As part of its Today in History series, Mr. Louis’ YouTube channel has presented a look back at one of the most tragic and lesser-known events in American history: the explosion of the steamboat Sultana on April 27, 1865.
On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, resulting in the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history. Originally launched in 1863 from Cincinnati, the Sultana was a 260-foot-long steamboat designed to carry 376 passengers and crew. During the American Civil War, it was heavily used to transport troops and supplies along the lower Mississippi River.
On April 25, 1865, the Sultana departed from New Orleans with about 100 passengers. It stopped in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where the ship’s boilerman warned the captain of a dangerously leaky boiler that required major repairs. The captain, however, refused to delay the trip. Motivated by the federal government’s generous payments for transporting Union soldiers north, he ordered a quick patch job instead.
By the time the Sultana left Vicksburg, it was dangerously overcrowded—carrying more than 2,100 Union troops and 200 civilians, over six times its intended capacity.
Just north of Memphis, in the early morning hours of April 27, the patched boiler gave way. A massive explosion tore through the ship, killing hundreds instantly with scalding steam and flying metal. Many more were thrown into the cold waters of the Mississippi. With only one lifeboat and few life preservers, chaos ensued. Of the approximately 2,300 people on board, 1,700 died. Only 600 survived.
