Riverboat flag?

[archieclement]

Although in years past wasn't there discussion of a branch/organization that existed awhile that was essentially it's own fleet and marines?

Can't remember what it was called off hand, or if it would been on TN river.

 

[archieclement]

You might want to do some more image searches. Large company banners were very common on the rivers.

Nothing similar to these. The variety of boats also suggests not a company.

The traditional riverboats such as the rear three in image of four were generally packet lines. The Lookout is regional workboat.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Nothing similar to these. The variety of boats also suggests not a company.

The traditional riverboats such as the rear three in image of four were generally packet lines. The Lookout is regional workboat.

I think you will find that there were a myriad boat designs.

 

[archieclement]

I think you will find that there were a myriad boat designs.

Yes certainly, but companies tended to focus on their purpose, and not everything.

Needs ways directory for owner. Think I had one not sure where it is, but in Branson anyway.

Way's Packet Directory, 1848-1994

The first Mississippi steamboat was a packet, the New Orleans, a side-wheeler built at Pittsburgh in 1811, designed for the New Orleans-Natchez trade. Packets dominated during the first forty years of steam providing the quickest passenger transportation throughout mid-continent America. The...

books.google.com

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

ZFC - 13. Naval Boat Flags, 1861 - 1865

 

[TnFed]

There was a lot of Riverboat traffic on the rivers in East TN. Starting right after the war. Lot of ferries , people floating their produce down river. In fact quite a few families made their living and actually lived on the river ways. Still river traffic of course.... but the TVA put paid to a certain way of life.

 

[NFB22]

I looked up the Lookout in Way's Packet Directory. There are two listings, one off the lists in 1859, the other was built postwar. The Wauhatchie (the second photo posted) is listed as being used by Union forces during the war on the upper-Tennessee River. A wooden sidewheel packet steamer, she became a wharfboat after the war.

 

[gc45]

Here are four with the same flag:
View attachment 477640
Federal transports in the Tennessee River
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012647172

 

[gc45]

John Hartwell - thanks a bunch for the photo above, the four steamers!

 

[Flag Guy]

These flags were standardized for these TN River boats that ran from Bridgeport, AL to Chattanooga. The Nashville & Chattanooga RR crossed the river there and a depot was built to offload supplies, initially for the Cracker Line but it stayed in use into 1864. Attached is the flag of the Kenesaw that sold at auction some time back. I have yet to find out who made these but as the posted images show they are indeed uniform in design and construction.

 

[Flag Guy]

By the way - these ships were designated as "USS" since they received a cannon typically for defense.

 

[toot]

Here are four with the same flag:
View attachment 477640
Federal transports in the Tennessee River
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012647172

WOW! they all have the same spindly type of gang planks! why is that the case? they all should have at least one that is at least 2 feet wide, or larger. the photo's are just the best, just like being there in a time warp. thanks for the posts of them. jmho.

 

[Flag Guy]

ZFC - 13. Naval Boat Flags, 1861 - 1865

Navy boat flags were for the launches of the larger warships as well as for use as ensigns of the smaller classes of warships. In 1854, the US Navy rated their flags based on the ship size (by tonnage) with Numbers One through Fourteen, One being the largest flag (battle ensign) of the bigger warships (ships of the line, etc.). Ratings Ten through Fourteen were called Boat Flags - this rating system was reinforced in 1863. I just did a report for the recently auctioned Storm Flag of the USS Kearsarge and that was a Twelve Rating, which ranks technically as a Boat Flag but with 35 stars. The Smithsonian holds her battle ensign which is a Ten Rating. Boat flags from the mid-1850s through 1861 used 16 stars and that changed in 1862 to 13 stars typically in the 4-5-4 star arrangement. But some Civil War boat flags exist with the stars in the 3-2-3-2-3 arrangement which became the norm after the war and into the 20th Century. Now Navy boat flags have 50 stars.

 

[NFB22]

Yes certainly, but companies tended to focus on their purpose, and not everything.

Needs ways directory for owner. Think I had one not sure where it is, but in Branson anyway.

Way's Packet Directory, 1848-1994

The first Mississippi steamboat was a packet, the New Orleans, a side-wheeler built at Pittsburgh in 1811, designed for the New Orleans-Natchez trade. Packets dominated during the first forty years of steam providing the quickest passenger transportation throughout mid-continent America. The...

books.google.com

I purchased Way's Packet Directory just to find CW related steamers built by Howard Shipyard which was located right down the street from where I live but I have found myself using much more than I had ever anticipated. Especially when it comes to threads like this. It's a must have for anyone interested in not only Civil War-related naval history but maritime history in general along the Ohio and Mississippi and the many other inland waterways of the US.