This manuscript is a letter written from Henry M. Misemer to his wife, Martha J. Misemer. The letter is dated June, 1864, one year before the Sultana Disaster. Researchers indicate that 1,195 of the 2,200 passengers and crew died including Henry Misemer, 200 later died from burns sustained during the incident, making the Sultana incident the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history. This transcription and its attendant annotations, explanatory material, and bibliography were prepared by students in ENGL 618: Research Methods in English, the required gateway class for the MA in English at Western Carolina University.