per pound
1t required an armful Of rebel currency
to pay ones necessary monthly ex-
/ penses.
Yet there are numerous clothing
stores In the towns, seemingly full of
goods, but the owners desire to make as
much profit as they can while the op-
portuAity lasts.