USA > Ohio > In the 50th Ohio serving Uncle Sam : memoirs of one who wore the blue > Part 17
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He prayed earnestly if God would only spare his life to reach his home, he would devote the balance of his days to His service. But at the time, I had not recognized the voice, but now as day- light had come, I looked around me to see who had been saved with me, and I found that it was Corporal John Fox that had been praying, and one of the comrades I had been sleeping with when the explosion occurred.
Comrade Fox after getting on the building with us, drew from his pocket a plug of tobacco that was considerably swollen, having come in contact with the water in the river.
Fox passed his tobacco around among us, and after a few jokes about its swollen condition, we each took a chew, and had quite a sociable time chewing it.
It seems that when the boiler exploded, it blew a hole right
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up through the cabin deck and the hurricane deck, forming a large crater ; those on the hurricane roof that were not blown into the river at the time, could look down into the crater, and see the fire as it kindled up at the bottom, and. merciful God! what a scene that was to look at; they could see as the fire lit up the interior of the crater, dead men, crippled men; men fastened down with iron and timbers, and all those had to remain down in there and burn up, as there was no help for them. That was one scene I was mercifully spared the pain of gazing on.
Fortunately, I happened to be lying near the outer edge of the crater, and came down outside of where the fire started, and was not struck with any flying timbers or iron, and did not remain on the boat long enough after the explosion to witness some of the horrible scenes that others did. But God knows I saw enough and more than I ever wish to see again.
When we drifted away from the wreck on that plank, all we could see as far as the fire lit up, the dark river was a struggling mass of human heads. It looked at times as though hundreds would catch hold of each other at once, and sink down to Eternity together ; two or three men, perhaps, would quarrel and fight over the possession of a plank that with proper care would have saved them all, until they would all sink down to a watery grave.
Many good swimmers were lost by drowning; men catching them, and pulling them under. There are no words in the English language that can fully and fittingly describe the horrible and heart- rending scenes that we survivors were eye witnesses of that morning.
No artist, I care not how clever he may be with his brush, can paint a picture as full of horrors as the picture that was painted on my memory, that April morning, 1865.
And though forty years have passed by since then, the picture has never faded, but stands out in bold relief on the canvass of memory today, showing all the cruel details as plainly as it did that never-to-be-forgotten morning.
Many of the men were scalded from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet ; a number were crippled by the explosion, so that it was impossible for them to be saved, and they begged their comrades to throw them overboard, and let them drown instead of burning to death, and this was done when all hope of having them was gone, and the poor victims thanked those whose. hard lot it was to perform this heartrending task.
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Out of the ten or twelve ladies that were aboard, not more than three of four were rescued.
The official report of the lives lost at the time was near six- teen hundred, and as quite a number died after being taken to the hospitals, no doubt the loss was fully sixteen hundred if not more.
CHAPTER XXV. Loss of Sultana (Concluded )
Rescued and Sent to Hospital-Comrade Pouder Visits Me- We Clasp Glad Hands-Incidents in the Hospital- Homeward Bound Once More.
Some twenty-five or thirty comrades clung to the old wreck until she had burned to the water's edge, and by this time she had drifted near shore. So the comrades managed to make a raft of the broken and fire-scorched timbers, on which they finally reached the shore in safety, just as the old hull sank to the bottom, throwing up a cloud of steam and water to a height of several feet into the air.
Such was the story that Comrade Jack Culp of my Company, who was one of those rescued on the raft, related to me, and his story agrees with that told by Comrade Samuel J. Thrasher of Company "G" 6th Kentucky in a book called, "The Loss of the Sultana," published by the survivors several years ago.
I have never forgotten the agonizing cries for help I heard that morning. It seems after the lapse of forty years, I can , still hear the pleadings of the poor boys, as they clung to the trees and bushes along the shores, and on the islands. Many of them died after reaching a place of safety. The remains of hundreds of them were never found. Their bones lie scattered from where the explosion occurred to the Gulf.
Surely the Government ought to erect and dedicate a monu- ment to their memory, for they are worthy. They not only fought for this Government, but they died for it. When suffering from cold, hunger, vermin and other inhuman treatment, and a promise was held out to them of better conditions if they would renounce their Government, they rejected the offer with scorn, and proved true to their flag, and yielded up their lives in its service. Yet strange to relate, they are not even mentioned in history.
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There are hundreds of people in this country today that are well posted in history, yet don't know there ever was a boat named "The Sultana" ; much less do they know that her destruction caused the loss of sixteen hundred brave boys who wore the blue in defense of the very flag that now protects them.
It's an outrage and a shame that those brave boys and true, who gave their best days in defense of this Government, and finally died a cruel death before reaching home, should be ignored and forgotten by those whose delight it ought to be to do them honor.
A year ago, one of the leading papers of Cincinnati published a list of the marine disasters since 1841, involving great loss of life. Was the Sultana metioned in that list? No, indeed, I sup- pose the publisher had never heard or read of such a boat. When the Maine was blown up in twenty-fours hours it was known all over the world and today there is scarcely a school boy or girl but what can tell you something about the Maine. Just so it is in regard to the General Slocum that burnt loaded with school children and just so it will be with the U. S. Gunboat Bennington which blew up a few days ago in San Diego, California, causing the loss of per- haps one hundred lives. All these of course are appalling disasters, but the Sultana which towers above them all with her loss of six- teen hundred lives is not once mentioned in history only in the little book that the survivors themselves published a few years ago. Some try to whitewash this over by saying that so many things of vital interest had taken place at this time that it had simply been overlooked. The President had been murdered, a four years war was just coming to a close and peace was in sight. Well, certainly those were very interesting events, but I am sorry that the writers of history thought that the burning and drowning of sixteen hundred poor ex-prisoners of war a matter too insignifi- cant to bring before the minds of their readers.
I trust that some one who can get Congress interested in this matter, will bring the subject before them, and be sucessful in get- ting a monument erected in memory of those poor boys, who lost their lives battling with the cruel waves of the Father of Waters; whose remains never received a decent burial, because they were never found.
But please excuse me, reader. I was about to leave myself stranded on the old stable chewing tobacco. Those of us who had found a refuge on the old building remained there until perhaps 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning before we were taken off. We were kept busy fighting the buffalo gnats, as they came around us in
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swarms. Some of us were not very well blessed with clothing just at that time, and those gnats had a fair show to get in their work, and they were not slow to improve their opportunity.
None of us in that crowd would have been very presentable in my ladies drawing room; as for myself, my dress suit at that time consisted of blouse shirt, drawers and one sock. Many of my comrades were not even that well blessed.
My pants had got water soaked, and were in my way, and I had discarded them while in the river. Many others had stripped off all their clothing, in order that they might not impede them while swimming ; hence they were entirely nude when rescued. While seated up there on the old building, we could see several comrades clinging to bushes and trees up and down the shore, and while they were in a manner safe, yet they kept hollowing for help.
I am not positive, but I think this was on the Arkansas side of the river, where we were stranded. Finally, a boat steamed in as close to us as she could, and then sent the yawl, and took us off our roost. I do not remember the name of. the boat, but I do remember the first object that I ran up against as I stepped aboard the boat, was a large size glass of whiskey. Now I had never been a lover of whiskey, nor am I at present, but at that moment I was chilled through and through, and as you may expect under these circumstances, it did not require any coaxing for me to speedily place myself outside that whiskey, and I am sure it did me no harm, but soon warmed me up, though a cup of strong coffee perhaps would have answered the same purpose.
I walked on into the dining room, and seating myself at the table, I partook of a good warm breakfast of hot coffee, fried sweet potatoes, biscuits, butter and other good things too tedious to mention.
Plenty of whisky was setting around over the boat, but I did not indulge in any more; that one glass fixed me up in good shape. By the time I had finished eating my breakfast, the boat had reach- ed the wharf at Memphis. A newspaper reporter met me, took my name and regiment, saying his would be the first news of the disaster that would reach the Cincinnati papers.
At the wharf, the Christian Commission people met us, and did what they could for our comfort, furnishing each one as far as possible with dry undergarments.
I was furnished a pair of drawers, placed in an ambulance, and taken to Adams' general hospital No. 3. Here I was fur- nished dry hospital clothes, and given a cot, of which I took
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possession, and lay down to rest and study over the appalling scenes that I had been an eye-witness of that morning.
I was slightly scalded on face, neck, hands, feet and left arm; others were scalded so much worse than I, and there was such a number of them, they did not come to dress my wounds until nearly night, and my wounds became very dry and felt very unpleasant, and I still remember how cool and nice they felt after they had been dressed.
I rested very well that night; the next day I was scarcely able to move ; every muscle in my body was sore. I felt as though some one had beaten me all over the body with a club. This was caused by the exertion I made in the river, and by the shaking up I got at the time of the explosion.
I never have seen Comrade Fox since parting with him on the rescue boat, but I trust he arrived home safe, and that he kept his promise faithfully that he made to his Heavenly Father that morn- ing, on that blessed old Sultana stage plank while hundreds of his comrades were perishing around him.
Comrade Rice I never saw or heard of after the explosion, so must number him among the lost. He was a good, clever boy, and was the only one among us four comrades that bunked together on the Sultana that had any money. He had received money from home while lying in parole camp back of Vicksburg. He was generous with it ; he bought some nicknacks, and shared them with his comrades on the boat on the way to Memphis.
Of we four comrades sleeping together on the Sultana three were rescued-namely, Pouder, Fox and myself.
As I was lying on my cot, the next day after the explosion, I heard one of the doors open at the far end of the ward. I looked up, and who should I see enter but my old chum and messmate, Comrade Pouder. He saw me the instant I saw him, and came to me, his face wreathed in smiles. We were certainly glad to meet and greet each other again after our rude parting on board the Sultana.
We related to each other our experience, and how we were rescued, and then he bade me good-bye as he told me all who were able to travel were to be shipped north to Columbus, Ohio, that afternoon, so I met him no more until I reached home, and paid him a visit.
Comrade Pouder is still living at this date, July 26, 1905. He resides with his wife at Liberty, Union County, Indiana. He and
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I have always managed to keep in touch with each other by corre- sponding and visiting with each other.
He has raised a family of two sons and one daughter ; all are. married and are members of the Church of Christ, and all are well respected in the community where they live.
Comrade Pouder tells me that I have exerted quite an influence over him for good in exhorting him to remain steadfast in the faith that was once delivered to the saints, of which, of course, I feel justly proud. And it encourages me to think that perhaps after all I have not lived my life in vain.
In a few days, my burns healed up nicely, and I was able to travel, but I had to wait until others would be able to go, as the officers did not care to bother getting transportation for just one. I was careless about writing home, thinking my people would see by the papers that I was rescued ; then, again, I kept thinking I would be forwarded every day, but finally, about the first of May, I sat down and wrote a few lines home, from which I make a few extracts :
"Adams' General Hospital No. 3, "Memphis, Tennessee, May 1, 1865.
"My Dear Parents :
"Again am I permitted to seat myself to write you a few lines to let you know I am still alive, although I came very near death in that terrible wreck of the Sultana, of which I suppose you have read the particulars in the papers. Perhaps you think I was lost unless you saw in the paper where I was saved.
"I gave my name and regiment to a reporter a short time after I was rescued, so have been a little careless about writing to you all.
"I shall not try to describe to you all the awful scenes that passed before my eyes that terrible morning, for it would be impossible for me to do so with pen and ink. I will wait till I get .. home to tell you what I can by word of mouth.
"I made my escape from the burning wreck on one of the large stage planks; drifted to an old stable that was surrounded by water ; remained there an hour or two, and was rescued by a boat and brought to Memphis.
"I was slightly burned on face, neck, hands, feet and left arm, but they are all healing very nicely, and I am now able to leave here, but will have to wait till others are able to go with me. It seems hard to get out of a hospital when you once get in one. I will have to wait three or four days yet, and perhaps longer, but will leave here as soon as possible.
"There were at least sixteen hundred lives lost by the explosion. I understand there were 30 of the 50th aboard, and so far I have not heard of but ten that were rescued.
"Oh! to just think of the men that were there rushed into
.
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eternity without a moment's warning. I fear that but very few of them were prepared to meet their God. What a warning it should be to us all.
"I close now, hoping to be with you all in a few days.
"With best wishes to all I remain,
"Your affectionate son, ERASTUS WINTERS."
Time hung heavy on my hands now in the hospital among strangers, but I passed the most of it in reading good books. One book that I reading while here was the "Life of General John C. Fremont." It was very interesting to me.
I passed so much of my time reading that I drew the attention of the young lady that was a nurse there at that time, and when there were some ladies from the Christian Commission rooms came in one day with a bundle of religious papers to distribute, the young lady nurse pointed me out to them, telling them I was a great reader. After that I had all the reading matter I wanted.
The Government at Washington made an effort about this time to ferret out who was to blame for the overloading of the Sultana, and her final destruction, causing the loss of so many precious lives, but I don't think the investigation ever amounted to anything definite.
A gentleman passed through the hospital one day while I was there, and questioned all the survivors, asking them if they over- heard any conversation among the officers of the boat in regard to her being overloaded, or her condition otherwise. When they questioned the man on the cot next to mine he said, "Yes, I heard the Captain say he was going to run the boat through to her desti- nation, or blow her to h-1."
I don't know what use the gentleman made of this answer. The poor comrade died from the effects of his burns a few nights after- wards. Poor man; he suffered terribly ; he had inhaled the hot steam and was burnt inwardly, as well as scalded outwardly. He was flighty, and talked incessantly the night he died up to within a few moments of his death.
He may have heard the Captain of the Sultana make that declaration, and ye tit might not have had any significance, as cap- tains of steamboats are liable to say anything. The captain of the Sultana was lost; I never heard of the recovery of his body.
A remarkable escape from the wrecked boat was that of Com- rade Daniel McLeod, of St. Louis. He had formerly been a member of the 18th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was somewhat
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lame in his right leg, having received a musket ball in his knee at Pittsburg Landing.
He was a passenger on the Sultana, en route from New Orleans to St. Louis. At the time of the explosion he was sitting at a table in the cabin reading a book. He was blown over the table, and had both legs broken at the ankles. He took off his suspenders, and tying them tight above the broken places, dragged himself out, and a Captain of the 54th Ohio helped him down to the lower deck, and then he climbed down the log chains and let himself into the water, and floated down some two miles, and landed in the brush on Cheek's Island, above Memphis, and in the morning was picked up and brought into the hospital where I was. The surgeon in charge cut off his right limb above the old wound, and when I left the hospital he was getting along fine.
He laughingly told me that the first thing he remembered doing after the explosion was taking his two hands and feeling to see if he still had his head. He said he had been brought up near the water and was a good swimmer. I think his escape in that con- dition was marvelous.
Growing tired of the hospital one day I got a pass and walked out to see the town. I ran across the Christian Commission rooms and, going in, I penciled the following letter to my sister :
"U. S. Christian Commission Rooms. "Memphis, Tennessee, May 10, 1865.
"Dear Sister :
"I embrace the present opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know I am yet alive and well. I am still in Adams' General Hospital at Memphis, but got a pass this morning, and happening to see the Christian Commission rooms, thought I would drop in and jot you down a few lines, and let you know the Lord still sees fit to spare my poor, unprofitable life.
"I wrote father and mother a few days ago, so I suppose you have heard from me by this time. I am getting along fine; my burns are nearly all healed up, and I think I shall start up the river again in a few days. Well, I don't care how soon, for I am getting uneasy about you all, having heard nothing from any of you since your letter of March 6th, and you know a great deal could happen in that time.
"But I think now, the Lord willing, I shall be home in a short time. We are having delightful weather here now, and I would enjoy a boat ride up the river very much, provided I was not blown up again, which I pray the Lord may never happen me again.
"I want to get home in time for strawberries, if I can. They are plentiful here, but they don't do me any good, as I have no money.
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"I will close now, hoping to meet you all in a few days alive and well. I am, dear sister, your affectionate but absent brother.
"ERASTUS WINTERS.
"The U. S. Christian Commission sends this as the soldier's messenger to his home. Let it hasten to those who wait for tid- ings."
After penning these few lines I once more walked out into town, and about twelve o'clock I stepped into the Soldiers' Rest and asked for dinner. They wanted to know where I belonged; I answered them in Adams' Hospital; they said it was against the rules for them to feed men from the hospital, but I explained to them that I had been in there several days, and was tired of the place ; that I had a pass, and did not wish to return there till evening and that I had no money, was hungry, and wanted my dinner.
"All right," they answered. "You shall have it. Come right in, and be seated." And they made their word good. They set before me a splendid dinner, and I did it full justice. Thanking them kindly, I started out to visit the park, but on the way there I met a young man from the hospital, who said to me: "Say, if you want to go home you better report to the hospital right away, and get a suit of clothes, as they want to send a squad of you fellows off on the first boat up the river." Said I: "That's me," and you may be sure I was not many minutes getting to the hospital and putting in my order for a suit of Uncle Sam's blue. In a short time, with six or seven other Sultana survivors, was fully rigged, furnished transportation and, stepping aboard the fine steamer "Marble City," were soon steaming northward again on the broad bosom of the Father of Waters.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Arrive at Cairo, Put Up at Soldiers' Rest, and Await Trans- portation-Off for Columbus-Hear of the Capture of Jeff Davis-Arrive at Camp Chase-Discharged From the Service-Arrive at Home- Happy Reunion.
We had a very pleasant trip from Memphis to Cairo, but we Sultana boys would jump every time the engineer would try his water gauges, fearing another explosion.
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We arrived at Cairo the evening of May 12th, and put up at the Soldiers' Rest to await transportation by rail to Columbus, Ohio. We called at the rooms of the Christian Commission, and were kindly received. We each penned a short note to friends at home to let them know we were once more on the move towards that longed-for haven of rest.
The people at the Christian Commission rooms told us to call on them when we were ready to leave and they would give us warm meal tickets.
Here follows a copy of the brief note that I penned at that time.
"Christian Commission Rooms, "Cairo, Ill., May 13, 1865.
"My Dear Parents :
"Once more am I permitted to seat myself to pen you a few brief lines to inform you of my present whereabouts, which you will see at a glance at the top of this sheet. I left Memphis three days ago, and arrived here yesterday evening. Six or seven of us Sultana survivors are stopping at the Soldiers' Rest, awaiting transportation by the way of the Illinois Central Railroad to Columbus, Ohio. I think we will leave here tomorrow. We had a very pleasant trip from Memphis here on the steamer "Marble City ;" it is a fine boat, and we were not crowded, as there was but few soldiers aboard.
"I am in very good health at present, and hope you are all enjoying the same blessing. If the Lord spares my life, I trust I shall meet you all at home in a few more days.
"I am as ever,
Your affectionate son, "ERASTUS WINTERS."
On the way from Memphis to Cairo, having an extra pair of pants, I sold them and going to one of the boat hands I bought an extra supper for my squad. Of course, he had to be a little sly about bringing it to us, and we also had to be a little shady about eating it. But all the same he brought us a good supper, and we ate it and enjoyed it very much. We had plenty of Government rations with us, but we felt like we wanted something more palatable.
We remained at Cairo a day or two, but finally one morning we received our transportation and bidding the Soldiers' Rest good- bye, we started for the depot.
We did not forget to stop at the Christian Commission rooms, and they kept their word by giving each one of us a warm meal ticket, and instructed us that wherever our train stopped for the passengers to get their supper, our tickets would be good for our
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suppers also. Thanking them for their kindness, we bade them good-bye, and were soon aboard the train steaming toward our destination.
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