Old book tells of mail carrier mishap on Flat Creek in Monroe County

I recently finished reading an old book called “The Adventures of Two Alabama Boys” by Dr. Hezekiah John Crumpton and the Rev. Washington Bryan Crumpton, who both lived in Alabama in the early 1800s.

Published in 1912 by Paragon Press in Montgomery, this book tells of how the two brothers spent their early years in Dallas County before moving to Camden when they were young. At the time they moved to Camden, the town was called Barboursville, which the Crumpton brothers spelled “Barbersville.” Barboursville was renamed Camden in 1841.

“The Adventures of Two Alabama Boys” is divided into three sections. The first section, written by Hezekiah, describes their family history and details his early life in Dallas and Wilcox counties. This section also details his travels to California during the “Gold Rush” of 1849.

The book’s second section, written by Washington, tells of how the two brothers reunited in California in the days before the War Between the States. This section also relates how Washington made his was back home through “Yankee territory” to join the Confederate army. The third section, also written by Washington, describes how the two brothers reunited in California after being separated for 40 years.

One section of the book that might interest Monroe County history buffs is the portion in which Hezekiah describes his work as a muleback mail carrier in the 1840s. His route ran from Old Cahaba in Dallas County and across the Alabama River to Camden. From there, his route took him into Monroe County with stops at Bells Landing and Claiborne before ending at Stockton in Baldwin County.

Hezekiah, with “an ambition to do faithful and efficient service,” said he sometimes took “reckless risks.” Hezekiah goes on to tell the story of how he once entered Monroe County’s Flat Creek when the “old worn-out mule was unable to stem the stiff current. We were carried down the stream toward the river not far away. A friendly over-hanging grape-vine gave me a stopping place and not far below, the mule lodged in a submerged tree top.

“My lusty yells brought the good Samaritan. When about to swim out to rescue me, he was disgusted when told to first save the mule and mail. This he did in good shape; meantime I did my own swimming. The water was emptied out of the mail bag, the bag thrown across the saddle, the mule mounted and away we went for a bridge several miles up the steam.”

It’s my belief that Hezekiah was likely traveling along what was once known as Rose’s Trail. This old path, which was heavily used in the days before steamboats appeared on the Alabama River, ran from Claiborne to Cahaba. Exactly where this path crossed Flat Creek, I do not know. It would also be interesting to know who the “good Samaritan” was who aided Hezekiah and his poor mule.

In the end, if you’re interested in reading “The Adventures of Two Alabama Boys,” you can find it online. It was published so long ago that it is now in the public domain, that is, you can read it for free. The copy that I read was made available online by the University of North Carolina.