Brother of Capt. Thomas Paul Leathers, owner, operator of the Natchez steamboat fleet operating up and down the Mississippi River. Thomas Leathers brother James, and sons of Thomas Leathers followed him in taking over the responsibility of being Captain of the series of Natchez steamboats built.

CHARLES BELCHER, LIAH, TUNA, SAXON, CRESCENT, AND NATCHEZ.—On the night of the 3d of February, 1854, the steamers Charles Belcher, Liah, Tuna, Saxon, Crescent and Natchez were consumed at the wharf at New Orleans. Fourteen negroes. Captain James Leathers, of the Natchez, the chambermaid and her child, all perished in the flames; Mrs. Carlisle, of St. Louis (wife of Captain Carlisle, of the steamer Charles Belcher,) was sick in bed at the time of the accident; but leaped, with great presence of mind and heroism, from the hurricane deck with her child in her arms, and was saved; Captain James Leathers was a young man, and highly esteemed by all who knew him; he was with General Lopez in his first expedition against Cuba, and fought like a lion.

Leathers had his first-ever Natchez built in 1846 for the New Orleans to Vicksburg cotton trade. He built his second in 1849, his third just four years later as a packet vessel departing New Orleans every Saturday afternoon. After only six weeks of service, the boat was consumed in the great New Orleans wharf fire of February 1853. Of the three lives lost, one was Leathers’ brother James. Undefeated by tragedy and the short life expectations of his steamboats (they lasted an average of just over seven years), Leathers built them bigger and better, all for the New Orleans-Vicksburg trade. He built his fifth in 1855; the sixth just five years later. After Natchez No. 6 burned in the Civil War, he was back in 1869 to build the boat of racing fame. At 1547 tons, it was over seven times more massive than his first. It ended up scrapped after putting in a decade of service. Leathers’ final Natchez lasted from 1879 to 1887, when he left the river with it.