LOSS OF THE SULTANA - REMINISCENCES OF SURVIVORS
Nathaniel FOGLESONG
I WAS born at Mansfield, Richland county, Ohio, in the year 1842, and moved from there to Wright, Hillsdale county, Mich., when ten years of age, living there until the fall of 1862. I enlisted to defend my country and to stand by the old flag in Company A of the 18th Michigan Infantry. From Wright we went to Camp Woodbury, Hillsdale, Mich.
I served with my regiment in all its campaigns until captured at the battle of
Athens, Ala., on the 24th of September, 1864, by Forrest's cavalry. They robbed
us of our blankets, watches, and of all our valuables, and then we marched over
rough roads, through rivers, and by rail to Cahaba, Ala., where we remained
until the 12th of April, 1865, when we were taken to "Camp Fisk," which is four
miles from Vicksburg, Miss., there to be recruited up so that we could stand a
journey north. They commenced giving us one quarter rations and increased it as
we starved creatures could stand it. We remained here until we received orders
to board the train at five o'clock P. M., on the 24th of April, 1865, for
Vicksburg.
While at Vicksburg the steamer, "Sultana" came steaming in with passengers and
crew numbering 110. The steamer remained here about thirty hours, and during
that time was boarded by 1,996 federal soldiers and 35 officers—just released
from the prisons at Cahaba, Ala., Andersonville and Macon, Ga., and belonging to
the States of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. We
were crowded on the boat like a flock of sheep until the whole number of
passengers was 2,141, besides horses, mules and a large number of hogsheads of
sugar; over six times her capacity. The overloaded boat steamed out of Vicksburg
at one o'clock A. M., on the 25th of April and arrived at Helena, Ark., at seven
o'clock A. M., and left there at eight o'clock. The boat ran smoothly and the
soldiers were enjoying the thought of being homeward bound. Yes, with joy that
cannot be expressed, although many of them were suffering from wounds received
in battle, and all were sadly emaciated from starvation in the prison pens where
we had been confined. But now we were en route for home, the cruel war was over
and the long struggle closed. Battles, sieges, marches and prison pens were
things of the past.
We arrived at Memphis at seven o'clock in the evening of the 26th. A guard was
stationed at the edge of the boat with orders not to let any of the prisoners
get off. I was not very well so I did not disturb the guard, but a number of the
boys went off the boat and enjoyed themselves. After unloading the cargo of
sugar she took on a supply of coal, and then started from Memphis about one
o'clock in the morning of the 27th. So far the presence of danger was not
manifested nor was it in the least anticipated except that the boat was heavily
loaded, but in the darkness of that terrible morning, between two and three
o'clock, just opposite Tagleman's Landing, eight miles above Memphis, suddenly,
and without warning, the steamer exploded one of her boilers with terrific
force, and in a few moments the boat burned to the water's edge. The steamer was
running at the rate of nine or ten miles an hour.
Mr. Roberry, the chief mate, who had charge of the boat, and who was among the
survivors, was in the pilot-house with Mr. Claton, the pilot, at the time of the
explosion. At that time I was sound asleep and the first thing I knew or heard
was a terrible crash and everything coming down upon us. I was lying on the
lower deck near the stern of the boat. I laid still a few minutes after the
explosion and my comrades said, "Thaniel, why don't you get up; the boat is all
on fire?" My reply was that I could not swim, but they said, "get ready and go
with us." I told them to save their own lives as I might be the cause of losing
them. I went with them to the edge of the boat and there we saw that the water
was full of men, horses, and mules. Several of the boys were determined to jump
off into the river, but I persuaded them to wait till the water was clearer and
they did so, thus saving their lives. I still remained on the boat and heard the
cries of comrades for help. Some of them calling on God for help, while others
took his name in vain. One poor fellow, Pat Larky, who belonged to Company E of
my regiment, had secured a board, and it seemed that every time he would try it
it would throw him off into the river. Pat shouted, "Come help poor Pat, he is a
drowning." The poor fellow went down. By this time the flames were cracking and
snapping over my head, threatening my life. I was thinking whether to burn or
drown, when a woman with a little babe about two months old came to me crying
for help. I told her it was every one for himself. I saw that she had on a life
pereserver but it was buckled down too low. I stepped up to her and was going to
unbuckle it, when she said, "Soldier, don't take that off from me." I said, "it
must be up under your arms." I placed it there, and took her by the hand and she
jumped into the water. She thanked me and said, "may the Lord bless you." She
lost her husband, baby, father, and mother there.
When I saw my condition I went down upon my knees and asked God to be merciful to
me, a sinner, and offered up the following prayer: "O Lord, if it is thy will
for me to be drowned in the Mississippi all is well, or, if not, may I return
home to see my father, brothers, and sisters." I then climbed up on the
banisters close to the rudder; being weak and feeble I almost lost my hold, I
grasped tighter and drew myself up and getting a new hold, reached out my arm so
that I could just place my fingers and foot on the rudder, then bent my head and
body, shoved my arm around the rudder, and as I let go dropped down on to the
lower deck. While hanging to the rudder a man cried, "Get off from me." I
replied, "In a minute." There were nine of us that had hold of that rudder and I
being the top one kept quiet. Soon the coals from above began to fall on my head
and shoulders and I began to think that I must get out of there. A part of the
deck burned off and fell into the water, and I tried to get those that were
under me to swim and get on to it, but all they said was: "My God, if we let go
of this we shall drown." I answered, "Let us die like men, helping ourselves,
for God helps those who help themselves in this case and I believe in all
others." The coals came thicker and faster so that I had to brush them off my
head and shoulders with one hand and hang on to the rudder with the other.
It will be seen that I had now to do something, consequently, I made up my mind,
by the assistance of God and his mighty power, that I would jump into the water,
and cried "Here goes for ninety days." I sank three times, and as I came up the
third time I grabbed a comrade by the heel. While catching my breath he kicked
me loose and down I went again. As I came up I grabbed the same comrade by the
ankle with one hand and with the other grabbed a wire rope to which I hung,
being nearly exhausted. Looking around I found a piece of scantling about 3x4,
and I thought it would help me in getting to a piece of deck which had floated
away from the boat, so I went kicking and paddling like a dog till I reached the
piece of deck. As I climbed upon it I heard comrade Borns of my regiment say,
"My God, is that you?" I replied, "Yes, all that is left of me." He then said,
"I have two boards and you shall have one."
I then started for the center of the deck. There was a hole burned in it which I
did not observe and down I went, but throwing out my arms I recovered myself
before falling far. Afterwards I was more careful, moving around closer to the
edge of the piece of deck, when, behold, there laid one of the deck hands and
two women scalded to death. I found a door and a piece of siding. I took the
piece of siding and shoved the door down to the comrades that were hanging on to
the rudder, and finally they all got upon the piece of deck.
By this time the citizens had their raft made and came and took us to the shore
where there was a log stable, and near it was a log heap where we warmed
ourselves and dried our clothes. As Sergeant Borns was destitute of clothing,
and the wind being very chilly, I took my pants and blouse and gave them to him
thus leaving me with my shirt and drawers. Borns said to me, "Foglesong, let us
go and pray to God, thanking Him for saving our lives and permitting us to stand
upon the earth once more?" I agreed, and he made the best and most fervent
prayer that I had ever heard.
Soon after this a boat came along, took us on board and carried us bank to
Memphis. I crawled into a bunk and soon fell asleep. The first thing I knew two
Sisters of Charity came along and said, "Here is a soldier." They awoke me and I
asked: "What do you want?" They said: "We want to put dry and clean clothes on
you." I was so weak that I could not stand alone, but they dressed and led me to
the top of the stairs where a lieutenant of an Indiana regiment took me, carried
me down and placed me in a bus with those two ladies. They took me to the
Overton hospital, and as I went into a ward one of my comrades of my regiment,
Sergeant Nelson Voglesong, grabbed me, saying, "I never expected to see you
again after I left you on the boat." He is dead now. They took me to the next
ward which was quite well filled with the boys that were on the boat, some of
them nearly dead and dying with the injuries received from the exposure. I
remained in the hospital ten days, then went by boat to Cairo, Ill., and from
there by rail to "Camp Chase," Ohio, where I was discharged from the service on
the 21st of June, 1865, and then went home to Wright, Hillsdale county, Mich.,
where I now reside.
(Reminiscences also linked in Full List of Men)
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