Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-01-11
RIVER NEWS.

Two or three years ago, 'Buz" furnished
us with the following sketch af oar worthy
fellow-citizen, Capt. Frank p. Gracey.-
We re-publish it now that Others may
know something of the history of the gem
tieman whose namo is so proudly worn by
new Cumberland river packet:
"Capt. Frank P. Gracey. of GAINESVILLE,
was born years ago, rs or &c. more or less,
| III Eddyville, KY, where he is familiarity
called "Dock'-married there his present
accomplished wife, then the belle of that
village, and has recently named Capt, Ry-
mans new boat after his native town. He
began his nautical career in 1851, as mud
clerk on the old America, under w. A.
Gleayes. the present Treasurer ofthe Nash
| vile and Chattanooga railroad. Ante bel
lum, he was the very first clerk on the Luz
| ella, Embassy, John Simpson, j. c. Cline,
| st. Francis, No. 2, Ingomar and Josephine
Savage. Since the war, he has been Cap
| tain of only one boat, the Alice, a disrepu-
table Shy 10 hind-wheel institution; and
Is now running at GAINESVILLE two wharf,
boats-both daily"
! Not having been thar himself, "Buz" is.
perhaps, not well posted about the Cap
tain's military exploits, but knows very
well that he played soldier for three years
as Lieutenant and Captain of Cobb's IA
nous Kentucky battery. AT Jacksonville
| he was ordered by Gen. Forrest, to go into
the steamboat business, and he went, you
bet. His first prize was the Mazeppa and
her barge, both heavily laden with sup
/ plies for the Federal army. A shell from
! Morton's battery having disabled this
craft she landed on the opposite side of the
Tennessee river, and her crew. with the
exception of three men, abandoned her
and took TO the woods. The river was very
| high, and all small water crafts had been
destroyed by the enemy; but Capt. Gracey
could not resist the temptation to go boat
ing again, SO he rolled a log into the river,
and leaped into the angry flood. He gall
lantly breasted the waters OF the swollen
stream, and reached the shore just below
tie steamer. Alone he approached the
boat and boldly demanded her surrender.
This was done. With the assistance of his
three prisoners, he then stretched rope
across the river and his company pulled
over the valuable prize On the same day
Gen. Forrest captured the ]. w. Cheesman,
Venus and the tin-clad gun-boat s. (Un-
dine.) This vessel was made a Confeder-
ate cruiser, and turned over to the COM
mand of Capt. Goacey. The destruction of
this gun-boat, with three others, twelve
transports forty barges and their immense
Government stores, is historic. His last
military steamboating was done at Cum.
! berland City, where he captured and burn
ed the steamer Thos. r. Tut, Ben. South
and the Echo. GAINESVILLE may indeed
well be proud OF Capt. Frank p. Gracey
for he is good boatman, a gallant soldier,
a fine business man. and always an accom-
| had ma In
THE following description OF the first ar
rival at GAINESVILLE, Tenn, of the steamer
| c. E. Hillman, is from the facile pen of
"Buz," and originally appeared in the
Cincinnati Commercial in the spring of
1850. We republish it now, as relic of the
olden time, and as a memento of the late
! Capt. ]. n. Corbitt:
"The new Nashville and st. Louis packet
/ G. Z. Hillman arrived at GAINESVILLE, with
/ a large party of ladies and gentlemen, the
| special guests of Capt. COrbett, several of
whom were noted characters, whose names
are familiar 20 marine readers. Capt. G..
Wash. Graham, Len. FaXon and Ed. WiIlet
were the Egyptian representatives. Major
| Balloon, Capt. Dick Fowler and j. Rice
! Wilson were the Paducah delegates-old 81
McGUmphey being absent, representingth the
| State of McCracken in the Baltimore Con-
yention. The famous Red Revenger and
! that intrepid navigator Little Old Jofield,
| the Mouth of Smithland's favorite sons,
were also on board. The Dycusburg Doc
| tor, accompanied by Ebenezer Petty, with
Eddyville's Braswell and Col. Sherwood A.
| Ford, OF Canton, formed the Lower Cumb-
/ erland delegation. The ceremonies attend
| ing the presentation of cannon TO Capt.
| Coroett by the press gang of Nashville,
was the occasion of bringing together so
many faW0us personages. The new steam
| er's arrival was announced by the firing of
cannon, the waving of handkerchiefs, and
I I no mi shouts tlOnS-
ands. The Nashville and GAINESVILLE dele
cations received The guests that were on
board ofthe Hillman, escorted them ashore
and, under the direction OF the Grand Mar
shall of the day, Rat-proof Billy Mcclure, |
formed the following procession: /. Capt. |
Jas. T. Bell and Subscriber Camp, the ora
tor of the day, in front of the cannon. 2. |
Horns silver band, in his new chariot |
drawn by four white horses. 3. Tippeca
noe Harrison, Book Mountain Gilbert, big |
Nashville Bellsnyder and other river vo- |
taries in one of Cap Hammers open car |
riages. 4. Cairo delegation bearing numer- |
Gus horns, and a copy of the Life and |
Death of 10 Spencer, with Illustrations by |
Rube. 5. Paducah delegation bearing a |
picture of the Dunbar. and a letter of re
greet from old 81. McGumphey. g. The ven |
cradle Jofield leaning on the arm of the |
ing for the loss of his ag-ship Tennessee |
Belle. Z. Geo. Boone Brown and Squire F. |
W. Weller proudly sustaining the colors of |
the immortal Sallle West. 8. Citizens gen.
orally, headed by West Jordan and jim. |
Carter. The procession passed through the |
principal streets of the city, were feasted |
at the hotel, and photographed by McCor-
mac "a copy of which is in the possession
of Ben. F. Egan, of the Sam. Kirkman. y |
Having returned to the steamer and being
assembled around the festive board, the
Subscriber arose amid the deafening shouts
of cheering voices and the popping of
champagne corks, and made his presenta-
ton speech. as follows: Ladies lapplausel
and Gentlemen-Tcontinue applause. /
I'M al, nf- 10 haenmn a |
uproarious that the orator of the day was
s1enDed,l The conclusion OF his speech
will appear next week III the New York
Ledger. By the arrival OF JAS. Bias Par
rish's express wagon, we Will receive Capt.
Corbett's reply. and in an extra will pub
lish all he said about the honor conferred
upon him, the emotions of gratitude that |
filled his breast, the pride lie cherished for
his new craft and the affecting illusions he
made to the departed glory of his old fa-
yorite the Sallie West, The whole affair |
was concluded by the reading of an abo-
riginal Hebrew ode in Greek, by Old Gil
braltar, and the drinking of the GROWING
toast by Capt. BraSh Dashiell, and the pre-
sentation of a magnificent set OF colors by
Geo. Crockett, the representative of the
gentleman in compliment Of whom tho
new and beaptiihi steaHier has been
named"
MANY 81 the old patrons of the bully"
Tyrone, will, this season, miss the genial
phlE and buriy figure of Jas. Bias Parrish.
the famous Slogi Poick, who for ten years
has been wont to dispense on that popular
craft, such creature comforts and liquid
delicaeIes as striped candy and vinegar
toddiea.
THE Frank P. Gracey will be here this
morning.
The Tyrone leaves here every Thursday
morning for Cairo, and passes up Monday
for Nashville.
Sixth Division. of the Chancery Court.
The Chancery Court for this, the Sixth
Division, Hon. c, u. sMIFH, presiding, is
held at the following times and places:
HARTsvILLE, Trousdale county, LIST Mon
days of February and August.
slr,1 ,Io,- |