Sultana Disaster Museum

The Sultana: The Greatest Maritime Disaster in US History. Yes,... even worse than The Titanic This disaster received little public attention, as it took place at the end of the Civil War, after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and the day after John Wilkes Booth was killed. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. Under the terms of the surrender agreement, POWs were to be freed and sent home as soon as possible. Union prisoners from Andersonville, GA and Cahaba, AL were sent to Vicksburg, MS to ship home up the MS River. The government offered to pay boat owners $5 per enlisted man and $10 per officer transported.The Sultana left Vicksburg on April 24th with more than 2,300 prisoners of war (plus an additional number of crew and passengers and a large shipment of sugar bound for Memphis). It's legal carrying capacity was only 376 passengers. The Sultana had pulled into Vicksburg at about the same time as two other boats (the Pauline Caroll and the Lady Gay); however, those 2 boats left with 0 soldiers. To make matters worse, a boiler had to be patched while in port at Vicksburg. The mechanic warned it would need to be properly fixed once up north. At about 2am on April 27th 1865, the steamboat's boilers exploded. Over 1,800 of the Sultana's +2,300 passengers were killed just north of Marion, Arkansas. The 1,800 people were burned to death, drowned or died of hypothermia. After the disaster, people wanted to determine the cause of the Sultana explosion as well as why it was so overcrowded. Many concluded that Mason, the captain and part owner of the Sultana, bribed Union officers into letting him transport as many freed prisoners as possible so that he would make lots of money; however, Mason was killed in the accident. Captain Frederick Speed, a Union army officer, was found guilty of overcrowding the Sultana. But his verdict was overturned by the army. So in the end, the U.S. Army never punished anyone for the disaster.

This is a terrific museum dedicated to a disaster that has largely been forgotten, lost in the aftermath of the Civil War. There is a great introductory film, and then several rooms of artifacts and interpretive material about this event, the largest maritime loss of life in American history. The passionate and deeply knowledgeable guide made our visit very special. Highly recommended.

This is a hidden gem! The curator was lovely and knowledgeable. Although the museum is very well done, she really took the museum to the next level. Plus, it is an easy drive from Memphis. I highly recommend a visit.