The sinking of the Mississippi riverboat Sultana in 1865 was the greatest nautical catastrophe in American history.

Marion County resident Captain William George McElrea was among the survivors of that event.
Author Jerry Potter who wrote, “The Sultana Tragedy: America’s Greatest Maritime Disaster,” says the boat exploded with over 2500 people on board, almost six times it’s legal capacity.
Potter says the Sultana was carrying mostly Union soldiers whom had been recently released from prison camps at the end of the Civil War.
April marked the 150th anniversary of the Sultana tragedy. To learn more about the Sultana and McElrea, listen to Dr. Bob Leonard’s interview with Jerry Potter by clicking here.