Flood Stories

May 12 1824
The following letter, from one of the Mail contractors to the Postmaster General, affords some idea of the nature of the late interruptions of the mail, beyond Nashville: Nat. Intel.

Columbus, Miss, March 31, 1824
“The water of Oknogubbek river, in the Choctaw nation, are entirely impassable at this time. The water has covered all the bridges made by Mr. Hasey, and the rider, who last attempted to cross, states that, after swimming his horses about one-fourth of a mile, he came to the first bridge which was covered with water. He attempted to cross it, with the view of swimming to the next bridge, but, unfortunately the beams in the centre of the bridge were swept off by the violence of the current, in consequence of which both horses and the rider fell through the bridge, and were carried down for a considerable distance before they reached the landing. Fortunately one of the mails, which was swept off the horse, was taken up by the rider, without much injury. I have had one horse drowned and another so much injured as to render him entirely useless. I have to take the mail four miles from this place in a boat, before it can be landed. The water has covered the Oknogubee swamp for five miles. The waters are higher at present than they ever were known to be since the first settlement of this country by the whites.” [Submitted by Nancy Piper]

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