Civil War Sabotage? -
history detectives special investigations

It was one of the worst maritime naval disasters in U.S. history. Officially, the death toll was 1,500. Unofficially, the count may have been far higher. When it mysteriously exploded on April 27, 1865, the Mississippi steamboat USS Sultana was packed with Union soldiers. The war had ended that month; at every stop more and more men clamored to board the homeward-bound ship, which blew up mid-river. However, the story of the sinking quickly vanished from the papers. What really sank the Sultana? Was it Confederate sabotage? Securing the original investigative report and its archives allows the team to forensically examine and scientifically test theories of the boilers' failure. The team also researches the stories of a Confederate agent and spy who burned Union ships on the Mississippi and was an expert in using "coal torpedoes" and a former Union inspector's deathbed revelation.

Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 101

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About History Detectives Special Investigations:

The HISTORY DETECTIVES SPECIAL INVESTIGATION team brings cutting edge tools to some of our biggest historical mysteries.

Each episode asks probing questions behind a single iconic mystery from America's past.

Three investigators team up to solve each case: Wes Cowan, an independent appraiser and auctioneer; Kaiama Glover, professor at Barnard College, Columbia University; and Tukufu Zuberi, professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.

As the detectives unearth fresh evidence, sift through clues and crisscross the country in search of answers, they reveal new perspectives on stories we thought we knew.