The National tribune., 1889-04-18
SULTANA DISASTER.
What the Colonel Of tho Survivors, Association
Thinks Shnnld be Done.


Thinks Should be Done.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
of Jan. 3, 1889, | read short article by Phn-
cas- d. Parker about the Sultana disaster. He
says he was Engineer of the u. s. 5. Vindica-
tor, and that she was sids-wheeler. and the
wheels would clog with driftwood, and that the
wheels had to be cleared every day. He also
says: i wish to say that the most horrible
sight saw during my whole service was i'm
mediately after that calamity. When clearing
the wheels after the Sultana disaster we would
find them clogged with dead bodies from the
Sultana. The crew of the Vindicator were
mostly old soldiers, and there came very near
being revolt because we were not allowed to
bury the bodies which lodged in our wheels"
have letter in my possession, written May
%, 1887, by the Steersman of the u. S. gun
boat Exchange in April, 1865, in which he says
When coming up the Mississippi River, and
when within about 25 or 80 miles of Memphis,
/ saw what | supposed to be large amount OF
driftwood floating i'll the river, but my atten-
ton was directed to a large number of birds of
prey in company. On getting closer discov-
cred it to be human bodies at Cow-Island bar.
| was obliged to steer the vessel over the bar
to avoid running over the bodies. This was
the most heart-rending sight | ever beheld in
all my life"
Mr. MeClaskey (for that is his name) further
says: There was no effort made to bury those
bodies" Now |, as Colonel of the Sultana
Survivors Association, want to say a few things.
Why do none of the United States histories,
and but one of the histories of the war, ever
refer to that awful disaster? And why is it
that there is so little said about it anywhere,
or anyway? Is it to screen the infamous
Confederate blockade-runner, Lowden, who
put the torpedo in the coal that did the
bloody deed, or to cover up the shame
full aud inhuman conduct of the managers
of the ugly shareholders rebellion in drown
ing, burning, mangling and otherwise de-
destroying the poor sufferers who had survived
the cruelties and inhumanities of Cahaba
and AndeFsonville? The Sultana disaster was
without doubt, the most shocking and greatest
disaster of the war, and the most destructive
to life that ever happened to any vessel; about
1900 perishing outright, and several hundred
more dying in the next 10 days from wounds,
scalds and burns. All this was made much
more sad from the fact that we had lived
through the horrors of those rebel prison-pens
and were on our way home; and right in the
midst of those high hopes were slaughtered by
the hundred. 1t seems strange to me that
there should be so many left to tell the world
how JEFF Davis and his allies treated US when
they had us where they could starve us; and
then the bodies of the poor victims ground
up III the wheels Of steamboats, or left to be de-
voured by birds of prey, with the few living
nish the proof TO secure pension.
Now Dir. Editor, looking at those things as
| do from my point OF observation, / think
that THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE and every other
loyal paper in this country and every patriot
should speak out on this subject until two
things are done by the powers that be: First
a suitable monument be erected by the Gov
| ernmentsome where along the Mississippi River
near the place of the disaster in memory of the
lacE ,nir IN hot naci
fearful disaster; and, second, special pension
of about $50 a month be given to the suffering
survivors.
Now just few. reasons: First. about 1,50(
as noble heroes and as great sufferers as thi;
Nation ever had went down, and did not 81
much as have their poor emaciated bodie;
! buried. Let me ask should they not have a
| good monument rs any General? And, second
| because so many of the survivors cannot fur
nish the evidence the Government requires Il
get pension for injuries received in the disas
| ter. The Government asks the sworn state
| ment OF commissioned officer or two comrades
| who Were eyewitnesses to the injury.
/ was blown off the boat when sound asleel
and injured in my breast and groin and an
suffering from it every day live, but / canno
! tell how it was DONE nor what did it, muct
| less can anyone else. When the explosion oe
Cured we were sound asleep, and were blown
! up into the air among one another along Will
! pieces of the wreck, aud scarcely two of US wer
| taken out at the same place; hence we canuo
| help one another rs we could had we been in
jared in battle, i'll camp, or on the march.
am yoicing the sentiment of many loyal heart
when | say this Government will never do it
duty to its suffering defenders until respect
| able monument is erected in memory of tn
Sultana dead and a special pension is givel
! every survivors,. Ii. RANDEBAUGH, Colonel
Sultana Survivors Association, Co. K, 65tl
Ohio, Burgoon, o., or 2l9 Frazier ST., Findlay
0.