ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
Act of Congress Voting a Medal to John Horn, Jr.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: That the President of the United States be authorized and directed to cause to be prepared and presented to John Horn, junior, of Detroit, Michigan, a gold medal, with appropriate devices and inscriptions, in recognition and in commemoration of his heroic and humane exploits in rescuing men, women and children from drowning in the Detroit river.
Approved June 20, 1874.
John Horn, Jr., to Moses W. Field.
Detroit, February 22, 1874.
To the Honorable
Moses W. Field,
House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir: I have never desired a public statement of the service which, under God, I have been able to render in saving human life, but as you have asked me to send you a list of the men, women and children whom I have rescued from drowning, I will do so, so far as I can from memory. I have never kept a record of the names, and the number is so great that you will excuse me if I leave some unmentioned.
I think I have altogether saved more than one hundred human beings, but I take no credit about this matter, and I have never regretted doing what I have done in any case, although I have had at times to keep my bed for many weeks on account of the exposure in the cold weather. It is well for me that I had a good mother to take care of me at such times of sickness. On the 21st of May, 1863, I saved Mr. Manning, of Windsor; on the 7th of July, 1865, I saved Mr. George Taylor, of New York State; he was very near dead when I got him on the wharf; October 10, 1865, I saved a child of Mr. T. Gorman of Adrian; she was about five years old, and was near drowned when I got her out; December 12, 1865, I saved a son of Mr. Yates, who kept a clothing store on Jefferson avenue. The night was very cold, a high wind was blowing at the time, and he was very near dead when we reached the wharf.