FGS Stern-NARA Fund Helps Make Sultana Disaster Records Available
Free Access Provided by Fold3
May 4, 2012– Austin, TX: The Federation of Genealogical Societies
(FGS) is proud to announce its recent participation in making the
Sultana Disaster records available to genealogists and family history
researchers.
When the boiler
exploded aboard the steamer Sultana on April 27, 1865, more than 1,700
people lost their lives. The records include lists of survivors, along
with their military service information, as well as information on those
who perished.
Through a grant from the Malcolm H. Stern-NARA Gift Fund, FGS has helped to bring this important Civil War record set to the Fold3
website. The fund is a nationally supported program to finance
preservation and imaging of valuable research materials now preserved in
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington,
D.C.
In addition, FGS and NARA,
with the help of the genealogical community, have begun an exciting
project to digitize the War of 1812 pension files. There are 7.2 million
pages in 180,000 pension files that have never been available in any
other form before. The Preserve the Pensions Project
is in progress to digitize and make every page of these
information-rich files available as part of a bicentennial commemoration
of this historic conflict. Learn more about this important preservation
and digitization project at the Preserve the Pensions page (http://www.fgs.org/1812/) and get involved by making a donation today.
Here
is the recent announcement from Fold3 about the Sultana Disaster
database and the specific information to be found within the records:
When
the boiler exploded aboard the steamer Sultana on April 27, 1865, more
than 1,700 people lost their lives. Most of those aboard were recently
released Union prisoners from Confederate prisons in Cahaba, Alabama,
and Andersonville, Georgia. They were en route from Camp Fiske in
Mississippi to Camp Chase, Ohio, but the explosion occurred only a few
hours into the journey.
In addition to the faulty boiler, the ship was also grossly overburdened with 2,200 passengers on a vessel built to carry 376.
Records
relating to the Sultana Disaster, April 1865, are now available on
Fold3. They include lists of the former prisoners who survived the
disaster, with military service information and brief comments on their
injuries. There are also lists of those who perished, yet not of the
civilian survivors or those who died.
The
enormity of the disaster led quickly to investigations. By January
1866, a court-martial was convened to charge Captain Frederick Speed,
the man who volunteered to coordinate the transfer of prisoners, with
“neglect of duty to the prejudice of good order and military
discipline.” There are 647 documents in the court-martial case with
testimonies, witness accounts, and statements by the defense and
prosecution. After "nearly six long weary months" the trial came to a
close. Capt. Speed was the only person charged in the incident. He was
found guilty, yet the charges were later dismissed by Judge Advocate
General Joseph Holt.
The Sultana Disaster records can be accessed on the Fold3 website at http://www.fold3.com/title_797/sultana_disaster_april_1865/. The original publication was financed by The Abrams Foundation of Michigan through the Stern-NARA Gift Fund and the National Archives Trust Fund.
About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)
The
Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and
represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links
the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen
and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine
(filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical
news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about
effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the
genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of
excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management
topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.
About Fold3
Fold3
(http://www.fold3.com) offers the web’s premier collection of original
military records, gathering the best U.S. military records, photos and
stories to help customers discover and share the stories of those who
served. With more than 91 million historical record images already
online and more being added every day, Fold3 brings the details of
America’s military service to life.
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