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.