The

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

''Enterprise'' demonstrated for the first time by her epic voyage from

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Brownsville, Pennsylvania Brownsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, first settled in 1785 as the site of a trading post a few years after the defeat of the Iroquois enabled a resumption of westward migration after the American Revolutionary ...

, that steamboat commerce was practical on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

and its tributaries.ouisville, Ky. 1 June 1815">''Western Courier'' ouisville, Ky. 1 June 1815:
"Arrived in this port, in 25 days from New-Orleans, the Steam-Boat ''Enterprize'', capt. SHRIEVE. The celerity and safety with which this boat descends and ascends the currents of these mighty waters, the improvement of the navigation of which is so advantageous to the western world, must be equally interesting to the farmer and the merchant. The facility and convenience of the passage, in ascending the rivers, are such as to give a decided preference to this mode of navigation, while the size and construction of the boat entitles it to all the advantages which the ''Ætna and Vesuvius'' have in vain attempted to ''monopolize'' over the ''free'' waters of our common country."rownsville, Pa. 5 July 1815">''American Telegraph'' rownsville, Pa. 5 July 1815:
"Arrived at this port on Monday last, the Steam Boat Enterprize, Shreve, of Bridgeport, from New Orleans, in ballast, having discharged her cargo at Pittsburgh. She is the first steam boat that ever made the voyage to the Mouth of the Mississippi and back. She made the voyage from New Orleans to this port, in fifty four days, twenty days on which were employed in loading and unloading freight at different towns on the Mississippi and Ohio, so that she was only thirty four days in active service, in making her voyage, which our readers will remember must be performed against powerful currents, and is upwards of ''two thousand two hundred miles in length.''"

Early days

The ''Enterprise'', or ''Enterprize'', with an engine and power train designed and built by Daniel French, was launched before June 1814 at Brownsville for her owners: the shareholders of the

Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company The Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company (or MOSBC) was the second company to engage in steamboat commerce on the rivers west of the Allegheny Mountains. The company was founded in 1813 under the leadership of Elisha Hunt and headquartered i ...

. The ''Enterprise'', under the command of

Israel Gregg Israel Gregg (February 20, 1775 – June 20, 1847) was the first captain of the historic steamboat ''Enterprise''. From June to December 1814, Israel Gregg commanded the ''Enterprise'' during two voyages from Louisville, Kentucky to Pittsbur ...

, was first used to transport passengers and cargo to ports between Brownsville and

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. From June to December she completed two voyages from Louisville to Pittsburgh that were performed against strong river currents.rownsville, Pa. Wednesday, 14 December 1814"/> With these voyages the ''Enterprise'' demonstrated for the first time that steamboat commerce was practical on the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

Voyage to New Orleans

On December 2, General

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

had marched from

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, to New Orleans with orders to oppose an imminent military invasion by an overwhelming British force. Jackson had been making frequent requests for military supplies, especially small firearms and ammunition, that were in short supply. To this end, the shareholders made the decision to send the ''Enterprise''.rownsville, Pa. Wednesday, 14 December 1814">''American Telegraph'' rownsville, Pa. Wednesday, 14 December 1814:
"The Steam Boat Enterprise of this place, which has been trading since last June in the Ohio, arrived here last Sunday afternoon. We understand that she performed the voyage from Steubenville to Pittsburgh, with a full cargo, in about three days; she made the passage from Pittsburgh to Brownsville, a distance of 65 miles, in about 17 hours. When the strength of the current is taken into consideration, it will be seen that she is equal to any boat in use. She will return to Pittsburgh in a few days, whence she will take freight and passengers, for New Orleans."Major Abraham Edwards to James Monroe, Secretary of War, 11 February 1815:
"Report of the departure of boats, loaded with munitions of war, from this place ittsburghto Baton-Rouge and New Orleans and the names of persons in charge of the stores."
National Archives DNA-RG 107, E-1815, microfilm 222, reel 15ouisville, Ky. 4 January 1815">''Western Courier'' ouisville, Ky. 4 January 1815:
"Passed the Falls alls of the Ohio at Louisville, Ky.on the 28th ult. the Steam Boat Enterprise, loaded with public property, consisting of 24 pounders, carriages, shells, small arms &c. for Gen. Jackson's army." Command was transferred to

Falls of the Ohio The Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area is a national, bi-state area on the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States, administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with the Indiana Department ...

at Louisville, delivering the cargo of military supplies at the port of New Orleans on January 9, 1815.ouisville, Ky. 4 January 1815"/>

Battle of New Orleans

Under normal circumstances, the voyage by the ''Enterprise'' into Louisiana's waters would have been a violation of the territorial steamboat monopoly granted to Robert R. Livingston and

Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...

. However, the ''Enterprise'' was protected from the monopolists and free to navigate the state's waters by the

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

imposed by General Andrew Jackson on December 16. Despite the military supplies delivered by the ''Enterprise'', Jackson's forces were still in dire need, particularly for small firearms, gunpowder and shot. Responding to reports that several boats laden with military supplies were near

Natchez Natchez may refer to: Places * Natchez, Alabama, United States * Natchez, Indiana, United States * Natchez, Louisiana, United States * Natchez, Mississippi, a city in southwestern Mississippi, United States ** Natchez slave market, Mississippi * ...

, Jackson sent the ''Enterprise''. The boats were located and the ''Enterprise'' took them in tow, delivering them to New Orleans. Then the ''Enterprise'' made another voyage to Natchez and returned to the port of New Orleans by February 12, 1815, when she was entered for the first time in the ''New Orleans Wharf Register'' as "Steam Boat (le petit) Captne Shrive". Then the ''Enterprise'' steamed up the Red River to

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

with 250 troops in tow and returned to New Orleans.

Voyage to Brownsville

On February 4, 1815, the British fleet, with all of the troops aboard, set sail for

Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. T ...

. On February 16, the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

ratified the

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

, finally putting an end to the War of 1812. However, official dispatches announcing the peace would not reach New Orleans until late February. On March 1, Shreve advertised in a Natchez newspaper that the ''Enterprise'' would "ply between Natchez and New Orleans every nine days until the first week in May" when the ''Enterprise'' would depart New Orleans for Louisville. On March 13, Andrew Jackson rescinded martial law. On April 21, payment of the wharfage fee for the ''Enterprise'' was recorded. On May 1, John Livingston submitted a petition to the Federal Court accusing captain Henry Shreve and the shareholders of the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company of violating the territorial steamboat monopoly granted to Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton. John Livingston's petition requested a payment of $5,000 and the forfeiture of the ''Enterprise''. Sheriff John H. Holland, acting on orders issued by the court, quickly arrested Henry Shreve and seized the ''Enterprise''. On May 2, attorney Abner L. Duncan, representing the shareholders of the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company, posted bail and made arrangements for Shreve and the ''Enterprise'' to be released. On May 6, Shreve and the ''Enterprise'' finally departed New Orleans and, after a voyage of 1,500 miles, reached Louisville on May 31.ouisville, Ky. 1 June 1815"/> The ''Enterprise'' was the first steamboat to reach Louisville from New Orleans. Then the ''Enterprise'' steamed to Pittsburgh and Brownsville.rownsville, Pa. 5 July 1815"/> This voyage, a distance of from New Orleans, was performed against the powerful currents of the Mississippi, Ohio and Monongahela rivers. The importance of this voyage was expressed in newspapers throughout the West.

Second Voyage to New Orleans

In August and autumn of 1815, Captain Lowns, having replaced Captain Shreve, commanded the ''Enterprise'' during voyages to Ohio River ports between Pittsburgh and Louisville. In November 1815, the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Co. leased the ''Enterprise'' to shareholder James Tomlinson for $2,000. Tomlinson's son-in-law, Daniel Wehrley (or Worley), became the captain of the ''Enterprise''. Bound for New Orleans the ''Enterprise'' arrived at Shippingport in grand style on January 21, 1816. On January 25, the ''Enterprise'' "with a full cargo of flour, whiskey, apples, &c. and a number of passengers" departed Shippingport bound for New Orleans. The ''Enterprise'' reached the port of New Orleans by February 27. Then the ''Enterprise'' completed a roundtrip voyage when she returned to the port of New Orleans by April 5.

''Enterprise'' trial at New Orleans

The ''Dispatch'', owned as well as the ''Enterprise'' by the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company, steamed from Brownsville to Louisville under the command of Israel Gregg. At Louisville command was transferred to Henry Bruce who navigated the ''Dispatch'' to the port of New Orleans by February 13, 1816. While docked at the landing, an incident occurred aboard the ''Dispatch'' that Robert Rogers, the first engineer, would chronicle in his autobiography: 1817- Enterprise Resolution by KY

Accounts of this incident were published in newspapers throughout the West. Furthermore, during January 1817 the Kentucky legislature responded to the seizures of the ''Enterprise'' and the ''Dispatch'' by passing a resolution. Documents for the impending ''Enterprise'' trial, having been transported aboard the ''Dispatch'', were delivered to defense attorney Abner L. Duncan. On February 14, Duncan submitted his "Supplemental answer to the Judge of the District Court for the First Judicial District of the State of Louisiana". During May 1816, the ''Enterprise'' trial, judge Dominic A. Hall presiding, was held in the old Spanish courthouse, 919 Royal Street. The plaintiffs were represented by John R. Grymes, the defendants by Abner L. Duncan. Duncan submitted to the court Daniel French's 1809 federal patent for his improved steamboat engine, that powered the ''Enterprise''. Duncan argued that this federal patent protected all of the defendants – French, Shreve and the shareholders of the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Co. – from the charges by the monopolists. On May 20, Judge Hall, stating that the Territorial Legislature had exceeded its authority in granting the steamboat monopoly, dismissed the petition of the plaintiffs. A letter announcing the news of Judge Hall's decision and proclaiming its significance to the growth of steamboat commerce and the economy of the West was published in a Louisville newspaper.

Final voyage

Steaming from New Orleans under the command of Daniel Wehrley the ''Enterprise'' reached Shippingport by August 5, 1816. Because the Ohio River above the Falls was too shallow for the voyage to continue, the ''Enterprise'' was anchored in Rock Harbor. Historian Thomas Shourds utilized firsthand information provided by Elisha Hunt, the principal founder and shareholder of the Monongahela and Ohio Steam Boat Company, to chronicle the final days of the ''Enterprise'': During August or early autumn of 1816, the ''Enterprise'', while safely anchored in Rock Harbor, "filled and sank to the bottom" where, in the words of Elisha Hunt, "she still is."

Legacy

1. The ''Enterprise'' demonstrated for the first time that steamboat commerce was practical on the Mississippi River and its tributaries. 2. The ''Enterprise'' trial eliminated the ability of the monopolists to restrict competition. 3. The ''Enterprise'' was relatively inexpensive to build, reportedly costing $9,000 compared to $38,000 for the ''New Orleans''.Morrison, p. 109:
"This vessel he ''New Orleans''cost about $38,000." 4. The ''Enterprise'', due to the sternwheel design, had the option to transport cargo by tying a barge alongside her hull. Since a barge could be loaded and unloaded independently, no time was spent loading or unloading the steamboat. Furthermore, a loaded barge could be picked up or delivered at places on the river that were not typical loading docks. Also, unlike cargo or passengers added to the ''Enterprise'', the addition of a loaded barge would not increase her draft. These facts opened the way for the subsequent rapid growth of steamboat commerce on America's western rivers.

Gallery

File:1803 map of western Pennsylvania rivers.jpg, 1803 map of western Pennsylvania

Notes

References

*Cox, Thomas H. (2009). ''Gibbons v. Ogden, law, and society in the early republic''. Ohio, Athens: Ohio University Press, 264 pages. *Cramer, Zadok (1817). ''The navigator containing directions for navigating the Monongahela, Allegheny, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers...,'' 9th edition, Pittsburgh: Cramer, Spear and Eichbaum * Davis, William C. (2006). ''The pirates Laffite: the treacherous world of the corsairs of the Gulf''. New York: Harcourt Publishing Co., First Harvest edition, 706 pages. *Ellis, Franklin (1882). ''History of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men''. Philadelphia: L. H. Everts & Co. * Gleig, George Robert (1827). ''The campaigns of the British army at Washington and New Orleans, 1814–1815.'' London: J. Murray. *Hardin, J. Fair (ed.), (1927). "The first great western river captain; Henry Miller Shreve". ''Louisiana Historical Quarterly'' 10 (1): 25-67. *Head, David (2015). ''Privateers of the Americas: Spanish American privateering from the United States in the early republic''. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 224 pages. *Henshaw, Marc Nicholas (2014)
"Hog chains and Mark Twains: a study of labor history, archaeology, and industrial ethnography of the steamboat era of the Monongahela Valley 1811-1950."
Dissertation, Michigan Technological University * Hunter, Louis C. (1949). ''Steamboats on the western rivers, an economic and technological history''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1949; reprint, New York: Dover Publications, 1993. *Latour, Arsene Lacarriere (1816). ''Historical memoir of the war in West Florida and Louisiana in 1814–1815''. Philadelphia: John Conrad. *Louisiana Historical Society (1915). ''Publications of the Louisiana historical society''. New Orleans: American Printing Co., 7 (1). *Maass, Alfred R. (1994)
"Brownsville's steamboat Enterprize and Pittsburgh's supply of general Jackson's army"
''Pittsburgh History'' 77: 22-29. *Maass, Alfred R. (1996). "Daniel French and the western steamboat engine". ''The American Neptune'' 56: 29–44. *Maass, Alfred R. (1999). "The right of unrestricted navigation on the Mississippi, 1812–1818". ''The American Neptune'' 60: 49–59. *McMurtrie, Henry M. (1819). ''Sketches of Louisville and its environs;...''. Louisville: S. Penn, 270 pages *Morrison, John H. (1903). ''History of American steam navigation''. New York: W. F. Sanetz & Co. *''New Orleans Wharf Register''
A handwritten document (mostly in French) recording the date of arrival, name, type and fee for each boat in the port of New Orleans. Registration was suspended from December 16, 1814, until January 28, 1815.
New Orleans Public Library, 219 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112-2044
Call number: QN420 1806-1823, New Orleans (La.) Collector of Levee Dues. Registers of flatboats, barges, rafts, and steamboats in the port of New Orleans, 1806-1823. *Remini, Robert V. (1999). ''The battle of New Orleans''. New York: Penguin Books. *Rogers, James S. (editor) (1901). "Memoranda made by Robert Rogers", Philadelphia. Transcription of the original autobiographical manuscript written by Robert Rogers. *Shourds, Thomas (1876). ''History and genealogy of Fenwick's Colony, New Jersey''. Bridgeton, New Jersey: 314-320. {{ISBN, 0-8063-0714-5 *Smith, Zachary F. (1904). ''The battle of New Orleans''. Louisville, Kentucky: John P. Morton & Co. *Stecker, H. Dora (1913). "Constructing a navigation system in the West". ''Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly'' 22: 16–27. *Thurston, George H. (1857). ''Pittsburgh as it is''. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: W. S. Haven.

External links

"Brownsville's steamboat Enterprize and Pittsburgh's supply of general Jackson's army".
Scholarly article written by Alfred R. Maass.
History of the ''Enterprise''
Scholarly article written by Thomas Shourds that is based on contemporaneous documents and information provided by

Barclay White Barclay White (April 4, 1821 – November 23, 1906) was Superintendent of Indian Affairs during the administration of American president Ulysses S. Grant, a published authority on the history of West Jersey and the genealogy of local families, ...

and eyewitness accounts by Elisha Hunt.
"Memoranda made by Robert Rogers"
Transcription of the original autobiographical manuscript written by Robert Rogers.
"Steam Boat Navigation" by Benjamin H. Latrobe
Public notice by an agent of Livingston and Fulton in response to the arrival of the ''Enterprise'' at Pittsburgh.
The ''Enterprise'' trial at New Orleans
Petition composed by defense attorney Abner L. Duncan, filed on February 14, 1816.
History of the steamboat ''Enterprise'' at the Battle of New Orleans
Courtesy of the Louisiana State History Museum. Steamboats of the Monongahela River Steamboats of the Mississippi River Steamboats of the Ohio River History of Kentucky History of Louisiana History of Ohio History of Pennsylvania Paddle steamers Ships built in Brownsville, Pennsylvania 1814 ships