Marion in Crittenden County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

The Loss of the Sultana

The Loss of the <i>Sultana</i> Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

1. The Loss of the Sultana Marker

Inscription. Early on April 27, 1865, the overcrowded steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Marion, Arkansas. The vast majority of the Sultana's passengers, believed to number over 2000, were Federal soldiers, recently released from Confederate prisons. Approximately 1500 people perished; this remains the worst tragedy in American nautical history.

Erected 2000 by the Arkansas State Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Notable Events • War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 27, 1865.

Location. 35° 12.906′ N, 90° 11.897′ W. Marker is in Marion, Arkansas, in Crittenden County. It can be reached from Arkansas Route 77 north of Military Road, on the right when traveling south. Located in the rear of the Marion City Hall parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14 East Military Road, Marion AR 72364, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas Delta

and in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Mississippi Delta,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Sultana Tragedy (here, next to this marker); Military Road (here, next to this marker); Margaret E. Woolfolk Library

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Marion School Auditorium-Gynamnasium (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Confederate Soldier's Memorial (about 400 feet away); Crittenden County Veterans Memorial (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named Confederate Soldier's Memorial (about 400 feet away); Marion High School (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Marion.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . . Wikipedia article on the Sultana. (Submitted on April 15, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Additional keywords. The Loss of the Sultana

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

2. The Loss of the Sultana Marker

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

3. The Loss of the Sultana Marker

Whole plate tintype of the Sultana. image. Click for full size.

Public domain

4. Whole plate tintype of the Sultana.

Taken at Helena, Arkansas on April 26, 1865, a day before the Sultana was destroyed. The view captures a large crowd of paroled Union prisoners packed tightly together on the steamboat's decks.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 27, 2018. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,251 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 15, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.