Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-25
A GREAT WAR DISASTER.
ENpiosion Near Memphis I'm Which
1,ooO Soldiers Lost Their Lives.
From the Memphis Scimi,sr

l,ooo Soldiers Lost Their Lives
From the Memphis Scimitar
Inc wreck of the steamer Sultaua which
occurred on April p, 1SG5 and which semi
shudder over the entire length and
breadth OF this land, has been recalled nv
the action Of the Mississippi river. on
whose broad bosom the catastrophe took
place and in whose cold embrace hundreds
OF soldiers went down to rise no more
Inc Suitana was a very large Mississipni
river packet, which was engaged by the
United States government as soon as the
CIVIL war was ended 10 convey faderaI
troops from the far south to their bor,aa
Inc steamer took on a large number Of
troops at Nfcksburg, and took on several
S 0tter smaller attachments on the way up.
When she arrived here on April ~ she bad
100 federal soldiers aboard
n ne boat lay In this port for several hours
olscharsihg a cargo of molasses, and start
90 up lhe river early on the morning of the
18th She had proceeded about six miles
being opposite Hen and Chicken Island
wren. without any warning whatever her
boiiers burst, her hog chains parted and
the shattered wreck caught fire As MANY
as l,Sp soldiers were killed or drowned as
result OF the accident, and for four days
dozens OF fioaters were captured every hour
or SO.
Many bodies were recovered near tha
scene OF the wreck, and these were buried
!
TINS vicinity cared precious little for
ankee soldiers, though they gave them a
decent burial No tombstones were erect
ed, however, and the graves We're not kent
green.
When the Sultana's victims were hu,,a,
at Mound City the impromptu graveyard in
Whlch their last sleep was to be slep, was
lar from the rivers bank but the Missis-
sippi. seemingly with a fiendish desire 10
claim the bones OF these victims for her
waters 10 ripple over, as they have rippled
over Tor years the bones of other victims
OF the same catastrophe. has gradually
worn away the ground until now she
sweeps by the graveyard with a steady
sullen murmur, and bones and CHASTITY
Skulls look down on the water from where
they lie. few feet away
one skeleton which has been exnoeed NV
the river brings to mind a lynching which
occurred just after the war at Mound City
A horse thief had been operating in thar
vicinity fer some time. and the people
banded together TO capture him He was
q tan, dashing sort of fellow WHO wore
high heeled and high-topped boots. ono
DAY the thief fell INTO the hands of the vigil
lance committee. and a short time after
ward he danced wind Jig at the end of a
rope winch was attached to one of the
trees near by the place where the Sultana's
Nlctlms had been buried. After the life had
been choked out of him, and after slndry
holes had been pumped into him by rifle
balls, he was cut down and chucked into a
rough box. and in a few minutes he was
ready fer burial. The horse thief had been
loolisn enough TO grow long and tail. and
thls caused him 10 rest for mary years i'm
a mos; uncomfortable position for the
lynchers mad rather a short box in which
to bury him, and they doubled up his legs
SO that all of him could be slowed away
inside the box.
one of the skeletons washed out by the
river is doubled up in rude box. A por-
ton OF the boots which the skeletons own
er wore can be seen. and they are high
H..
morse thief His skull was lying exposed a
Few days ago, and may be there yet.