Questions remain about the sinking of 'The Henderson' at Old Claiborne

U.S. Highway 84 Bridge at Claiborne, Alabama.

Old Claiborne is the most intriguing historic site in all of Monroe County, and hardly a month goes by that I don’t venture down there to see the river, if only for a few minutes. Last Thursday was one such day as I took a short field trip to see how many fishermen were making use of the boat landing at the Claiborne-Murphy Bridge.

My arrival found a couple of fishermen stowing their life jackets so they wouldn’t blow away during their ride home. They gave me a cursory wave as I eased by, and their expressions told me that they were either too hot or that the fish weren’t biting. I parked out of the way and got out for a stroll down to the riverside. It was a muggy and the smell of river mud was strong. On the upshot, there wasn’t a mosquito in sight.

A few minutes later, I was standing alone on the bank, my boots caked in soft mud that was beginning to turn gray as it dried. There wasn’t a boat in sight, and the only thing disturbing the quiet afternoon was the “whump-whump” of an 18-wheeler headed west over the bridge towards Grove Hill. High overhead, the black shape of a large bird, maybe a buzzard, wheeled in the sky.

For whatever reason, my thoughts turned to “The Henderson,” a 123-ton riverboat that sank about one mile from where I stood, nearly two centuries ago, in April 1825. The Henderson was the boat that brought French General Lafayette to Claiborne just a few weeks before she struck another riverboat, The Balize, and sank beneath the muddy waters of the Alabama River. His fame largely forgotten today, Lafayette was a Revolutionary War hero, and he is arguably one of the most famous celebrities to ever visit Monroe County.

There are many tales about The Henderson, but perhaps the most famous of these is the story of its lost cargo. Among other valuables, the riverboat was said to have carried a large shipment of fine whiskey, wine and brandy in large wooden barrels. Some believe that this cargo remains buried in the mud south of the Claiborne-Murphy Bridge.

I’ve heard accounts over the years that divers have attempted to recover (sometimes secretly) The Henderson’s cargo, but whether of not this is true is unknown. Some say the wreckage is still down there if you know where to look, while others say that dredging years ago destroyed the wreckage. The truth may lie in some combination of these murky stories.

In the end, I’d like to hear from anyone in the reading audience with more information about The Henderson. Perhaps some readers know exactly where this old riverboat came to rest. Others might be willing to show me on a map where it sank beneath the river’s waters. Of course, if you want to take me to the actual spot, I’m game, because I’m always up for a field trip, especially if it involves Old Claiborne.