 | Frank Bergquist graduated from Eddyville, IA, high school in 1958. After graduation, he entered the Army, serving 20 years in Missouri, Maryland, New Mexico, Germany, Iowa, Turkey, Kansas, S.E. Asia, and finally retiring in 1978 in Louisiana. Before retiring, Frank was assigned as an ROTC instructor at WSU and Kemper Military School until 1974. In 1978 he served as the Non-Commissioned officer in charge of operations at Fort Polk, LA. He has served as the Veterans Counselor (DVOP) with the Kansas Job Service Center National Service Office, with the Disabled American Veterans at the VA Regional Office in Wichita; Veterans Employment and Training Coordinator with the US Dept. of Labor at Ft. Riley, KS; Service Coordinator with Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation; Dept Adjutant-Treasurer and the Dept. Executive Director Dept. of Kansas Disabled American Veterans; and past President of the Wichita Civil War Round Table. Currently he is doing graduate work as an instructor in Genealogy and Military History at Wichita State and Kansas State Universities, and is the CEO for the Disabled American Veterans Thrift Stores in Wichita, KS. Bergquist has an AA from Kemper Military School and College from Boonville, MO. and a BGS from Wichita State University. He can be reached by telephone at 316-262-6501. He is located at 926 N. Mosley Wichita 67214. |
Veteran Affairs
1969-12-31 18:00:00
The Sultana’s casualties in the Civil War
I recently read a short article about the “Sultana” in the Civil War. I had never heard of it before. What can you tell me?
Answer: In 1865 the steamer Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, TN. Over 1,400 Union soldiers coming home from the Civil War were killed. But was there more than 1,400 killed? The steamboat’s maximum capacity was 400, but over 2,400 men were on the Sultana. How many met their death is not known. We could estimate that 500 Union soldiers were saved, but it is only a guess.
One of the Union soldiers on board the Sultana was Pvt. William B. Warner of Company B of the 9th Regiment of the Indiana Cavalry. Pvt. Warner was born on May 6, 1848, and enlisted in the Union Army on October 24, 1863. He was only 15 years of age at the time. His pay was $13.00 per month, plus bonus of $500.00 for enlisting. Less than a year after he enlisted, his unit was in an engagement with the rebel forces. Half of the unit was killed including the commanding officer. The acting commander surrendered what was left of the unit on September 25, 1864. Pvt Warner and the rest of his unit were marched off to Cahaba Prison outside of Selma, Alabama. The prison was an old cotton warehouse. At the time the Union Army was no longer exchanging prisoners. Pvt. Warner was moved to Camp Fisk near Knoxville, TN along with other men from his unit.
After Lee’s surrender, the rebel soldiers who were their guards, left. The Union Army made arrangements for the now ex-pow to be taken north by steam boat. The boat captain would receive $5.00 for every private soldier and $10.00 for each officer. The record keeping was done as they boarded the steamboat. The Sultana docked at Knoxville on April 25, 1865. There were things going against the Sultana: the Mississippi river was at flood stage, the Sultana was having boiler problems and was already behind the schedule because so much time was spent on repairs. And third, the Sultana’s captain had decided he would make a lot more money if he is hauled all of the men he could, whether it was safe or not. And last a rumor spread that this was the last boat. The soldiers rushed to find a place on the Sultana. Most could not even find a place to lie down. At 2:00 am on April 27, 1865 the boat left Memphis.
Ten miles up the river the Sultana exploded and burnt. Pvt. Warner found himself a quarter mile from the Sultana. Other survivors were also swimming in the river. He was able to catch hold of a couple of the boat’s planks. He was wearing two piece long underwear. He removed the bottom piece of the long underwear in order to tie the board together. While he was doing this he also grabbed hold of a hat that was floating by. When he was rescued he was wearing the hat and the top of the long underwear. It was a disaster, that would remain in the eye of the public, except for one thing. President Lincoln was assassinated, that drove all other news from the pages of newspapers.
He was discharged from “service of the United States this 12th day of July,1865”. He was unsure of what he wanted to do, so he worked on the steamers and then the trains. He had to prove to the army that he was in the service of his country.
Near the turn of the century, Mr. Warner bought farmland near Wellington, KS. The farm was next to land owned by the Barnes family. In 1910 Mr. Warner married the daughter Miss Jessie Barnes. He was 62 years of age and she was 34. From this union two children were born: William Warner was born November 9, 1913 and Robert Warner was born August 15, 1917. Mr. Warner died when he was 85 years of age. At the time of his death he, was the acting Commander of the James Shield Post No. 208 of the Grand Army of the Republic. He had had his 85th birthday on May 6, 1933, there was a surprise birthday party scheduled for him.
