Today in Wheeling History: April 27--The steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River, killing over 1,700 people, including several Union soldiers from the Wheeling area who were returning home after being released from Confederate prison camps at the end of the Civil War (1865).
On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River, killing over 1,700 people in the worst maritime disaster in United States history. Many of the passengers were Union soldiers, including several from the Wheeling area, who had recently been released from Confederate prison camps and were making their way home at the end of the Civil War. The Sultana was severely overloaded, carrying over 2,000 passengers on a boat designed for only 376. Despite the tragic loss of life, the disaster was overshadowed in the press by other historic events in April 1865, such as the fall of Richmond, Lee's surrender at Appomattox, Lincoln's assassination, and the killing of John Wilkes Booth. Several Wheeling soldiers are known to have been aboard the ill-fated Sultana, some perishing in the disaster while others survived the explosion and frigid waters of the Mississippi.
Among the Wheeling area survivors were:
Henry Foster, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (1st West Virginia Infantry), was rescued clinging to the top of a tree after hours in the Mississippi. He returned to Wheeling and is buried at Mount Wood Cemetery.
Theophilus W. Richardson, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (1st West Virginia Infantry), who had previously escaped from Andersonville Prison, survived the Sultana disaster and was taken to the Soldiers' Home in Memphis. He died nine years later and is buried in Sardis, Ohio.
George C. Loy, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (Carlin's Battery), jumped into the icy Mississippi when the explosion occurred. After waiting hours to be rescued, he was taken unconscious to Washington Hospital in Memphis. Loy died at age 35 and is buried at Mount Wood Cemetery.
George Smith, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (Carlin's Battery), suffered a skull fracture in the disaster. After spending several hours in the Mississippi River, he was sent to a hospital and then transferred to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Memphis. Smith later lived at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Adams County, Illinois, and is buried at Woodland Cemetery in Quincy, Illinois.
Thomas Moore and DeMarquis Lafayette (Lafe) Githens, both originally from Ohio (50th Ohio Infantry), survived and settled in Wheeling after the war. Moore, whose hands were scalded and feet burned, operated a grocery store on Wheeling Island. Githens, who seized a window shutter and leaped into the water, was rescued and taken to Overton Hospital in Memphis. Moore is buried at River View Cemetery in Martins Ferry, Ohio, and Githens at Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling.
Their stories offer poignant glimpses into this often forgotten tragedy at the end of the Civil War that directly impacted many Wheeling families.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/3mk32jhp) (https://tinyurl.com/4hfesppf) (https://tinyurl.com/ywvcnp35) (https://tinyurl.com/ze5jcz9f) (https://tinyurl.com/2hs3hhp4) (https://tinyurl.com/jyezhehw) (https://tinyurl.com/mr2h6yxn)
Photo credits: Wikipedia, Find a Grave
On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River, killing over 1,700 people in the worst maritime disaster in United States history. Many of the passengers were Union soldiers, including several from the Wheeling area, who had recently been released from Confederate prison camps and were making their way home at the end of the Civil War. The Sultana was severely overloaded, carrying over 2,000 passengers on a boat designed for only 376. Despite the tragic loss of life, the disaster was overshadowed in the press by other historic events in April 1865, such as the fall of Richmond, Lee's surrender at Appomattox, Lincoln's assassination, and the killing of John Wilkes Booth. Several Wheeling soldiers are known to have been aboard the ill-fated Sultana, some perishing in the disaster while others survived the explosion and frigid waters of the Mississippi.
Among the Wheeling area survivors were:
Henry Foster, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (1st West Virginia Infantry), was rescued clinging to the top of a tree after hours in the Mississippi. He returned to Wheeling and is buried at Mount Wood Cemetery.
Theophilus W. Richardson, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (1st West Virginia Infantry), who had previously escaped from Andersonville Prison, survived the Sultana disaster and was taken to the Soldiers' Home in Memphis. He died nine years later and is buried in Sardis, Ohio.
George C. Loy, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (Carlin's Battery), jumped into the icy Mississippi when the explosion occurred. After waiting hours to be rescued, he was taken unconscious to Washington Hospital in Memphis. Loy died at age 35 and is buried at Mount Wood Cemetery.
George Smith, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia (Carlin's Battery), suffered a skull fracture in the disaster. After spending several hours in the Mississippi River, he was sent to a hospital and then transferred to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Memphis. Smith later lived at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in Adams County, Illinois, and is buried at Woodland Cemetery in Quincy, Illinois.
Thomas Moore and DeMarquis Lafayette (Lafe) Githens, both originally from Ohio (50th Ohio Infantry), survived and settled in Wheeling after the war. Moore, whose hands were scalded and feet burned, operated a grocery store on Wheeling Island. Githens, who seized a window shutter and leaped into the water, was rescued and taken to Overton Hospital in Memphis. Moore is buried at River View Cemetery in Martins Ferry, Ohio, and Githens at Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling.
Their stories offer poignant glimpses into this often forgotten tragedy at the end of the Civil War that directly impacted many Wheeling families.
To learn more: (https://tinyurl.com/3mk32jhp) (https://tinyurl.com/4hfesppf) (https://tinyurl.com/ywvcnp35) (https://tinyurl.com/ze5jcz9f) (https://tinyurl.com/2hs3hhp4) (https://tinyurl.com/jyezhehw) (https://tinyurl.com/mr2h6yxn)
Photo credits: Wikipedia, Find a Grave
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