Army Transport B.M. Runyan-- Part 1

From Civil War Talk Forum.

In the last post I mentioned this ship sinking in the Mississippi River after hitting a snag on July 23, 1864.  Some more information on this boat.

On August 30, 2010, Blessmag wrote the forum requesting information on the existence of photographs or drawings of the B.M. Runyan and Luminary.  Both served in the Mississippi River and  the Runyan carried troops from Alton, Illinois,  to Columbus, Kentucky, in 1862.

5fish replied:

Loss of the B.M. Runyan--  Happened on July 21, 1863

One report says 70 lives were lost.  Another says 150.    In either case, most of the dead were soldiers whose enlistments were up and were on their way to Cincinnati to be mustered out of the U.S. Army.

Frederick  Way, Jr.'s "Way's Packet  Directory 1845-1994" reports that  that the Runyan's cabin broke free of the hull and floated downstream before it grounded on a sandbar.

--Old B-Runner