The steamboat Monmouth disaster, which occurred on October 31, 1837, stands as a somber event in the history of Mississippi River navigation. This tragic incident near Baton Rouge involved the steamboat Monmouth, which was carrying approximately 700 Muscogee passengers, and another steamer named Warren, which was towing a ship identified as either Trenton or Tremont. The collision, attributed to the Monmouth's negligently crewed operation, resulted
in a significant loss of life and highlighted the perilous conditions of river travel during that era.
The Monmouth had been hired by the U.S. Army, specifically through the agency of Colonel W. A. Campbell of the Alabama Emigrating Company, to transport the "Upper Creeks" band of Muscogee people to the Great Plains. This journey, part of a larger forced migration, began from New Orleans and was destined for the Arkansas River. The collision took place near Prophet Island, now known as Profit Island, under challenging conditions: it was drizzly, dark, and the Monmouth was reportedly violating navigation rules.
The Collision and Immediate Aftermath
The collision itself was described as the Monmouth ramming "right into the center of the night boat," referring to the Warren and its tow. A contemporary report detailed the immediate consequences, stating that "the hull sank and the cabin floated downstream in two parts." The impact was severe enough to break the lower deck of the Monmouth in two, causing it to sink rapidly. The chaos that ensued was marked by the "screaming of the children, men, women, mothers and fathers" as the ship began to go down.
Survivors were eventually picked up by other steamboats involved in the transport, the Yazoo and the John Newton, as well as the Warren, the vessel with which the Monmouth collided. However, the initial response was fraught with difficulty due to the nighttime conditions and the rapid sinking of the Monmouth. Many of those on the lower deck were urged to move to the upper deck in hopes of rescue by smaller boats, but a great many of the Muscogee were drowned before help could fully arrive.
Casualties and Burial
The human toll of the Monmouth disaster was immense. The destruction of the steamboat led to the drowning deaths of the ship's fireman, the ship's bar-keeper, and an estimated 311 passengers. Some sources indicate that 300 or more Muscogee were killed in the incident. The owners of the steamboat, however, claimed a lower loss of life, stating that out of 693 passengers aboard, only 230 perished, with "many of the survivors badly injured."
Among the victims were members of prominent Muscogee families. For instance, Jim Boy, a Muscogee headman who had allied with the U.S. Army, lost four of his children and three enslaved people in the disaster. He had been promised that his family and property would be attended to during the removal, a promise he alleged was broken. The bodies of the Muscogee dead were subsequently buried in mass graves located near Port Allen, Louisiana, marking a tragic end to their forced journey.
Oral History and Negligence
An oral history collected in the 1930s by the WPA Indian-Pioneer Project provides a vivid, if harrowing, retelling of the disaster. This account describes the passengers' apprehension about starting the journey at night amidst rain, clouds, and dangerous waves, with their suggestions to wait until morning disregarded by the ship's command. The narrative also mentions that the officers in charge became intoxicated, and even induced some of the Muscogee to drink, leading to "an uproar and turmoil."
This oral history further details how the men steering the ship could not control it, causing it to go "around and around" and take a "zig-zag course" before ramming the other vessel. The negligence of the crew, particularly the officers' intoxication and disregard for safety, appears to be a central theme in both contemporary reports and later oral accounts, underscoring the preventable nature of this devastating event.
