Bronze US Navy Medal for Duncan Ingraham. Designed by S. Eastman, obverse sculpted by Peter Cross, reverse sculpted by James Longacre. Obverse design: ships St. Louis and Hussar in Smyrna harbour. The text reads: ‘Presented by the President of the United States to Commander Duncan N. Ingraham as a testimonial of the high sense entertained by Congress of his gallant and judicious conduct on the 2nd of July 1853. Joint resoluton of Congress August 4th 1854’. In July, 1853 Captain Duncan Nathaniel Ingraham, while in command of the sloop-of-war St. Louis in the Mediterranean, interfered with the Austrian consul’s detention of Martin Kosztca, a Hungarian who had declared in New York his intention of becoming an American citizen. On 2 July 1853 at 8am, Ingraham demanded the release of Koszta within 8 hours or he planned to attack, eventhough the St. Louis was much smaller and out gunned by the Austrian war-brig Hussar. The Austrian consul agreed to release Koszta into the custody of the French Consul. The French held the Hungarian until the US and Austrian consuls agreed to his disposition and he was released. For his conduct in this matter he was voted thanks and a medal by Congress. |