People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-09-01
WRECK OF THE sULTANA.
Bones of the Victims Exposed by the
Mississippi.

Bones of the Victims Exposed by the
Mississippi.
The wreck of the steamer Sultana,
winch occurred on April q, 1865, and
~, ch sent a shul!der over the entire
length and breadth of this land, has
Dsu. recalled by the action OF the
Mississippi river, on whose broad bo-
sla the catastrophe took place, and
in whose cold embrace hundreds OF
.v.d...S weCl; down TO rise no more.
The Sultana was very large Mis-
So n;.i river packet, which was en-
gag,I by the United States govern
NIT rs sccn as the civil war was
=. led, to convey federal troops from
the far south to their homes. The
steamer took on a large number OF
It's at NicksJurg, and took on sew
raj o.hu. small attachments en- the
NAY up. When she arrived here on
April % she had 2,3C0 federal soldiers
ABOARD.
The beat lay in this port for sew
eral hours discharging a cargo OF
molasseS, and started up the river
early on the morning of the 9th. She
had proceeded about six miles, being
opposite Hen and Chicken island,
when, without any warning whatever,
her boilers burst, her hog chains
parted, and the shattered wreck
caught fire. As many as 1000 soldiers
were killed or drowned as a result OF
the accident, and for four days doz-
ems of floaters were captured every
hour or so.
Many bodies were recovered near
the scene Of the wreck, and these
were buried at Mound City. At that
tine the people in this vicinity cared
precious little for Yankee soldiers,
though they gave them a decent
burial. No tombstones were erected
however, and the graves were no,
kept green.
When the Sultana's victims were
buried at Mound City the impromptu
graveyard in which their last sleeI
was to be slept was far from thu
rivers bank, but the Mississippi
seemingly with a fendish desire u
claim the bones OF these victims o
her waters to ripple over, as the.
have rippled over for years the bone
OF other victims of the same catas
trophe, has gradually worn away tn
ground until now she sweeps by tn
graveyard with steady, sullen muir
muir, and bones and CHASTITY skull
look down on the water from wher
| they lie, a few feet away.
3 One skeleton which has been ex
I posed by the river brings to mind
lynching which occurred just afte
the war at Mound City. A horse THE
}, had been operating in that vicinit
r for some time, and the people bande
I together 10 capture him. He was
e tall, dashing sort of fellow, VIII
e wore high-heeled and high-toppe
= boots. One day the thief fell into tn
+ hands of the vigilance committee, an
v a short time afterward he danced
i wild jig at the end Of a rope whic
a Was attached to one OF the trees nea
: by the place where the Sultana's viz
d tins had been buried. After the lii
4 had been choked out Of him, and nfte
n sunday holes had been pumped int
= him by rife balls, he was cut dow
+ and chucked into a rough box, an
A in a few minutes he was ready N
r burial The horsethief had been foo
l. ish enough to grow long and tall, an
h this caused him to rest for man
m years in most uncomfortable pos
NJ ticn, for the lynchers had rather
s. short box in which to bury him, ar
they doubled up his legs SO that all
him could be slowed away inside d
30 box.
e. One of the skeletons washed out
ae the river is doubled up in rude DO
Is A portion of the boots which Il
of skeletons owner wore can be see
es and they are ,high-heeled and hig
d, topped. This must be the horse thi'
a His skull was lying exposed a fe
*, days ago, and may be there yet.
10, Memphis Scimitar.