Because of his fascination with the river and the grand boats that traveled it, Sam seized the opportunity to become a pilot of the muddy waters. In 1857, he became a cub pilot on the Paul Jones steamboat, eventually receiving his pilot’s license in 1859. After completing his training, he was a riverboat pilot for four years, during which time he became familiar with the towns along the Mississippi River and their various inhabitants.
When the American Civil War broke out in April of 1861, the Mississippi River was effectively closed by both Union and Confederate forces, and Sam was forced to abandon his pilot career. Sam, whose allegiance tended to be Southern due to his heritage, joined the Confederate militia, but after three short weeks, he deserted and headed West. In his Autobiography, Twain remarked that “I resigned after two weeks service in the field, explaining that I was ‘incapacitated by fatigue’ through persistent retreating.” Orion convinced him to join an expedition to the Nevada Territory, a trip that became the subject matter of a later work, Roughing It (1872).
