LOSS OF THE SULTANA - REMINISCENCES OF SURVIVORS
George A. CLARKSON
I WAS born in England, April 8, 1835. I enlisted in (Capt. Motts) Company B, 1st Michigan Lancers, August 5, 1861, and mustered out of the service with regiment March 21, 1862. Re-enlisted as a corporal in Company H (Capt. Purdy), 5th Michigan Cavalry, August 18, 1862, at Milford, Mich. At the battle of Trevillian Station, Va., June 11, 1864, was taken prisoner with eighteen of my company. Was taken to Richmond, Va., first to the Pemberton building—there stripped and searched for money, then to Libby prison, and from there to Andersonville. Our sufferings on the cars for the want of food and water
were great. Left Andersonville for Millen October 31st, and afterwards sent to
Savannah, Blackshear, and Thomasville. On the 20th of December, 1864, we were
started on foot for Albany—a killing march on the frozen ground, barefooted and
nearly naked—and on December 25 were again placed in Andersonville where we
remained until March 25, 1865.
We afterwards crossed the Black river to the neutral ground in rear of Vicksburg,
Miss., on the 1st of April, having taken an oath at Jackson, Miss., not to leave
until duly exchanged (do not know whether I was exchanged or not). I left there
for home April 25th on the steamer "Sultana." I was suffering with diarrhea and
scurvy, and a short time before the explosion was to the rear of the boat. The
men lay so thick that I could not see any of the deck. All was peace and no sign
of disaster. I spoke to the engineer of how nicely we were going and then
returned to my place on the deck, which was about twelve or fifteen feet forward
of the boilers next to the guard or railing of the boat. Being chilly I wrapped
my blanket around me, thereby saving myself from the scalding water when the
boiler exploded. Wm. Brown of my company lay next to me and was lost. Also one
of Company M of the 5th regiment who was next to him. All of those around me
were scalded.
I remained on the boat until the fire drove the most of us off of the bow of the
boat into the water. I threw a barrel into the river, but some one got it. Men
were thick in the river. I jumped as far as I could, but someone caught hold of
my feet and I kicked him off, I was very weak, but an expert swimmer. I secured
a small piece of board about four inches by three feet which someone threw into
the river. I had taken off all my clothes except my drawers and vest; in the
latter was a diary and pictures of my wife and girls; these I saved. I did not
try to swim, but floated about four miles, heading for the bank of the river.
Getting into a clump of four or five small cottonwood trees I managed to get
most of them bent down and stood on them up to my waist in the water. Once in
awhile, losing my hold, I would get a ducking. I was on the Arkansas side of the
river and the land was so overflown there was no getting to hard ground. I was
rescued by the gunboat, "Pocahontas," at 9 A. M., and was so used up that I had
to be lifted into the yawl by the sailors. Some ladies were on the gunboat who
gave us shirts and drawers. It looked at the landing, at Memphis, as though all
the vehicles in town were there to take us to the hospitals, etc. I was taken to
the Washington Hospital, and after getting some new clothes was sent to "Camp
Chase," Ohio, and from there I received a furlough (by order of the Secretary of
War), and went home. I was mustered out of the service, July 5, 1865, at
Detroit, Mich.
Since that time I have resided at Milford, Oakland county, Mich., and am
completely broken-down, so that I have to live on my pension. I was a sash and
door maker in factories.
(Reminiscences also linked in Full List of Men)
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