THE SULTANA TRAGEDY (PT 1) THE WORST MARITIME DISASTER IN U.S. HISTORY

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

Jon Hagadorn

Society & Culture, History

4.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 31 March 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On April 27th, 1865, the steamboat Sultana, carrying over 2000 passengers, including over 1900 recently released Union soldiers, many of them weak and haggard from imprisonment at Andersonville and other camps, blew three boilers and caught fire, causing those aboard to die instantly or jump overboard. Also aboard were paid passengers, confederate soldiers, and a team of Christian nurses tending to the weakest and sickest prisoners. Less than half of the passengers survived. Corruption, mismanagement, greed, and very likely sabotage were responsible for this tragic incident. This is the story, with eyewitness accounts. APPLE .USERS New! 1001 True Stories with Brian Tremblay https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-true-stories-with-brian-tremblay/id1726451725 Catch 1001 Stories From The Old West- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-stories-from-the-old-west/id1613213865 Catch 1001's Best of Jack London- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-best-of-jack-london/id1656939169 Catch 1001 Radio Crime Solvers- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-radio-crime-solvers/id1657397371 Catch 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-heroes-legends-histories-mysteries-podcast/id956154836?mt=2 Catch 1001 Classic Short Stories at Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-classic-short-stories-tales/id1078098622 Catch 1001 Stories for the Road at Apple Podcast now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-stories-for-the-road/id1227478901 Enjoy 1001 Greatest Love + Life Stories on Apple Devices here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-greatest-love-stories/id1485751552 Catch 1001 RADIO DAYS now at Apple iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-radio-days/id1405045413?mt=2 Enjoy 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories and The Best of Arthur Conan Doyle https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-sherlock-holmes-stories-best-sir-arthur-conan/id1534427618 1001 History's Best Storytellers at Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-historys-best-storytellers/id1483649026 1001 Ghost , Chiller & Lovecraft https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-ghost-chiller-lovecraft-stories/id1516332327 8043 ANDROID USERS- 1001 True Stories with Brian Tremblay https://open.spotify.com/episode/1EOZTL42pg0szYdYV7mwMC?si=SCPAOiSgQiyo0ZSO_OFDyw&nd=1&dlsi=012b3f28347743d5 1001 Stories For the Road at Spotify= https://open.spotify.com/show/6FhlsxYFTGNPiSMYxM9O9K 1001's Best of Jack London at Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2HzkpdKeWJgUU9rbx3NqgF 1001 Stories From The Old West at Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0c2fc0cGwJBcPfyC8NWNTw 1001 Radio Crime Solvers at Spotify-(Sun & Wed) https://open.spotify.com/show/0UAUS12lnS2063PWK9CZ37 1001 Radio Days (Now Sun & Wed) at Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/5jyc4nVoe00xoOxrhyAa8H 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales at Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6rzDb5uFdOhfw5X6P5lkWn 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries at Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6rO7HELtRcGfV48UeP8aFQ 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4dIgYvBwZVTN5ewF0JPaTK 1001 History's Best Storytellers https://open.spotify.com/show/3QyZ1u4f9OLb9O32KX6Ghr 1001 Ghost , Chiller & Lovecraft https://open.spotify.com/show/5P4hV28LgpG89dRNMfSDKJ 1991 Greatest Love & Life Stories https://open.spotify.com/show/5sUUFDVTatnGt7FiNQvSHe Get all of our shows at one website: https://.1001storiespodcast.com My email works as well for comments: [email protected] SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! https://.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Oh, Welcome back everyone to one thousand one heroes, legends, histories and mysteries
0:36.2	podcast this is your host John Hagadorn. Today we begin the story of the
0:41.4	tragic sinking of the steamboat sultana on April 27th,
0:45.6	1865, which was carrying 1,960 Union prisoners of war who had been released from the Confederate prisons at Andersonville, Georgia and Kahaba, Alabama, and a full crew, as well as a group of Christian women who accompanied the men to provide care for the weak and malnourished prisoners who needed help the most.
1:05.2	Of the 2,128 persons who were jammed aboard the overcrowded steamer when the boilers exploded,
1:12.4	1,169 of them lost their lives after being tossed or forced to jump from the fiery boat into the frigid waters of the Mississippi River.
1:20.0	Many bodies were never found. The disaster was quickly overshadowed by historic events
1:26.8	as General Lee had surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appamatics on April night, and the newspapers were focused on that as well as on the
1:36.1	assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater in Washington DC a
1:40.4	story which became more intense every day as the plot was revealed and the search for
1:45.7	John Wilkes Booth on his colleagues intensified.
1:50.0	To a nation which had been pounded with news of war and death and now the loss of a beloved
1:54.8	president.
1:56.2	The news of the sinking of a boat full of pre-union prisoners?
1:59.8	Unfortunately and sadly was just a passing headline
2:04.8	We'll tell the whole story here and it's a story not only of the will to survive but of greed
2:11.0	corruption mismanagement and very possibly sabotage.
2:15.3	And yes, there are a number of theories which account for that, as well as a deathbed confession
2:20.2	from a southern agent who claimed responsibility for the sinking of a number of Union boats, including the sultana.
2:27.0	We will also bring into survivor accounts which recall a panic and fear experienced by those who lived through the explosion and the aftermath.
2:36.1	Men who were already severely weakened by malnutrition in deadly Confederate prison camps.
2:42.2	The Sultana tragedy is an incredible story of survival
	...

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