We had a pretty stiff introduction to our first night on a
river boat, for it snowed in the night. My bunk-mate, James Fossett, and I lay
down on the deck with our heads to the smoke-stack instead of our feet, in
order to avoid lying with our heads down hill. By morning we were covered with
snow, about two inches deep. At 8 a. m. we landed at Montrose, where two of our
companies were transferred from our boat to another boat in order to lighten
our boat for the purpose of passing through the rapids just above Keokuk. We
reached Keokuk in safety about noon and went on shore to cook some provisions.
At dusk we returned to the boats, our company being transferred to another boat
which lay at Keokuk all night while the “Jennie Whipple” proceeded down the
river.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 18
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