Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-11-26
Civil War Stories
Explosion of the Sultana.

Explosion OF Ine SuAt0hAs
On the oath of April, 1865, all the
paroled men left at Vicksburg were put
on board the Sultana for home. You
who have been at the front and in
prison can recall the thrill these
words sent through you, when, after
years of suffering and danger, it was
echoed through the campaigning
home" We had starved, some Of us
eight and others twelve months in
rebel prisons, and were nearly wild
with joy as we stepped on board the
steamer, little dreaming SO many of
us would never leave it alive. Moth
ing occurred to give us any uneasiness
during the first two days, and after
few hours spent at Memphis unload
Ing sugar, we again started up stream.
It was late in the night when we left
Memphis, and the most Of the men
were asleep. l was caring for sick
comrade of the same company, and we
had a comfortable place between the
smokestacks where 1t was quite warm,
and were soon fast asleep. At about
8 a. m. of the 9th, we were awakened
and such an awakening. My first
real sense of what had occurred was
from the steam and coal-smoke COM
ing up from the exploded boiler, and
I was badly scalded, and nearly suffo-
Gated. | could not see, but thought
of my companion, and reached out my
Int hn 7
name, and got no answer Then l
thought would get down to the lower
deck and see what was to be done,
but when / tried / could only move my
hands and feet The hurricane deck
had been torn in two, and the front
end had fallen on me in such man
ner as to fasten me, while it did not
cause me any pain. l cannot say how
long I was kept there, very likely but
few minutes, but 1t seemed hours to
me until sudden jar of the boat loos-
ened me, and taking advantage of 1t
was soon scrambling up the slanting
deck, looking for place to get down.
A rope hanging from spar seemed
the only way, and Selling it was soon
among the hundreds of frightened men
below There was no one to give any
command, and every one seemed wild
with fear and excitement. l looked for
something to float, but could not find
a thing. Meanwhile the flames were
fast licking up the shattered boat, and
it was plain we must soon trust our
selves to the water.
I walked to the lower side Of the
boat, but the sight that met my gaze
made me return. The water was thick
with men who had jumped in and 9TH
ers were jumping as fast as they could
get a chance, striking and sinking
those beneath only in turn to be sunk
by the next that jumped. Realizing
that our time was about up, I repaired
to the other side, where only one man
was to be seen, and thinking it the
safest, sprang in, to be chased by him.
He was a good swimmer, but scared;
and it scared me too when | saw his
eyes and heard him calling me to save
him. If he had got hold of me it would
have been the last of both of us, so
put in a few good strokes and es-
capped him. After swimming nearly or
quite three miles, I got to some will
lows and chung to them until s a. M,
when the Silver Spray took off about
fifty of us who had got to that place.
We were taken to Memphis, where we
were cared for until another boat
could take us, when we were sent
home. Out of the 1890 men on board
the Sultana, three out of every four
died there, with home and peace al
most within sight. 1t was the sad
dest sight human eye ever Witnessed
One of the Survivors.