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

REV. 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 a sailor with a wreath of laurel; the U.S. Capitol and a ship at anchor. By Anthony C. Paquet.

By resolution of the Congress, approved July 26, 1866, gold medals were awarded 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 ANTARCTIC as testimonials of national gratitude "for their gallant conduct in rescuing about five

hundred Americans from the wreck of the steamship San Francisco."

The SAN FRANCISCO, a new ship, left the Port of New York on December 22, 1853, under the command of Captain Watkins. Aboard the ship were about 550 U.S. troops of the 3d Regiment, U.S. Artillery, in addition to 150 other passengers.

While off Charleston, S.C., on December 24, the ship encountered a northwest wind which soon increased to gale force. The following evening, heavy seas washed about 150 of the troops overboard. The ship opened in the seams, over the wales a large portion of the quarterdeck was stove in, and it was only by the greatest exertion that she was kept afloat. On December 27, a disease resembling Asiatic cholera broke out. By this time the ship had drifted northward and was nearly opposite to Boston. On board, all was confusion and consternation.

The bark KILBY, from New Orleans, Captain Low, which, although herself suffering for lack of provisions, had re

OBV. A boat engaged in rescue operations; the wreck of the "Metis" in the distance.

REV. BY RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS, FEBRUARY 24, 1843. Within a heavy oak wreath: TO

FOR COURAGE AND HUMANITY IN THE SAVING
OF LIFE FROM THE WRECK OF THE STEAMER
METIS LONG ISLAND SOUND. AUGUST 31, 1872.
By W. and C. Barber

In August 1872, the steamer METIS was passing Long Island Sound on its way up to Stonington when it was run into by a schooner. In the course of 15 or 20 minutes she went down, endangering the lives of all the passengers. The U.S. Revenue steamer MOCCASIN, in the neighborhood, immediately went to the distressed vessel's assistance. Its

commanding officer, Capt. David Ritchie, received the thanks of Congress, and the privilege of appearing on the floor of Congress, by resolution of January 24, 1873, for "devoting himself with the most humane and earnest effort, confronted by danger and suffering, during the day to that work, and finally saving the lives of forty-two persons and rescuing a number of dead bodies."

By resolution of February 24, 1873, gold medals were awarded to Capt. Jared S. Crandall, Albert Crandall, Daniel F. Larkin, Frank Larkin, Byron Green, John D. Harvey, Courtland Gavitt, Eugene Nash, Edwin Nash, and William Nash of the town of Westerly, State of Rhode Island, "who so gallantly volunteered to man the lifeboat and a fishing boat, and saved the lives of thirty-two persons from the wreck of the steamer 'METIS'."

OBV. JOHN HORN, JR. Bust of Mr. Horn.
REV. BY ACT OF CONGRESS JUNE 20th, 1874.
Within a wreath of laurel: IN RECOGNITION OF HIS
HEROIC EXPLOITS IN RESCUING MEN WOMEN &
CHILDREN FROM DROWNING IN DETROIT RIVER.
By C. Barber.

By act of Congress approved June 20, 1874, John Horn, Jr., of Detroit, Mich. was awarded a gold medal "in recognition and in commemoration of his heroic and humane exploits in rescuing men, women and children from drowning in the Detroit River."

In a letter of February 22, 1874, to Congressman Moses W. Field of Detroit, who introduced this legislation, Mr. Horn tells of his experiences, which at the time, made him the foremost lifesaver of the Nation:

"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. "April 11, 1866, was the worst night I ever had. It will be ever memorable as the night of the great conflagration at the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad depot, when sixteen poor fellows were drowned. I rescued nine, and then became so exhausted that I could not swim, and had to abandon them to their fate. I got a very bad cold and lay in bed two weeks, but that was nothing in comparison to the good accomplished. July 25, 1866, I saved Mr. Joseph Noble, of Windsor, and I believe you were there at the time. He was once engineer on the Great Western Railroad. You know he came near drowning me in his struggles in the water, at which time I received several internal injuries. April 7, 1867, I saved the son of Mr. C. Meyers, who lived in Mullet street. He was a boy about twelve years old. June 14, 1867, I saved the daughter of Mr. Andrew Nourse, of Cleveland. She was going on board the ferry-boat with her mother and some other ladies, when she fell off the plank. When I got to the wharf she was going out of sight for the last time, and I plunged in and brought her to the surface. September 15, 1867, I saved a colored man who was a deck hand on the propeller Meteor. He kicked me about in the water terribly, for drowning men are always crazy. November 2, 1867, I saved Mr. David Miller, the man who drove a wagon for Hull Brothers, storekeepers on Munroe avenue. May 10, 1868, I saved Mr. Robert Sinton, known as "Free Press Bob." You know he used to be a reporter for the "Free Press." And in his haste to get news, he fell in, and I got him out. "A few nights after that I saved Mr. Steele, who used to keep a store on Michigan avenue. He was on the ferryboat with his wife; he had a very spirited horse, and was holding him by the head when the boat struck the wharf. The horse jumped and threw him into the river, when the current swept him under the wharf. I jumped in and got

him out all right. October 4, 1868, I saved a daughter of Mr. McDonald, of Windsor. May 11, 1869, I saved Mr. Flattery, one of the Flattery Brothers who kept a furniture store on Woodward avenue. He was a heavy man; when I got hold of him he was near gone, and I came near losing my own life in getting him out. June 21, 1870, I saved a man called Mr. George Brodier. I was eating dinner at the time, when some persons came running in after me, saying, "there is a man in the river." I ran out and jumped into the river, and as soon as I got near him he clutched me like a vice and took me under water twice. When I came to the top the last time my father handed me a large pole, which I caught and that saved me. He was a powerful man, and kicked and struggled so hard that he made my legs black and blue for many months.

"My mother goes to the edge of the wharf with me very often, when I jump in; but when she sees persons strug gling in the water and drowning she never holds me back. August 24, 1871, I saved the daughter of Mr. A. Wilson of Milwaukee. March 4, 1872, I saved a colored man by the name of George Wilkes; he fell off the wharf while under the influence of liquor; but I think he has been a sober man ever since. July 4, 1873, I saved the daughter of Mr. F. Barlow, a butcher, who keeps a stall in the market. She was going on board the ferry-boat Detroit with her mother and some other ladies; the crowd was great, being the Fourth of July, and although her mother held her by the hand, the crowd surged, and she was crowded off the plank, and fell into the river. There were about five hundred people on the wharf at the time, and

they were all staring at the poor girl struggling in the water, not one of them daring to go to her rescue. I was in the house when some one came to give the alarm, and when I got out there I could just see her dress as she was going out of sight, four or five feet below the surface. I jumped in and caught her, and when I got out on the top of the wharf with her the people gave me three cheers. March 6, 1873, I saved a young lady called Miss Louise McKenzie. This was the closest call I ever had for my life. I was in the water about seventeen minutes, and the river being full of floating ice at the time, I was nearer dead than alive when I got out. Four men carried me into the house, and they rubbed me with hot whisky for over four hours before circulation was restored to its normal condition. This severe exposure made me sick, and it was over three months before the right feeling was in my hand."

John Horn, Jr. was born at Sidmouth, Devonshire, Eng. land, on September 7, 1843. At the age of 11 he emigrated to America with his parents and settled in Detroit, Mich. He grew up on the docks at the foot of Woodward Avenue in Detroit, where his father had a ferry and tugboat busi ness. After his father's death in 1897, he continued in this business. When the Congress approved the lifesaving medal in 1874, President Grant strongly favored pensioning Mr. Horn, saying that such heroism should not pass unrewarded. The pension was declined by Mr. Horn.

In later years, Mr. Horn was active in the civic life of Detroit; he served as deputy sheriff, alderman and as president of the Board of Health, and was prominent in fraternal circles, being a 32d degree Mason.