Chapter XXX: 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._

To Fort Wood
COLONEL S. COOPER, New York Harbor, January 14th, 1854.
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 (p. 413)
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_.

[Footnote 121: See ENCLOSURE, page 414.]

[_Enclosure._] (p. 414)

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 ||Letters
Companies. || of Companies.
|| |
|| |Present
|| |for Duty.
|| | |
|| | |Present Sick.
|| | | |
|| | | |Absent.
|| | | | |
|| | | | |Absent Sick.
|| | | | | |
|| | | | | |Dead.
|| | | | | | |
|| | | | | | |Total Present.
|| | | | | | | |
|| | | | | | | |Total Present
|| | | | | | | |Absent, and
|| | | | | | | |Dead.
|| | | | | | | | |
|| | | | | | | | |Commissioned
|| | | | | | | | |Officers
|| | | | | | | | |Present.
|| | | | | | | | | ||Aggregate.
|| | | | | | | | | || ||
-----------||----------------------------------------||----||
Field and || | | | 1 | | | | | || ||
Staff || | | | | | | | | || ||
Regimental || | 7 | 1 | 7 | | 7 | 8 | 22 | || 22 ||
Band || | | | | | | | | || ||
1 || A | 17 | 1 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 54 | || 54 ||
2 || B | 12 | 2 | 20 | 3 | 31 | 14 | 68 | || 68 ||
3 || D | 21 | 4 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 56 | 1 || 57 ||
4 || G | 14 | | 23 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 55 | 1 || 56 ||
5 || H | 11 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 51 | || 51 ||
6 || I | 10 | 1 | 31 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 46 | || 46 ||
7 || K | 12 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 36 | 13 | 57 | || 57 ||
8 || L | 16 | 1 | 16 | | 41 | 17 | 74 | || 74 ||
-----------------------------------------------------||----||
Total || |120 |12 |174 |18 |160 |132 |483 | 2 ||485 ||
=============================================================

Number of Companies. REMARKS.

Field and Staff: Lieutenant C. Winder and Sergeant Major Gorham
embarked for Liverpool.

Regimental Band: 7 embarked for Liverpool.

1: 2 embarked on board the bark Kilby for Boston,
and 26 for Liverpool.

2: 23 embarked for Liverpool.

3: 9 embarked for Boston, and 15 for Liverpool.

4: 2 privates embarked on board the bark Kilby
for Boston, and 21 for Liverpool.

5: 24 embarked for Liverpool, and 2 for Boston.

6: 29 embarked for Boston, and 4 for Liverpool.

7: 1 private embarked on board the bark Kilby
for Boston, and 7 for Liverpool.

8: 16 embarked for Liverpool.

_____

_Colonel Gates to the Adjutant-General of the Army._ (p. 415)

To Headquarters, 30 Artillery,
COLONEL S. COOPER, New York City, Jan. 16, 1854.
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 (p. 416)
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_.

_____

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

_Acts of Congress Voting Eight Months' Pay to Lieutenant Francis
Key Murray and others._

_Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States in Congress assembled_: That there shall be paid,
under the direction of the President, to each of the officers,
non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates, who, on the
twenty-first day of December, eighteen hundred and fifty-three,
embarked at New York, under orders to California, on the steamship
San Francisco, and who was on board the vessel on the occasion of
her recent disaster at sea, and to Lieutenant Francis Key Murray,
and any other officer or seaman of the United States Navy, who was
on board the said steamship, under orders, a sum equal in amount
to his pay and allowance for eight months.

SECTION 2. _And be it further enacted_, That if any such (p. 417)
officer, non-commissioned officer, musician or private, shall have
died before receiving such payment, from any cause consequent upon
said disaster, his widow, if one survive him, and if not, then his
minor children, if any there be, shall be paid a sum equal in
amount to six months' pay, and allowances of the deceased; and
that the widows and minor children of those officers,
non-commissioned officers and privates, who perished by this
disaster, or who died from disease in consequence thereof, shall
be allowed pensions in the same manner in all respects as if the
said officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates had been
killed in battle.

Approved March 27th, 1854.