1862-1864: SULTANA & CAPT PRESTON LODWICK
	Late 1862 - Sultana #5 was originally built and owned by Capt Preston Lodwick. She was a large double side-wheel steamboat 260 ft long with a main deck, a roomy upper deck, and a smaller third deck set forward toward the bow of the boat. She was capable of carrying up to 375 persons as well as up to 1000 tons of commercial freight for the profitable cotton trade on the lower Mississippi to New Orleans. February, 1863 - Captain Lodwick and Sultana experience trouble right away on her maiden voyage. Built for the cotton trade of the lower Mississippi, Sultana's smokestacks were too tall to go under the bridge at Wheeling, VA (now W.VA). During the rest of early 1863, due to rising Spring river level, she was limited to travel between Wheeling and Cincinnati. Mid-March, 1863 - As spring water levels receded, Capt Lodwick took on government contracts and began hauling troops and freight southward to Nashville. But with federal contracts came certain problems. State and local passenger safety rules and freight regulations did not apply to federal shippers on inland waters. On rivers running through several states, a riverboat under government contract was often overloaded with freight or crowded with troops three to four times its legal design capacity. Mid-March to early April 1863 - Sultana makes regular runs between Wheeling and Nashville. April 8-9, 1863 - Sultana makes her first Mississippi River run to Memphis TN. Once there, Capt Lodwick enters a three-way race back to Cairo, Illinois. The Sultana, City of Alton, and Belle Memphis (captained by James Cass Mason) all set out at 6:00 PM. Capt Mason's boat won and was able to off-load and leave dock before either Sultana or City of Alton were even in sight. Sultana had been detained at Columbus, Kentucky and was ordered to take Union troops back downriver to Memphis. May 18, 1863 - Sultana, Luminary, and three other steamboats were carrying troops downriver in convoy to Vicksburg when Confederate artillery forces attacked the boats near Greenville, Mississippi. An escorting gunboat returned fire and landed Union troops which attacked and burned the town of Greenville. May 18 - July 4, 1863 - Seige of Vicksburg: Sultana and Luminary supported Grant's campaign transporting supplies to Vicksburg, then brought wounded and prisoners back upriver to Memphis. On one trip Sultana transported a Confederate deserter who had important information about rebel troop reinforcements headed for Vicksburg. July 18, 1863 - Sultana runs all the way to St Louis, Missouri in her first visit to that city transporting federal horses & mules. St Louis soon came to be Sultana's home port. July 29, 1863 - Sultana was carrying three Union generals and troops upstream when about 45 miles south of Memphis, Confederate soldiers fired on her from the river bank. Union soldiers on board returned fire. Sultana suffered damage to her upper works, but none of the Union officers were injured. Only one soldier, a private, was killed. August, 1863 - Having been released temporarily from government service, Sultana and Capt Lodwick begin regular runs south to New Orleans mostly on private business. November, 1863 - Back in government service, Capt Lodwick takes Sultana south carrying supplies and troops for New Orleans. Just below the mouth of the Red River, Confederates once again attacked. Union troops onboard Sultana returned fire. Some civilian passengers onboard were shaken up, but not injured. October, 1863 - Sultana undergoes boiler maintenance, moderate repairs, and painting near Cairo. Winter 1863-1864 - Sultana lay at dock in Cairo along with 50-plus other steamboats until ice blocking the river had melted. Late January thru February, 1863 - Sultana continues government work. March 1, 1864 - Capt Preston Lodwick sells his steamboat for $85,000 to a group of investors, including Capt James Cass Mason, who had bought a three-eights interest and was given command of Sultana. *From this point on we shall see Sultana's fortunes and fate begin a steady decline into ultimate disaster.
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