The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-20
PRESENTATION OF MEDALS TO THE CREW OF
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION

The ceremony of presenting to the crews OF
the ddrdnce and Rescue the medals subscribed
for by the British residents in New York, to
commemorate the expedition, took place yes
terday at IL o'clock on board the United States
receiving ship North Carolina, lying off the
navy yard The commander of the North Car
DINA, s. B. Wilson, rendered the use of his YES
sci for that purpose to the committee MIR. Bar
clay, British Consul,) Richard irwin and DIR.
Bartlett. There was a large number of persons
present principally ladies,) to whom special
invitations had been extended Commodore
Salter and the officers of the navy yard were
also present in uniform. In consequence of
the discharge of the crews of the expedi-
ton, and their subsequently entering other
service there were but nine of them in
attendance, namely: Edward Wilson, Smith
Ben amn William Benson, William Holmes,
Thomas West Edward Delano, Charles Berry,
Rufus c. Bags, and Lewis Coster. Mr.. Grit
fin, commander of the Rescue, and Boatswain
Brooks, were present on the occasion Lieut.
De Haven, of the expedition. was absent from
the city The seamen on board the North Car
DINA, to the number of seven hundred, were
drawn up on the quarterback, and n file of
marines paraded under arms on the poOp-deck.
DR. Bartlett in addressing the men. said
"When the 4drdnce and Rescue returned a
| few weeks since from their polar voyage the
, public regretted that notwithstanding all that
had been done by the munifcence of Mr.. Grin
nell and the skill of the officers and crews, the
American, as well as the English expedition,
had been unsuccessful But the public knew
full well that failure to discover any traces of
Sir John Franklin since 1916 was not attrib-
utable to any lack of exertiOn on your part for
"a; ~ s,hyour ttaf fs1 ..,..lfS as.ssSS; 81
had been done that coald be accomplished and
yAast' 4. orr ;-5p-e G,'H'i a',t the
fate of poor Franklin and his companions must
be left in the hands of Providence
But when the narrative of the voyage was
made public, and your long privatiOns and dan
gers were revealed, mingled feeling Of ad-
miration and sympathy pervaded us. The
British portion of the population, as became
them, participated in the sentiment more es-
pecially, and it was resolved by them to do
something that should express their gratitude
in some durable way A medal was therefore
struck in honor of the officers and crews, and
it is our business here to-day to present it, We
hope You will take it and keep it as long as
you live.
Here, my friends is the medal it is COM
posed of the purest silver and each mans name
is engraved on it, | wish it were of gold, but
such as it is we give you with all our hearts"
His daughter Mrs. LIE Gal, lady of Eugene
lie Gal, Esq, then affixed on the left breast of
each the medal suspended bya silk ribbon, and
presented each of them at the same time with
a small box containing a fve-dollar gold piece
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Commander
Wilson called for three cheers, which, at sig
nal from the boatswains whistle, were given
vociferously. The band then struck up Hail
Columbia" and wound up with " God save the
Queen" The remainder of the medals are
deposited with Mr.. Barclay the British Con-
sui, for presentation to those entitled to them
when they call at his Office
On one side of the medal, which is of silver,
and something larger than a half dollar piece,
is bas-relief representation of the Arctic Seas
and the Advance and Rescue and on the OBJ
verse is the inscription " Presented by the
British residents of New York to 1.-THE name of
the rccipcnt in commemoration of his SER
vices in the American Arctic Expedition, sent
by Henry Grinnel Esq, in search of Sir John
Franklin, 5l.-NeW York Tribune.