A great riverboat race took place from June 30 to July 4, 1870. It was between two opulent steamboats, the Natchez and the Robert E. Lee. It started in New Orleans and ended in St. Louis.
I won't give the winner of the race here, instead I'll suggest you read the article Waiting For the Robert E. Lee at Yankee Jazz Beat!
On a personal note my great great grandfather Frank Wecker who had been a drummer boy from Kentucky during the Civil War, after the war actually found himself working on the famous riverboat Robert E. Lee.
There are also a couple of jazz tunes tied in with this famous race!
