WRECK OF THE STEAMSHIP SAN FRANCISCO.
[Testimonial of National Gratitude.]
BY JOINT RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS TO THE RESCUERS OF THE PASSENGERS OFFICERS AND MEN OF STEAMSHIP SAN FRANCISCO WRECKED DEC. (December) 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. (fecit).
Thirty-nine stars; a man and a woman on a raft at sea; a ship coming to their rescue. On the raft, PAQUET. F. (fecit). Exergue: JULY 26 1866—An anchor and a branch of laurel.[120]
As this medal was not voted by Congress until 1866, it is placed here according to the chronological order adopted.
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
Resolutions of Congress Voting Medals to Captains Creighton, Low, and Stouffer.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: Section 1. That the President of the United States be requested to procure three valuable gold medals with suitable devices, one to be presented to Captain Creighton, of the ship Three Bells, of Glasgow; one to Captain Low, of the bark Kilby, of Boston; and one to Captain Stouffer, of the ship Antar(c)tic, as testimonials of national gratitude for their gallant conduct in rescuing about five hundred Americans from the wreck of the steamship San Francisco; and that the cost of the same be paid for out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Section 2. And be it further resolved, That the sum of seven thousand five hundred dollars each is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the above named captains respectively, as a reward of their humanity and heroism in the rescue of the survivors of the said wreck, and in case either of the said captains may have died, then the amount hereby appropriated shall be paid to the widow of said deceased captain respectively; if no widow surviving, then to the respective child or children of such deceased captain; and in the event of there being no child or children of said deceased captain surviving, then the amount hereby appropriated shall be paid first, to the father, or if the father be not living, then to the mother of such deceased captain respectively.
Section 3. And be it further resolved, That there shall be paid to each mate of the three above-named vessels the sum of five hundred dollars, and to each man and boy the sum of one hundred dollars, and in case of the death of the respective mate or mates, or men or boys, that the said respective sums shall be paid in the same way and under the same conditions as the payment is to be made in case of the death of the respective captains.
Approved July 26th, 1866.
Major Wyse to the Adjutant-General of the Army.
Fort Wood
New York Harbor, January 14th, 1854.
To
Colonel S. Cooper,
Adjutant-General, Washington, D. C.
Colonel: I have the honor to enclose the above[121] 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 (Saturday), 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 continued the disembarkation until about 8 p.m. the same day, when the weather forced us to stop, and that night we parted with the bark in a gale. On Friday night, the 30th of December, 1853, we fell in with the English ship "Three Bells," Captain Creighton, who after finding our condition stuck by us most nobly, until the sea calmed sufficiently to take our men off, which was on Tuesday morning the 3d of January, 1854. At this time the ship "Antarctic" of Liverpool came to our relief and also commenced taking off our men. We continued this disembarkation throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, and on Wednesday evening, about 6 p.m., having removed every man, woman and child of my command, I embarked myself on board the "Three Bells." The commander of the San Francisco, Captain Watkins, with his officers and crew, remained on the wreck that night, and left the next morning about 10 a.m., after which we parted with the wreck, the ship "Antarctic" steaming for Liverpool, and our ship the "Three Bells" for New York, where I have the happiness to inform you we arrived last evening. Words cannot express the gratitude we owe to Captain Creighton for laying by us so faithfully during so many stormy days, his ship disabled in the storm which wrecked us, and leaking at the rate of four inches per hour, and to whom I trust our government may make some suitable testimonial. Our own captain also behaved throughout the whole trouble with the most untiring courage, energy and perseverance. Both of our surgeons being on the bark Kilby, I don't know what we should have done had it not been for the accidental presence of Doctor Buell, a citizen physician, who labored incessantly night and day to alleviate the sufferings of our numerous sick, who were dying hourly with the cholera, and to make things still worse the small pox made its appearance on board. All our hospital stores were swept overboard the morning of the wreck, with the exception of two or three boxes of brandy and wine, and a little opium.
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.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
F. O. Wyse,
Captain and Brevet Major 3d Artillery, commanding.
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. | Letters of Companies. | Present for Duty. | Present Sick. | Absent. | Absent Sick. | Dead. | Total Present. | Total Present, Absent and Dead. | Commissioned Officers Present. | Aggregate. | REMARKS. | |
| Field and Staff | 1 | Lieutenant C. Winder and Sergeant Major Gorham embarked for Liverpool. | ||||||||||
| Regimental Band | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | 22 | 7 embarked for Liverpool. | ||||
| 1 | A | 17 | 1 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 54 | 54 | 2 embarked on board the bark Kilby for Boston, and 26 for Liverpool. | ||
| 2 | B | 12 | 2 | 20 | 3 | 31 | 14 | 68 | 68 | 23 embarked for Liverpool. | ||
| 3 | D | 21 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 56 | 1 | 57 | 9 embarked for Boston, and 15 for Liverpool. | |
| 4 | G | 14 | 23 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 55 | 1 | 56 | 2 privates embarked on board the bark Kilby for Boston, and 21 for Liverpool. | ||
| 5 | H | 11 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 51 | 51 | 24 embarked for Liverpool, and 2 for Boston. | ||
| 6 | I | 10 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 46 | 46 | 29 embarked for Boston, and 4 for Liverpool. | ||
| 7 | K | 12 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 36 | 13 | 57 | 57 | 1 private embarked on board the bark Kilby for Boston, and 7 for Liverpool. | ||
| 8 | L | 16 | 1 | 16 | 41 | 17 | 74 | 74 | 16 embarked for Liverpool. | |||
| —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | —— | ||||
| Total | 120 | 12 | 174 | 18 | 160 | 132 | 483 | 2 | 485 | |||
Colonel Gates to the Adjutant-General of the Army.
Headquarters, 30 Artillery,
New York City, Jan. 16, 1854.
To
Colonel S. Cooper, 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 (to human foresight) 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 (citizens), 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 (quartermaster and acting adjutant), 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.
I am, Colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
William Gates,
Colonel commanding.