The SULTANA REMEMBERED
The SULTANA REMEMBERED
They were brought to Vicksburg to begin the long journey home to places like Knoxville, Tennesse; Madison, Indiana; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Most were walking skeltons; many had to be carried on litters. All were in high spirits. About 2,400 of them were loaded at Vicksburg onto one small steamer, the SULTANA, like so much baggage. Within 48 hours nearly 1,800 of them would be dead in the Mississippi River above Memphis- either drowned or blown to bits by the explosion of the ship's boiler. For some, death was merciful; for others, unspeakable agony. It was 2 AM, April 27, 1865, and this would stand as the greatest maritime disaster of all time in America.
For years the members of the SULTANA SURVIVOR'S ASSOCIATION met on the anniversary of the disaster and marveled at their luck, mourned their more unfortunate comrades, and traded stories of their shared experiences of that terrifying night. When the last veteran died in 1930, the Association ceased to exist.
In 1987 a Knoxville attorney, fascinated by what he had learned about the Sultana disaster, ran an article in a Knoxville paper asking that any interested descendants of Sultana survivors or victims meet at the SULTANA MEMORIAL MONUMENT that had been erected in 1916 in a local cemetery. To his surprise, fifty people showed up, and the ASSOCIATION OF SULTANA DESCENDANTS AND FRIENDS was begun.
THE SULTANA REMEMBERED is the official newlsetter of this group. It is published quarterly and is for descendants and people who are interested in the Sultana. Two important books about the Sultana disaster have recently been written: (you can order them at The Sultana Electronic Book Store)