2018 Sultana Descendants' Reunion: A Time To Remember

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April 27th 2018 marks the 153rd anniversary of the sinking of the Sultana in 1865. It also commemorates the worst maritime disaster in US history, even worse than the infamous Titanic. On Friday April 27th through Saturday April 28th, descendants and family of those that were on board that fateful steamer Sultana gathered in Alabama for the annual reunion to remember their loved ones and the largely untold history of this truly remarkable vessel. Many of those participating also had ties to the dreaded Cahaba and Andersonville Prisons.

The S.S. Titanic was 883 feet long, carried 2,227 passengers, and 1,522 people died on her maiden voyage in 1912. By comparison, the steamer Sultana was a meager 260 feet long yet carried over 2,400 passengers, and 1,800 people died the day she exploded and sank on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865. It’s astounding to think that a wooden ship such as the Sultana which was less than a 3rd the size of the Titanic carried more passengers and lost more lives; the dramatic scope of the fate of this iconic ship must always be remembered. In fact, that’s exactly why this reunion is an annual event.

steamer sultana maritime disaster — source: wikipedia

This year’s 2018 reunion of Sultana Descendants took place in both Selma and Cahawba, Alabama. The events that spanned the 2 days featured speeches, reenactments, commemorative ceremonies, historical tours, music, memorial services, good food, and the chance to mingle with other extended Sultana family. The keynote speech was delivered by steamboat scholar Gene Salecker, author of the 2015 book Disaster on the Mississippi (Amazon link).

The site of the reunion in Cahaba, Alabama (a.k.a., Old Cahawba) was chosen because many of those that died on the Sultana were Union prisoners that were freshly released from Cahaba Prison at the close of the Civil War. Once all the prisoners were set free, there was an instant shortage of maritime transportation up the Mississippi River and that’s where our story of the Sultana begins.

2018-sultana-descendants-reunion-a-time-to-remember-kathryn_bush — source: flickr (kathryn bush)

The Mississippi steamboat companies were so overtaken by greed that they aggressively packed all of the steamships leaving southern ports heading up north with more passengers than were legally allowed by code – over 6 TIMES in the case of this fateful story. According to author Alan Huffman, the Sultana was only licensed to carry 376 passengers! Yet she took on board over 2,400 people.

There were actually both Union and Confederate soldiers on board: a mix of officers, soldiers and civilians – there were so many people crammed onto the Sultana they had to throw out the kitchen sink! As the story goes, somewhere near Marion, Arkansas the boiler room caught fire and in an instant the ship was up in flames not only due to overcrowding but also disrepair. There was literally no time to think, people made a mad scramble to find any means of getting off the ship and multitudes blindly hurled themselves overboard, at night, into the freezing Mississippi River.

My 3rd great-grandfather Joseph Henry Collins, who served in the Tennessee Third Regiment Cavalry Company G, was aboard the Sultana along with his eldest son James Robert Collins. Instead of thinking of himself, James Robert Collins went frantically searching for his father all throughout the ship and once the two were reunited, they both scurried overboard in the nick of time.

Despite his best efforts, James was not able to save his father Joseph Henry Collins who was unable to swim to shore. As the middle sibling of 11 children, my 2x great-grandfather was only 9 at the time of his father’s death. The Sultana Descendant’s Reunion was a time to share such stories with one another, to bond over our shared heritage, and to honor the incredible memories of our ancestors. It was truly a magical affair.

2018-sultana-descendants-reunion-a-time-to-remember-kathryn_bush2 — source: flickr (kathryn bush)

2018-sultana-descendants-reunion-a-time-to-remember-kathryn_bush3 — source: flickr (kathryn bush)

The events of the 2018 reunion were well-documented by the various organizers and attendees and there are some beautiful photos that will certainly touch your heart. You can visit the links below to view ALL of the photos and read more about the history of the Sultana. I’ve also included an extensive bibliography of every book that has ever been written about the Sultana in the Recommended Reading section.