New artifacts for Sultana exhibit

New artifacts for Sultana exhibit

Visit to Civil War show nets impressive haul

news@theeveningtimes.com

Every year Gene Salacker makes it a point to attend the Annual Civil War and Artillery Show in Mansfield, Ohio. And every year he always walks away with more unique or previously unknown artifacts and items related to the sinking of the steamboat Sultana.

This year was no exception.

“My trip to the Ohio Civil War show was a success as far as finding and purchasing new items for our museum,” Salecker said. “I was able to purchase a number of new items.”

Salecker, a retired history teacher who has written one of the definitive accounts of the disaster, has been collecting Sultana artifacts for more then 20 years. His collection makes up the bulk of the items currently on display at the Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion.

The Sultana was a Civil War paddlewheel steamboat that exploded just north of Memphis on April 27, 1865 and resulted in the deaths of 1,800 people. The boat was grossly overloaded with passengers, mostly Union soldiers who were former prisoners of war and were returning home from the war.

The sinking of the Sultana is the greatest maritime disaster in U.S. history but has mostly been lost to history because it happened shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln which occupied the headlines.

Many early residents of Marion helped rescue survivors and the remains of the boat are today buried under a soybean field in Marion.

Although the boat sank over 150 years ago, Salecker still manages to SULTANA

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find artifacts with a Sultana connection.

He buys artifacts whenever they turn up at swap meets and on auction sites, but said the Mansfield show is where he finds the bulk of the items.

The Civil War and Artillery Show is a two day event held in May in Mansfield, Ohio and is one of the largest shows of its kind.

The event features military memorabilia dealers and a wide array of Civil War collectibles, cannon displays, and living history events.

Among the items he purchased this year are a May 4, 1956 newspaper from Mt. Gilead, Ohio which mentions the loss of the Sultana on page three and four; a large group of Grand Army of the Republic medals and ribbons belonging to Levi G. Morton, of Co. B, 21st Ohio Infantry along with a photo of him in uniform; a unique carved wooden letter opener with Andersonville and J.P. Zaizer – Co. F burned on one side and “Hell Hole – 108 Days” on the other; and a large drinking cup carved from a single branch with the letters SULTANA on the top and the word “Survivors” on the bottom and “Harry from Ed, Aug. 11, 1910 written in pencil.

“I have no idea who Harry or Ed are,” Salecker said.

“But I will try to find out.”

Salecker also obtained a document entitled “Soldier’s Application for Arrears of Pay, Etc.” from Private John Wolfkammer, who was a member of the 58th Ohio Infantry, the guard unit on the Sultana.

The document notes that Wolfkammer was assigned to the Sultana and was “blown up” and “badly scalded.”

“He was in a hospital in Memphis for a few days, and then in a hospital in Indianapolis for a few more days, and then in a Columbus, Ohio hospital from May 11 until June 2 because of his scalds,” Salecker said. “I also have the document that shows that the government recognized his claims for back pay and gave it to him.”

Salecker also bought a grouping of GAR medals and ribbons belonging to Samuel H. Raudebaugh of Co. K., 65th Ohio Infantry, who was the first president of the Sultana Survivor’s Association, along with a post-war picture of Raudebaugh and his wife.

“One of the coolest items in the collection is his watch chain,” Salecker said. “On one end is a GAR button and on the other is a buckeye nut, like the Ohio State Buckeyes. Painted on the nut is 65 O.V.I.”

Salecker also obtained a 12-inch pewter plate with scalloped edged engraved with the words “Sultana Assn.” around the edges, and “Adjutant, Wm. Fies” on the plate itself, and a reunion ribbon and post-war picture of Albert Norris, Co. A, 76th Ohio Infantry.

The ribbon is from a reunion of ex-prisoners of war and is dated 1885.

“We have a large collection of items from William Fies in our museum already,” Salecker said. “And Norris was elected president of the ex-POWs in 1918. We have a few items belonging to Albert Norris in our museum.”

Salecker said many dealers at the show who come across Sultana items set things aside for him knowing his interest in the Sultana.

At last year’s show, Salecker bought a handwritten piece of paper from the Northern Line Packet Company from March 1863 showing the rates the steamboat company was charging the government to transport sick, discharged, or furloughed soldiers to cities along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Minneapolis; a prisoner of war reunion flag which was owned by Albert Norris; and a knife which was on the Sultana and hung inside the GAR Post 117 in Marion, Ohio, where William Fies was the adjutant.

Those items are currently on display at the museum, and Salecker will be making a return trip to Marion to add his new finds to the museum.

“Needless to say, it was a very successful show,” Salecker said. “And I already have some feelers out for more Sultana items for next year.”

Submitted photos

Up, Up & Away…

Lift towers over Marion. Work began Saturday May 13, on the Patriot water tank near the high school. Voters approved refinancing city bonds in March and city administration wasted no time in scheduling the work.

Photo By John Rech

By Mark Randall