The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-14
A SULTANA SURVIVOR.
Thrilling Experience of an Indiana Soldier
on the Ill-Fated Steamer.

Written for the indianapolis Journal.
Mr. Perry Summerville, an unobtrusive farmer
residing near this city, is one of the 600 sur
vivors Of the Inflated steamer, the Sultana,
which, having on hoard 1900 Union soldiers en-
route home from the prison pens of the South,
exploded her boilers and sunk almost instantly
in the Mississippi eight miles above Memphis,
April p. 1865. The explosion occurred at night,
the cause still remaining mystery. The fatal
ity is one of the most disastrous of the kind on
record, and forms one of the saddest chapters in
the history of the late war for the preservation
of the Union. Recently the survivors met at
Fostoria, o., and effected permanent organiza-
ton. It is their intention to hold annual re-
unions.
Mr.. Summervile's story is plain recital of
facts. but for that very reason is one Of the
most interesting Of all the "reminiscences
now being assiduously garnered in which the ro-
nance of the war shall be perpetuated side by
side with its more technical history The story
is especially interesting on this, the eve of the
campfire. to be held in Indianapolis. If the ex-
periences of Indiana soldiers, during the war,
that were full Of thrilling interest and daring ex-
plot were gathered up and given to the public
in book form, handsome contribution to the
soldiers monument fund might be realized, if the
proceeds were devoted to that purpose. Public
interest in the subject is great. and the time
for such compilation is now, if these heroic acts
are to be preserved Mr.. Summerville was
private In Company K Forty first Regiment,
Second Indiana Cavalry Volunteers His story
is as follows:
''At my capture, near Stilesboro, Georgia,
Sept Ii. 1864, was taken to Cahawba prison,
where remained for six months, when. with
the rest of the prisoners, / was taken to Big
Black via jackson, Mississippi. and exchanged.
we remained ma in parole camp, four miles
which We put on board the s steamer a she
Sultana, at Vicksburg My quarters were on
the cabin-deck. ON the guard, to the efthand side
over and opposite the boilers. We got to Mem
phs on the eve of April &C. There the steamer
unloaded a large amount of sugar, after which
she ran Up. to the coal barge and was taking on
coal. ard that was the last knew until was
in the river In the explosion was thrown at
least hundred feet / sunk only once. My
first thought was that the steamer was running
excited for few moments and
commenced to swim towards the boat and to
call for help. l had not gone far till l saw
steam and fire and hear screams coming from
the steamer, so l commenced to swim down
stream had not proceeded far till the steamer
was a6ame. I got hold of a rail, which proved
to be great assistance. When the steamer took
fire, the passengers jumped overheard. / saw
twenty or. more jump at once. The burning
steamer, the shrieks and groans of the manned
and scalded victims Of the explosion. the despair
and confusion of the hour were painfully wrought
on my memory whore they are to this day in
iyfc i or int hov ,sot,,r
leave it to the imagination of the reader.
I'm swimming down the river, could see the
timber on the right and left but could
not make in to the shore. About two
to obtain large plank, which / drew
across the end of the rail in front / held the
rail with my feet, and the plank with my hands
lay so near the surface of the water that l
came near freezing. was rescued at Memphis
my rescuer being colored man, who picked me
up in a canoe, and placed me on board vessel
was SO chilled from floating in the river dis
tance of eight miles / could not stand, from
numbness, when rescued. Besides, had been
scaded on the back and bruised on the breast in
the explosion, and spit blood for some time.
II never knew what became of the man who
occupied the berth with me on board the illf ted
steamer. had not been in the vessel long after
having been picked up till a man was brought n
who badly scalded that the skin slipped
from his shoulders to his hands He was wrapped
up in oil. and he walked the floor in agony for a
few minutes. and was dead! A lady was also
brought in who had husband and several chill
dren on board, and she was almost insane
from grief. 1 think she never heard of
them. might refer to many other heart-rend-
ing scenes that were witnessed by rescuers who
picked up the MANNED, scalded, half-frozen sur
vivors from the river during the whole darkness
of that terrible night, and in the gray of the toll
lowing dawn. 1t requires no stretch of the i'm
agination for the reader to realize something of
tho horrors Of the occasion. There must have
been 5000 on board, fully 1000 of whom were
killed by the explosion, drowned or met with
death from exposure.
II we'll remember my eight miles swim, or
rather float in the river. mile or two below
the scene of the explosion a gun boat passed MS
going up the river, but it eitherdid not see any
pick up any. little later on heard horse
coming down the river. When he came close
enough l saw a half-dozen men clinging to him.
kept clear of the horse or rather the men
for fear OF losing my rail and
Of the Second Michigan Cavalry. who for quite
distance swan by my SIDE All knew Jerry, who
was much of favorite. At times several of us
would be close together, when Jerry would cheer
us by saying we would all get out yet. Jerry
was aloat on barrel, and was among those
rescued A man by the name Of Kibbe foated
with me for quite distance He was cheerful,
except when talking about his little girll After
the rescue we started to Camp Chase, O., first
ndFluS epcut q low udyS In the hospital AT
Indianapolis, Governor Morton the great war
Governor, stopped us as Indiana soldiers, where
kind treatment and the sight of friends and loved
ones at home soon caused us to forget in a
measure one Of the darkest and most terrible
disasters of war-times." A. F. BRIDGES
BRAZIL, Feb. II
The Sailors Kinney Shooting.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
ArTIcA, Ind. Feb. 1.-THE preliminary ex-
animation of John w. Sailors, on the charge of
attempting to kill Isaac Kinney at his homo in