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| The '''James River Bateau''' was a shallow draft river craft used during the period from ] to ] to transport ] and other cargo on the ] and its tributaries in the state of ]. It was flat bottomed and pointed at both ends. The length of the bateau varied greatly, 58 feet being a common length. The bateau was propelled by bateaumen pushing with long sturdy poles. Alternate spellings of bateau include batteau, batoe and the plurals bateaux, batoes, and batteaux. Bateau is the French word for ''boat''. In the colonial days, bateaus were used extensively in rivers throughout the eastern part of the United States, but the coverage of this article is confined to those that plied the James River in the state of ]. | The '''James River Bateau''' was a shallow draft river craft used during the period from ] to ] to transport ] and other cargo on the ] and its tributaries in the state of ]. It was flat bottomed and pointed at both ends. The length of the bateau varied greatly, 58 feet being a common length. The bateau was propelled by bateaumen pushing with long sturdy poles. Alternate spellings of bateau include batteau, batoe and the plurals bateaux, batoes, and batteaux. Bateau is the French word for ''boat''. In the colonial days, bateaus were used extensively in rivers throughout the eastern part of the United States, but the coverage of this article is confined to those that plied the James River in the state of ]. | ||
Revision as of 13:14, 14 June 2006
Not to be confused with Bateau Bay, New South Wales.
The James River Bateau was a shallow draft river craft used during the period from 1775 to 1840 to transport tobacco and other cargo on the James river and its tributaries in the state of Virginia. It was flat bottomed and pointed at both ends. The length of the bateau varied greatly, 58 feet being a common length. The bateau was propelled by bateaumen pushing with long sturdy poles. Alternate spellings of bateau include batteau, batoe and the plurals bateaux, batoes, and batteaux. Bateau is the French word for boat. In the colonial days, bateaus were used extensively in rivers throughout the eastern part of the United States, but the coverage of this article is confined to those that plied the James River in the state of Virginia.
Origin of James River bateau
Anthony Rucker. the Elder, was the original inventor and constructor of the James River Bateau in the year, 1775. It was a boat essentially different from any before that time used on the rivers of Virginia. Rucker’s design was successfully patented many years after its development. The earliest known reference to the bateau comes from Thomas Jefferson’s account book, dated April 19, 1775. Jefferson had been at the first launching and forty-six years later was to witness the successful patenting of the Bateau by heirs of the Rucker's.” Unfortunately, none of the original bateaus exist. Some remains were uncovered by construction workers at the site of the James River and Kanawha Canal Basin.
Tobacco and bateaus
The five Rucker brothers were among the tobacco planters in Amherst County, Va. In fact, Anthony Rucker was Tobacco Inspector for Amherst County, Virginia. The need to transport large Hogshead of tobacco to the port at Richmond, Va. no doubt motivated the Rucker brothers to develop the bateau. It was just wide enough to accommodate standard hogsheads (barrels) across the floor. The tobacco hogshead became standardized by the 1760’s and measured 48 inches long and 30 inches in diameter at the head. They held about 1000 pounds of tightly packed tobacco. Larger bateaus could transport 10 or more hogsheads, depending on river conditions. Tobacco was a very profitable crop and because of cheap slave labor vast amounts of it were produced by planters along the James River basin.
Upper James River transportation
The bateau became such a useful craft that it was not only used for transportation of tobacco, but for other cargo as well. It was also used for passenger transportation. During the period of 1820 to 1840, at least 500 bateaus and 1500 bateaumen, nearly all black, operated on the James river between Lynchburg, Virginia and Richmond, Virginia. The use of the bateau sharply declined after 1840 when the James and Kanawha River Canal reached Lynchburg, Virginia. The packet boat and rail took over the cargo.
Construction details
The James River bateau was designed for freight and for ease of navigation in the shallow rocky waters of the upper James. Thomas Jefferson, in 1775, recorded the purchase of a bateau in his account book, stating, “Apr. 29. Rucker’s battoe (sic) is 50. f. long. 4.f. wide in the bottom & 6.f. at top. she carries 11. hhds & draws 13 1/2 I. water.” Typical bateaus were thought to be about 58 feet in length, some shorter, some longer. They had no keel to interfere with navigating river rapids, and were well adapted to shallow water, having a draft of about 12 - 18 inches when loaded. They measured 6 - 8 feet at the beam. The sides varied from 18 inches to 24 inches in height. Very long planks, fastened to ribs, formed the sides and bottom. The nose cones were built and attached separately to facilitate maintenance since the ends of the bateau received abuse from the river rocks. The bateau had no rudder and was guided by long sweeps that engaged notches formed in the tip of the nose cones. The cargo versions had no seats. Passenger versions had a canopy and some had oar locks.
James River Batteau Festival
Even though the working bateau is no longer used, historians and river enthusiasts still keep the memory alive. Replicas of the bateaus have been built around the country and bateau river cruises are available in a number of states. Since 1985, the James River Batteau Festival has promoted a bateau run from Lynch's Landing in Lynchburg to Maiden's Landing in Richmond, a distance of about 120 river miles. Seventeen batteaux crews and a large number of canoeists participated in the 2005 festival.
Notes
- Lynchburg Virginian, August 17, 1821. Jones Memorial Library, Lynchburg, Virginia.
- ^ Rucker’s “Battoe” – A Study of the James River Batteau By Thomas D. Mackie, Director, Amherst County Historical Muse
- ^ Baldwin, Leland: 1941 The Keelboat Age on Western Waters. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh.
- Ann Royal, Mrs. Royalls Southern Tour (Washington D.C. by Author), 1830 p112
- James River Batteau Festival website
- Lynch's Landing website
See also
External links
- Yahoo! Group: Batteau
- Batteau enthusiasts website
- Photos of James River Batteaux Festival
- Study of the James River Bateau
- Rucker’s Bateau
- The Black Bateaumen
- History of Colonial Bateau
- Bateaux and Batoe Men