Treasury Department, Office of the Secretary,
Washington, D. C., September 22, 1877.
To
Mr. Carl Fosberg,
Quartermaster, Yacht "Madeleine,"
Care of Commodore John S. Dickerson, No. 29 Cliff Street, New York.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a life-saving medal of the first class, which has been awarded to you, under authority of the provisions of the seventh section of the Act of Congress approved June 20, 1874, for the extreme and heroic daring manifested by you in endeavoring to rescue the late Miss Adele Hunter and Mr. William T. Garner and his wife, under circumstances of peculiar peril and difficulty, which attended the sudden sinking of the yacht "Mohawk," on the 20th of July, 1876.
It is regretted that, owing to the inability of the Department to discover your address, the medal could not sooner be forwarded. In now sending it to you I recur to the circumstances of the conduct it is intended to recognize and commemorate. The record shows that the "Mohawk" sank within four minutes. During that time and when the vessel was on her beam ends, you rushed down into her cabin, where Colonel Crosby was already, and remained there with him until the cabin was almost filled with water, engaged in devoted though unavailing efforts to extricate the unfortunate ladies from the furniture which had fallen upon them, and escaping finally only by swimming upward through the broken skylight, guided by the faint light which penetrated the water. It must be noted that you were not bound by any tie of friendship or kindred to those you tried to rescue, and that you were not impelled by any consideration of reward, but solely by the gallant instincts of manhood. Language has no power to add distinction to heroism like yours, but in sending you this medal, which is the highest tribute to your conduct that the Government can bestow, it is a satisfaction to be able to express the feeling that in men like you the traditional nobility of the sailor is preserved.
Very respectfully,
John Sherman,
Secretary.
Report of the United States Life-Saving Service.
Treasury Department,
United States Life-Saving Service,
Washington, D. C., November 29, 1877.
To the Honorable
John Sherman,
Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C.
Sir:
Awards of Medals.
Two life-saving medals of the first class, and six life-saving medals of the second class, have been awarded during the year under the provisions of the act of June 20, 1874.