Perhaps a lesser known tragedy of the American Civil War is the explosion aboard the Sultana, a steam powered paddle wheeler riverboat, while an estimated 2200+ POW Union Army soldiers were being transported upstate via the Mississippi river after being released from Confederate capture at the end of the war. It is estimated some 1800+ souls perished the night of April 27, 1865. Follow the link to view a full episode of PBS History Detectives which details and solves the mystery surrounding the fatal explosions aboard this overloaded riverboat. PBS History Detectives Sultana
An article here on the History website provides a deeper look into the Sultana on History
Included here is a short video from a local news broadcast in Arkansas near the location where the remains of the Sultana lay buried beneath a bean field and a portion remaining submerged in an area of the river. I first learned of this event while reading Walter A. McDougall’s “Throes of Democracy”.
