LOSS OF THE SULTANA - REMINISCENCES OF SURVIVORS
Samuel STUBBERFIELD
I WAS born in McCane county, Pa., September 9, 1843. When I was about two years
of age my parents moved to Ottawa county, Ohio, from there to Williams county,
Ohio, and in 1854 I, with my parents, moved to Wright township, in Hillsdale
county, Mich., where I lived at the breaking out of the rebellion. I enlisted in
the service of the United States on the 26th of July, 1862, in Company F, 18th
Michigan Infantry, for three years or during the war unless sooner discharged. I
left the State September 4, for Cincinnati, Ohio, where we took up our line of
march through Kentucky. Reaching Lexington I spent most of the winter in the
hospital and convalescent camp, and about the first of April, 1863, left the
State with my regiment for Nashville, Tenn., where I remained about fourteen
months. I then left for Decatur, Ala., and was one of the detail that routed the
rebels at Pond Spring on the 29th of June, 1864, capturing nine wagons and two
ambulances that the rebels had taken from an Indiana regiment some time before
this, and also one of their wagons and two of their ambulances. Was also one of
the detail that helped to rout the rebels at Courtland, Ala., on the 27th of
July, 1864, losing only one man from my company.
On the 24th of September I was in the detachment ordered to reinforce the fort at
Athens, Ala. When we got within a mile of the place we were attacked by an
overwhelming force of rebels at about six o'clock in the morning and we had to
fight our way until twelve o'clock. As we neared the fort that we were to
re-inforce we received grape, canister, and shell from the fort, its commander
having surrendered it, and our little band with it, without our knowledge, but
our small force (four hundred), fought the rebel Gen. Forrest's force six long
hours before surrendering, when we were completely surrounded and were finally
compelled to give in.
We afterwards took up our line of march for that miserable prison, Cahaba, Ala.,
at which place we arrived October 6, 1864, and remained there until the 4th of
March, 1865. When I left the prison the water was from six inches to four and
one-half feet deep all over the entire enclosure, had been so for seven days,
and had been six inches deeper. I slept two nights on a sixteen inch wall which
was fifteen feet above the water, and some of the boys did their cooking among
the braces of the roof. On the date before stated (March 4), I got aboard a
steamer and steamed down the Alabama river, up the Tombigbee river as far as
navigable, and then by rail to Meridian. From thence we were sent to Jackson,
Miss., and from there we marched to Vicksburg, where we went into parole camp
March 16, 1865.
On the 25th of April, 1865, was placed on board the steamer "Sultana," which was
to carry us homeward to friends and loved ones; but alas, hundreds passed on to
the "City of Death" to await mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and lovers,
whom they had expected to meet in a few days, but were destined to pass over the
river whence no parting ever comes. We reached Memphis on the 26th of April, and
while unloading sugar there the staging parted, one-half turning over catching
my right foot and leg to the knee, and bruising my foot badly. It soon swelled
as full as the skin could hold and pained me badly. When the explosion took
place at two o'clock A. M., April 27, I could not bear any weight on my foot,
but was compelled to leave the boat, being forced off by the flames. I picked up
a 4x4 scantling, which some one had discarded, and went to the rear part of the
boat, jumped off into the river and sank for a moment in that chilling ice-cold
water.
On coming to the surface again I struck out in the same direction that most of
the others did, but thinking I had not acted wisely I turned around to go in the
opposite direction when some one caught hold of my frail bark. Not feeling like
parting company with my little craft so soon I clutched it with all my might and
eventually succeeded in releasing it. I then struck out in the direction of some
trees, reaching the little cottonwoods just at daylight. The little trees were
so frail, however, and the water so deep, that my little craft with what trees I
could get hold of would not keep me out of the water, and I was compelled to
remain here until about eleven o'clock in the morning of April 27th, when I was
picked up by the steamer "Silver Spray" and taken to the hospital at Memphis,
Tenn. I remained in the hospital until about the middle of May when I was sent
to the Soldiers' Home where I was discharged the service and reached my home on
the 19th of May, 1865.
My occupation is farming.
(Reminiscences also linked in Full List of Men)
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