After heavy rains, the South Sulphur River overflows its banks and water “scatters” everywhere. Crossing on foot was extremely dangerous and horses often refused. Such was the situation a young lawyer trying to reach Greenville experienced in 1853.
Imagine traveling some ninety miles during a torrential rainstorm on a 21st century interstate highway. Yes, visibility would be limited and speed would be slower. Headlights would provide clarity. More than likely the driver would arrive safely, albeit with wet shoes when trying to get out of the car and stepping into a mud puddle. The drive would probably take no more than two hours depending on traffic.
Now imagine you are going roughly the same distance in March 1853. A young lawyer from Virginia made the trip in ten days. He “packed” his trunk with law books, clothing he thought he wouldn’t need, and other unnecessary items. He left the trunk with Judge Todd of the Eight District of Texas. Judge Todd was Circuit Judge for the entire region of Northeast Texas, including Red River County and Hunt County, the destination of our young lawyer. The judge travelled on horseback and occasionally in a buggy visiting some counties only twice throughout the year.
Northeast Texas is the headwaters for several Texas Rivers. Even today, spring rains cause these small creeks to overflow. Or rather, they “scatter”, leaving sheets of water on flat land. People, then as now, wait for the water to dry because the “black gumbo” or wet clay soil is almost impossible to travel.
The young lawyer piddled around in Jonesborough for three weeks after waiting two weeks in Clarksville. He hunted, went to dances, and enjoyed himself. He started for Tarrant, the county seat of Hopkins County on Friday to meet Judge Todd for the Spring Circuit. The first day he rode forty-six miles in the company of two friends. They decided to spend the night with one friend’s father-in-law. When they rode up they were met with the sound of a violin and saw heads popping up and down. After supper our young lawyer joined the festivities. He danced until about an hour before sunrise. At that point he threw himself on a bed and slept amid all the noise for a few hours.
At that point he jumped out of bed, washed his face and after a brief breakfast went to dancing again. The dancing continued until eleven o’clock that evening when the strings on the violin wore out. At that point rain commenced and poured down from Saturday night through Tuesday. Rain from previous spring storms had saturated the soil and filled eight to ten foot creek beds. With no drainage, the creeks scattered.
Shortly after the young lawyer left on Wednesday morning, he had to cross the Middle Sulphur River and the South Sulphur River. A man in the neighborhood “piloted” him through Middle Sulphur bottoms to the bridge, about a mile away. Water on that side of the bridge was about a foot deep, but when he and two more men reached the other side, they found twenty feet of water. There the two men left him after pointing the direction to Greenville.
When he reached the South Sulphur with a deeper bottom, the ground was a broad sheet of water. It was impossible to cross for two miles. He waited, primarily because his horse refused to cross the water. He did find a hut to rest in that night. The next morning he plunged in and with swimming and wading, he and the horse reached the opposite bank. His arrival in Greenville was greeted with cheers and amazement. Everyone believed he had performed a great feat!