Read Ebook: The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 by Loubat J F Joseph Florimond Jacquemart Jules Ferdinand Illustrator

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 230 lines and 49580 words, and 5 pages

t replied, "I accept her." I left him promising that the "Vanderbilt" should be at Fortress Monroe properly equipped and officered under my direction within three or four days at the farthest, and she was there within the time. The requisite instrument of transfer was subsequently executed by me and transmitted to the War Department.

The resolution of Congress of which you have informed me truly states that I have in no manner sought requital for the gift, and the recognition of it, which in the discharge of your official duty you have given me, was altogether unsolicited. I shall proudly preserve the splendid token of appreciation which you have transmitted to me, and it is my hope that those who come after me, as they read the inscriptions of the medal and are reminded of the event in their father's life which caused it to be struck, will inflexibly resolve that should our Government be again imperilled, no pecuniary sacrifice is too large to make in its behalf, and no inducement sufficiently great to attempt to profit by its necessities.

I am, Sir, your very obedient servant, C. VANDERBILT.

Andrew Johnson, President of the United States 1865. . Peace.

PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON.

ANDREW JOHNSON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 1865. Undraped bust of President Johnson, facing the right PAQUET, F. .

America is giving her hand to an Indian chief, before a mausoleum, upon which, in a crown of laurel, is the word PEACE. The mausoleum is surmounted by a small undraped bust of Washington, facing the right; to the left, at the feet of the Indian, are the attributes of savage life, and behind him a buffalo hunt; to the right, at the feet of America, are the emblems of civilization, and behind her a railway train. PAQUET. F. .

ANDREW JOHNSON was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, December 29, 1808. He settled in Greenville, Tennessee, 1826; was a member of the State Legislature, 1835 and 1839; State senator, 1841; member of Congress, 1843-1853; governor of Tennessee, 1853-1857; and United States senator, 1857-1863. He remained true to the Union when his State seceded, and was appointed military-governor of Tennessee, 1864; became vice-president of the United States, March 4, 1865; President, after the assassination of President Lincoln, April 16, 1865-1869. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Senate of the United States in 1870, and for Congress in 1871; but was elected to the Senate in 1875. He died July 31, 1875, near Elizabethtown, Carter County, Tennessee.

WRECK OF THE STEAMSHIP SAN FRANCISCO.

BY JOINT RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS TO THE RESCUERS OF THE PASSENGERS OFFICERS AND MEN OF STEAMSHIP SAN FRANCISCO WRECKED DEC. 1853. TESTIMONIAL OF NATIONAL GRATITUDE FOR HIS GALLANT CONDUCT. America, personified as a female, seated, and with the eagle, fasces, and shield at her left, crowns with a wreath of laurel a sailor, who is kneeling before her; to the right, the United States capitol; to the left, a ship at anchor. PAQUET. F. .

Thirty-nine stars; a man and a woman on a raft at sea; a ship coming to their rescue. On the raft, PAQUET. F. . Exergue: JULY 26 1866--An anchor and a branch of laurel.

As this medal was not voted by Congress until 1866, it is placed here according to the chronological order adopted.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

Approved July 26th, 1866.

To Fort Wood COLONEL S. COOPER, New York Harbor, January 14th, 1854. Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C.

Colonel: I have the honor to enclose the above informal report, for the information of the proper authorities, with the following remark: We were wrecked about 7 A.M. of the 24th of December, 1853 , the sea sweeping overboard Brevet Colonel Washington, Brevet Major Taylor, Brevet Captain Field, Lieutenant Smith, and about 120 men. We were much disabled and leaking a great deal, mostly under our guards, which were all broken up. On the 28th of December, 1853, we put on board the bark Kilby, bound for Boston, Colonel Gates, Major Merchant, Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Burke, Doctors Saterlee and Wirtz, Captain Judd, Captain Gardner, Lieutenant Fremont, Lieutenant Loeser and Lieutenant Van Voast, with all the ladies and their children, and about fifty men. Lieutenants William A. Winder, Charles Winder, J. G. Chandler and myself, with the rest of the men remained on board the wreck.

I feel that I would be doing injustice to Lieutenants Charles S. Winder, James Van Voast, and J. G. Chandler, did I not recommend them to the favorable notice of the President, for their untiring and noble exertions, night and day for ten successive days, in keeping the ship clear of water, and mingling among the sick and desponding men, to minister to their wants and cheer them up with hope. The other officer with me, Lieutenant Wm. A. Winder, was sick nearly all the time and that prevented him from rendering the services which otherwise he would have done. I am also happy to say that under the most trying circumstances, my non-commissioned officers and men behaved well.

CONSOLIDATED MORNING REPORT OF COMPANIES A, B, D, G, H, I, K AND L, OF THE 3D ARTILLERY.

Stationed at Fort Wood, New York Harbor, January 14, 1854.

Number of Companies. REMARKS.

Field and Staff: Lieutenant C. Winder and Sergeant Major Gorham embarked for Liverpool.

Regimental Band: 7 embarked for Liverpool.

To Headquarters, 30 Artillery, COLONEL S. COOPER, New York City, Jan. 16, 1854. Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C.

Colonel: I have the honor to report my arrival in this city, with a remnant of my regiment.

As you are already aware I embarked on the 22d of December last, with eight companies of my regiment, on the steamship San Francisco for California. On the 24th December, when about three hundred miles from New York, the engine of the ship gave way, and in a few hours a heavy sea boarded her, carrying away the entire upper cabin, and with it four officers and about two hundred enlisted men, the wife of Major Taylor, my eldest son, and a number of citizen passengers.

Every exertion was now made by both officers and men to assist the crew in keeping the ship afloat; by clearing her of water and throwing overboard freight.

A constant succession of gales continued for four days, rendering it almost certain that she must go down. But by the merciful goodness of God we were preserved, and I am happy to inform you that all the survivors have been taken from the wreck and are now in this harbor, and on the ship "Antarctic" for Liverpool, except eighteen men that volunteered to remain, and help work the old bark Kilby into port.

On the 27th of December the bark Kilby of Boston hove in sight, and her noble commander, Captain Low, said he would lay by us until the sea would permit him to remove us on board his vessel. On the 28th, the sea having in a measure become quiet, he came alongside, sent his boats and removed all the ladies, children, passengers , a number of officers, and about fifty soldiers, when suddenly a squall of wind separated the two vessels, parting the hawser by which they were attached, and continued to blow all night a violent gale. This squall came on so suddenly that my quarter-master and acting adjutant, 1st Lieutenant Fremont, who came on board the bark for a few hours to urge the sailors on to renewed exertions, and offer them large inducements to work the boats all night, was left on the bark unable to get back.

Brevet Major Wyse, the senior officer, undisabled, was, by my orders, detailed to superintend the transfer of troops, and was thus left in command of those remaining on the wreck. For two days and nights the gale continued, and though we tried constantly to regain the wreck, it was found impossible to do so, with the old bark in her crippled condition, and as we were put on an allowance of bread and water, it was finally resolved to make if possible an American port.

We drifted before the wind for fifteen days, and were at last, after living on parched corn five days, taken off by the packet ship Lucy Thompson, of this port, Captain Pendleton, a noble hearted sailor.

I cannot close this brief report without expressing my high admiration of the noble conduct of every undisabled officer, and most of the men. Brevet Major Wyse, Captain Judd, my only staff officer , 1st Lieutenant Fremont, who, in addition to his own duties, served at the pumps, 1st Lieutenant Loeser, acting Commissary, 1st Lieutenant W. A. Winder, 2d Lieutenants C. S. Winder, Van Voast, and Chandler.

These officers, some of them though slightly disabled, never faltered in their duty, working day and night at the pumps and elsewhere, and I would specially notice the three 2d lieutenants who, being unencumbered with the cares of family, labored unremittingly, and deserve the highest praise.

My regiment is broken up and disorganized, and it will be many months before it can take the field successfully. We were all anxious to reach California; our "all" was embarked in the expedition, and by the providence of God it has been swept away, and we are now penniless and destitute. We claim that our tour of duty in California has been performed, by every military principle, we have suffered more in the last three weeks than we could, ordinarily, during a five-year tour in California. "We have marched off parade," sought our destination, and been crushed, cruelly crushed, and we now ask that due consideration be shown us.

I further request that the officers of companies "B" and "L" now under orders for California be directed to report to me in this city for duty, with the remnants of those companies.

The officers lost are Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Washington, Brevet Major George Taylor, Brevet Captain H. B. Field, and 1st Lieutenant R. H. Smith.

As soon as possible a detailed report with a return of the survivors will be made to you.

The troops taken off by the "Kilby" and "Three Bells" are at Bedloe's Island.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

Approved March 27th, 1854.

Approved August 5th, 1854.

CYRUS WEST FIELD.

Within a circle formed by a telegraphic cable: HONOR AND FAME ARE THE REWARD. On clouds in the midst of sunbeams the undraped bust of Cyrus West Field, facing the left. A hand from above places a crown on his head; below is the Atlantic Ocean; two ships going in opposite directions are paying out the cable; to the left, the western hemisphere, AMERICA; to the right, the eastern hemisphere, EUROPE; beneath, in a band formed by the Atlantic cable and a chain uniting the two worlds, INDOMITABLE PERSEVERANCE AND ENDURING FAITH ACHIEVED THE SUCCESS, J. G. BRUFF D. BARBER F. .

Within an endless chain: BY RESOLUTION OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. MARCH 2, 1867. TO CYRUS W. FIELD, OF NEW YORK FOR HIS FORESIGHT, FAITH, AND PERSISTENCY, IN ESTABLISHING TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION, BY MEANS OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH, CONNECTING THE OLD WITH THE NEW WORLD. To the left, the American shield; to the right, a star formed of thirty-one smaller stars; below, the terrestrial globe, showing AMERICA and EUROPE, surrounded with electric sparks, surmounted by a torch and a caduceus crossed, and resting on branches of laurel and of oak.

J. GOLDSBOROUGH BRUFF was in 1872 one of the designing artists attached to the Treasury Department in Washington. He designed the face of this medal.

WILLIAM BARBER, at present engraver to the United States Mint in Philadelphia, was born in London, England. The principal medals engraved by him are those of Cyrus W. Field, Elliot, Rittenhouse, James Pollock, Joseph Pancoast, and Dr. Linderman.

CYRUS WEST FIELD was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, November 30, 1819. He went to New York city at the age of fifteen, and entered a commercial house. He was one of the first promoters of an Atlantic telegraph, and founded the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company in 1854; organized the Atlantic Telegraph Company in 1856; and took a leading part in the various attempts to lay a transatlantic cable. He received a vote of thanks and a gold medal from Congress for the final success of this great undertaking. He is still living.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

Approved March 2, 1867.

To Department of State, Cyrus W. FIELD, Esq., Washington, January 7, 1869. New York.

Sir: Pursuant to the resolution of Congress of March 2, 1867, the President has caused to be prepared, for presentation to you, in the name of the people of the United States, a gold medal, with suitable devices and inscriptions, in acknowledgment of your eminent services in the establishment of telegraphic communication, by means of the Atlantic cable, between the Old World and the New.

This testimonial, together with an engrossed copy of the resolution referred to, is herewith transmitted to you by direction of the President.

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet