The light from the burning vessel was seen, and the explosion heard for many miles. At a later hour these evidences of disaster would have brought greater numbers to the rescue. The time of the accident was unfavorable to prompt assistance. As it was, vessels of all descriptions, chiefly skiffs, put out promptly and rendered much assistance.
A soldier passenger on the boat relates that while in the water he saw a horse swim by him with a dozen men clinging to him; he says he saw a soldier attempting, with the aid of a plank, to save two little girls. A rope was thrown him, and in attempting to catch it, the children escaped from his exhausted arms. He seemed to lose all thought of the rope; he beat about wildly to regain his helpless charge, which were borne from him in darkness, but he was finally rescued nearly dead from exhaustion.
Of those who were rescued, 200 died in the hospital of Memphis alone. Near fourteen hundred were killed by the explosion or drowned. Those able to be removed were sent North to Cincinnati, Ohio, but those belonging to the Indiana regiments were stopped at Indianapolis, where they received such attention as thoughtful consideration could bestow.
We give the following extracts from Memphis papers appearing within a day or two of the disaster:
STATEMENT OF SERGEANT L. B. HINCKLEY.
I belong to the 9th Indiana Cavalry. I had just gone to bed and fallen asleep, when all of a sudden I was awakened by some horrible noise. I sprang out of bed and found the cabin full of flame and the passengers all jumping overboard. The water for a while around was covered with people struggling for life. I never heard such terrible and mournful wailings. The glare of light showed a scene such as never before had been witnessed. I happened to find a log after swimming some distance. There was eight of us started on this log; before we reached the wood, however, four of them gave out and sank to rise no more. I had at first got hold of a shutter, but finding some one else who needed it worse than I did, I gave it up. I reached the wood on the log and got on to a tree. I was rescued from my uncomfortable position about daylight from the little island opposite Mr. Fogleman's house. We found one who had reached the wood, his name being Wm. Curtiss, of Company F, 1st Virginia Cavalry. He was almost in the agonies of death, and had clutched the limb to which he had caught, and could not be taken from his position until the limb was cut. Mr. Fogleman's house was opened to us, and we had every attention shown us that could be under the circumstances.
WORK OF THE CREW OF THE GUN-BOAT ESSEX.
The officers and crew of the iron clad Essex deserve unstinted credit and praise for the part they took in picking up the passengers of the ill-fated steamer Sultana. Lieutenant James Perry, Ensign of the Essex, was awakened yesterday morning about 4 o'clock, and informed that the steamer Sultana had blown up, and was now burning; that the passengers were floating down the river and crying for help. The Lieutenant jumped up immediately, and was startled and horrified by the agonizing cries of the people in the river. He said, that never in all his life, did he hear anything so dreadful, and hopes it may never be his lot to hear such screams again. He immediately ordered the boats to be manned, which was done in very quick time. The morning was very dark. It was impossible to see twenty feet ahead, and they had nothing to guide them whatever but the shrieks and groans of the wounded and scalded men. The first man picked up was chilled through and through, being perfectly benumbed and unable to help himself. Lieutenant Berry, seeing the condition the man was in, very generously divested himself of his own coat and put it on him. The second man they took up died in a few moments after being taken aboard. The men who had Captain Parker's gig picked a woman up out of some drift. She was at that time just making her last struggle for life. About the time this woman was picked up a steamboat yawl came there and helped pick up some more who were clinging to the drift. Lieutenant Berry said it was impossible for him to give any description of the scene; he said it beggared all description; that there were no words adequate to convey to the mind the horror of that night. He continually heard the persons in the water cry out, "Oh, for God's sake save us, we cannot hold out any longer." The boats of the United States steamers Groesbeck and Tyler were on hand, and displayed great vigilance and zeal in picking up the drowning men. Lieutenant Berry, with the help of the crew, picked up over sixty men. Among those of the crew who deserve special notice, are John Tompson, the Captain's coxswain, who with gig, picked up twenty-six men; also John Hill and William Quinn displayed a heroism which deserves to be rewarded by promotion. In fact the whole crew acted in such a noble manner that too much cannot be credited to them for their noble endeavors to save the perishing multitude that was floating down the river, and while we compliment the men we would not be unmindful of the part Lieutenant Berry performed. He seemed to forget his rank, he
"Doffed his sparkling cloak,