The Story Behind Tennessee's Most Tragic Shipwreck Will Completely Captivate You

Tennessee is home to a lot of amazing history. Not only is it home to the worst train accident in United States history (we put a link at the end of the article for those who are curious), but it’s also home to the worst maritime disaster in the country’s history as well. On a fateful night in April of 1865, just days after the Civil War was formally ended and President Lincoln was assassinated, the Sultana steamboat left Memphis on its journey to bring thousands of Union soldiers back to the North from the war. Unfortunately, it would never make it.

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Memphis has long been a hub of trade on the Mississippi River, meaning it has been both the site of many positive and negative historic occurrences.

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One of those negative bits of history is actually the worst maritime disaster in the country's history. The steam boat exploded just 7 miles north of Memphis while it was carrying over 2,000 passengers, mostly released prisoners of war being returned to the Union. All told, 1,192 passengers were killed in the disaster.

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The Sultana was a relatively new steamboat, built in 1863 to transport cotton between St. Louis and New Orleans, but it was frequently commissioned to transport troops up and down the river during the Civil War.

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While many died in the initial explosion, the subsequent fire and sinking of the ship also caused many more deaths. Still others, recovering from their war wounds, drowned in the cold waters of the flooding Mississippi. Many were rescued by passing ships and even more were rescued when the current brought them back to Memphis where they were seen and rescued by dockworkers.

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At the time, the explosion was overshadowed in the press because it happened the day after John Wilkes Booth was found and killed. You can still find monuments to the disaster all over the Mississippi River Basin, though, like this one in Knoxville.

Check out this video from the History Channel for more in-depth discussion of the disaster and the events that surrounded it.

When it comes to disasters, Tennessee has had an unfortunate history. It’s also the home to the deadliest train wreck in US history, and the story will chill you.