Pam Schweinfurth and Ronda Snyder
The Marion Area Genealogy Society held their annual First Families/Civil War Banquet on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at the Prospect Street Methodist Church. After a brief business meeting, guest speaker Fred Malone, of the Marion County Historical Society, gave a presentation on the Steamship Sultana. In addition, two members were honored for being descended from Marion’s First Families.
The Sultana was a 1700-ton side-wheel steamboat, built in 1863 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was built primarily to hull cotton on the lower Mississippi River, and was designed to carry approximately 85 crew members and 295 passengers, along with their cargo.
On April 21, 1865, following the end of the Civil War, the Sultana arrived in Vicksburg, MS, with approximately 200 passengers and crew. There it took on an estimated 1965 federal soldiers and 35 officers who were just released from the rebel prison camps, mostly from Cahaba, and Andersonville; along with 2 companies of infantry under arms, and the ship’s crew, making an estimated 2300 people on board the ship.
At about 2am, on the night of April 27, just outside of Memphis, there was a horrific blast, as one of the boilers exploded, followed immediately by 2 more. In a short time, the entire ship was wrapped in flames and sinking into the Mississippi. Those who were not killed from the explosion were forced into the water, where many hundreds perished. Even those who could swim, could not escape those who could not. Adding to the confusion and chaos of the survivors, was the pitch-black, cloud cover of the night making it impossible to see the shoreline, so the men had no idea which direction to head.
It is estimated that approximately 1700 passengers, mostly from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia perished that night, mostly from drowning and hypothermia. Malone stated that this was probably the biggest maritime disaster in the world. It happened on American soil, and is virtually unheard of.
Malone shared that there were 7 Marion County men who were passengers aboard the Steamship Sultana. Surviving were Sgt. William Fies, Co. B; Sgt. Asaph O. Cranmer, Co. B; Pvt. James King Polk Brady, Co. B; Cpl. Simeon Landon, Co. D; and Pvt. Edward J. Kennedy, Co. K. Pvt. Casper Zimmer Co. B and Sgt. Hugh B. Bratton, Co. D did not survive.
After the program, our First Families Chairperson, Maxine Marshall, presented awards to Ronda Snyder and Pamela Schweinfurth. To become a member of the First Families of Marion County, you must prove your ancestors settled in Marion County prior to 1850. Snyder is a new member of the First Families of Marion County, having proven her line back to 1826. Schweinfurth was already a member, but was able to prove additional ancestors in her line, back to 1822.
After the award presentations, members enjoyed a lunch prepared by the ladies of the Prospect Street ME Church.
The group’s next meeting will be Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 10am, at the Marion County Historical Society. Guest speaker, Mary Kathleen Tripp will be giving a presentation on “Lizzie of Marion” the true story of an Ohio madam. Author Debra Lape will attend, and copies of her book “Looking for Lizzie” will be available.
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