The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #3018   Message #3589840
Posted By: Lighter
07-Jan-14 - 04:34 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Stagger Lee / Stack O'Lee / etc.
Subject: RE: Origins: Stagger Lee
Concerning riverboat Captain Stack Lee (not the badman):

Public Ledger (Memphis, Tenn.) (Aug. 4, 1875), p. 3:

THE QUICKSTEP ...

Captain Stack Lee will Wake 'em
Up, After making them Hop
with the Gallant Phil
Allin.

Captain Stack Lee starts out to day with the staunch and elegant steamer Quickstep, in the Friar's Point trade in place of the Phil Allin, the latter going to the bank to be put in complete order for the fall season. ...[Etc.]

Advertisement, Memphis Daily Appeal (Nov. 14, 1876), p. 4:

"U.S. Mail - for Arkansas City, Chicot, Napoleon, Friars Point and Helena.
The elegant passenger packet PHIL ALLIN [sic]

"Stacker [sic] Lee ... master
Making all Way Landings in the Bends.
Leaves every Monday and Thursday at 5 o'clock p.m."

Same, Dec. 13, 1877, p. 4:

"For Friars Point.

"Lee Line Steamers!
Carrying United States Mail.
Str. Coahona.
Stacker Lee....master/ E. R. Thomas....clerk."

Evidently he was "Stack" for short.