Murphysboro in Jackson County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The S.S. General Lyon Disaster

The <i>S.S. General Lyon</i> Disaster Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jason Voigt, August 3, 2022

1. The S.S. General Lyon Disaster Marker

Inscription. Their term of service being up in February 1865, 205 members of the 56th Illinois Infantry chose to muster out. Before doing so they fought at Bentonville, North Carolina, the regiment's final engagement. Their journey home began March 29th, 1865, aboard the S.S. General Lyon in Wilmington, North Carolina. Two days later the ship caught fire and sank in rough weather off Cape Hatteras losing 500 lives. Two hundred of the 205 veterans from the 56th Illinois died. This was the greatest one-day loss of life in the Civil War from Gen. John Logan's former ninth ("Egyptian") Congressional district.

Erected 2021 by Mary Logan No. 11 Woman's Relief Corps, the Gen. John A. Logan Museum, Revitalize 62966 and the Illinois State Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1865.

Location. 37° 45.694′ N, 89° 20.461′ W. Marker is in Murphysboro, Illinois, in Jackson County. Marker is on Oak Street just west of South 16th Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is on the grounds of the John A. Logan Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1608 Oak St, Murphysboro IL 62966, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Dalton House (a few steps from this marker); 1914 Logan Day Relic (within shouting distance of this marker); 1914 Logan Day Cornerstone (within shouting distance of this marker); Major General John A. Logan (within shouting distance of this marker); The Logan Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Pat's Prairie (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Elizabeth Jenkins Logan (approx. ¼ mile away); Israel Blanchard (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Murphysboro.

More about this marker. Marker was dedicated on October 2, 2021.

Also see . . . American steamship General Lyon (1864) on Wikipedia. The tragic event of this disaster was, at the time, overshadowed by the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and General Robert E. Lee's surrender. (Submitted on August 4, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Additional keywords. The S.S. General Lyon Disaster

Photographed By Jason Voigt, August 3, 2022

2. The S.S. General Lyon Disaster Marker

Marker is on the grounds of the John A Logan Museum

Photographed By Jason Voigt, August 3, 2022

3. The S.S. General Lyon Disaster Marker

Marker was placed at the recently built S.S. General Lyon Disaster Memorial Labyrinth

Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 232 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 3, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. 2, 3. submitted on August 4, 2022, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.