Sultana Survivor Writes of His Experiences

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Extraordinary first-hand account entitled "Comrades" describing the military service, capture, imprisonment, and survival of the sinking of the Sultana, written by Cpl. Erastus Winters of Co. K, 50th Ohio Vol. Inf. Winters was captured at the battle of Franklin in November, 1864, was released from Cahawba the following Spring, and set off for home on the ill-fated steamer Sultana. He was picked-up at Vicksburg on Apr. 24, 1865 and the vessel, carrying 2,400 passengers (largely prisoners from Cahawba and Andersonville), blew up two days later with the loss of 1,700 lives. Although burned, Winters survived and spent weeks in the hospital in Memphis. This account by Winters, written by him in the form of a sketch but entirely factually accurate, was written by him in a legal-sized ledger book, 160pp. Overall with his account occupying 35 pages, penned by him in Liberty, In. on Jan. 13,1913. In small part: " ... Also included are numerous poems, anecdotes etc. penned and signed by Winters, as well as a number of clippings. The sinking of the Sultana remains the greatest maritime disaster in American history. Very good. Extraordinary firsthand account entitled "Comrades" describing the military service, capture, imprisonment, and survival of the sinking of the Sultana, written by Cpl. Erastus Winters of Co. K, 50th Ohio Vol. Inf. Winters was captured at the battle of Franklin in November, 1864, was released from Cahawba the following Spring, and set off for home on the ill-fated steamer Sultana. He was picked-up at Vicksburg on Apr. 24, 1865 and the vessel, carrying 2,400 passengers (largely prisoners from Cahawba and Andersonville), blew up two days later with the loss of 1,700 lives. Although burned, Winters survived and spent weeks in the hospital in Memphis. This account by Winters, written by him in the form of a sketch but entirely factually accurate, was written by him in a legal-sized ledger book, 160pp. Overall with his account occupying 35 pages, penned by him in Liberty, In. on Jan. 13, 1913. In small part, with phonetic spelling not corrected: " ... A story of two boys who wore the blue during our great Civil War... this sketch gives a partial history of their experience in the army prison life and their escape from the wrecked Steamer Sultana ... ". Winters goes on to describe in great detail about the two soldiers called David and Jonathan, their physical descriptions, and so forth. He continues: " ... David and Jonathan was in their places in Fort Michell, Camp King, and Camp Burchwood ... After camping at Columbia a short time General Morgan the raider got in their rear, and was threatening Lebanon ... ". Later, he describes: " ... with the fall of Atlanta the long campaign came 'to and end and the troops took a much-needed rest...made a right march to Franklin Tennessee ... and here I am sorry to say that be mismanagement owing no doubt to the orders of a drunken officer the Union line was broken at the center and a number of troops captured by Confederates and a great disaster was averted by the timely arrival of some reserve troops, was reestablished a part of the time and saved the day by turning what at first appeared disaster into a grand victory from the boys in blue but alas sad to say among those captured was our two comrades ... back to Columbia and kept under guard in an old fort ... until about the time that General Thomas was [?] up the earth at Nashville with the remnant of Hood's army when they ... footed it as far as Cherokee Station ... the prisoners had no tents and no blankets ... and in some cases the men were barefoot their suffering can scarcely be described ... from there they were shipped by rail to Corinth .. .1anded in Castle Morgan with hundreds of other comrades ... the suffering of the poor boys in that den ofmisery ... almost frozen and starved almost drowned by high water and nearly eaten alive by verrnin ... But there came a day as ... the huge gate of the prison swung open and the wellcome order was heard Fall in Yanks we want a boat load of you for exchange ... finally David passed out and the gate swung too shuting Jonathan in and David out thus seperating our two Comrades ... once more the gate swung open and David ... came back into the prison ... then the gate Swung open and David and Jonathan with all the rest of their Companions in misery were passed out...from Selma they were shipped by rail to Jackson ... had to foot it to the big black river in rear ofVixburg ... on or about the 24th of April an order came for the men to report at the Wharf in Vixburg to be sent north by boat - this playfull news to all the men in Campy Fisk but to none did it bring greater pay than to our boy heroes ... the camp was soon deserted and all were put a board a train and went steaming into Vixburg and were not long in reporting at the wharf and was crowded about the illfated Steamer Sultana ... they were thinking about home and the good time they expected ... they were going home to Gods country ... the over loaded Sultana swung out into the muddy stream and begun to plough her way northward up the father ofwaters ... The hold of the Sultana which of course still increased the danger of overloaded condition on the boat. Still everything passed offpleasantly ... all went well untill the boat was about eight miles above Memphis no one dreaming of the afful disaster which was about to overtake them. Suddenly without any warning a terrible explosion occurred which seemed to those who were awake to send the very heavens and some likend it to the discharge of a Six gun batting of artillery all on board was Confusion now a great crater had been formed upward through the boat taken everything before it as it made its way skyward and landed out in the dark and muddy Stream. .. neither one could find the other looking around for something to make their escape on David espied the beoys [buoys] that hung over the stairway he procured one and again called for Jonathan ... David watched for an opportunity jumped overboard and floated away on his beoy and was picked up many miles below by one the boats from Memphis he knew nothing from the time he was taken from the river untill his arrival at the hospital in Memphis and how fared it with Jonathan. When the explosions occurred he was sliding down an enclive and landed on the coal pile in front of the furnace the floor having given way at his feet. He made his way out to the bow of the boat looked for his comrade David but failed to find him seeing some of the men trying to launch a huge stage plank he took hold with the others and shoved it overboard jumped in the water with it and clung to it till they reached an old stable surrounded by water where he with the same dozzin others remained till a boat came and took them to Memphis .. .ifI felt so disposed I might try to describe the afful scene that our two comrades witness that never to be forgotten morning ... Gh the pity of this ... ". Winters then goes on to describe " ... many other interesting things that were happening at that time ... ", such as political happenings, the emotional reunion of "David" and 'Jonathan", and so forth, ending: " ... Nothing may arise to mar their ?comradeship but may friendship, loyalty and charity bind them closer and closer together as the days go by and when for them the parting of wars have come many they say good by with the blessed hope of meeting in that world when partings are no more ... ". Also included are numerous poems, anecdotes etc. penned and signed by Winters, as well as a number of clippings. The sinking of the Sultana remains the greatest maritime disaster in American history. Very good.

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