The Cárdenas Medal

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Congress has a long tradition of awarding medals to honor individuals, groups, and events. The Second Continental Congress approved the first Congressional Gold Medal on March 25, 1776, to honor General George Washington for his “wise and spirited conduct” in forcing the British evacuation of Boston. Congress also honors significant achievements or events with silver and bronze medals. Among the first Congressional Silver Medals were those awarded to Lieutenant Colonels William Washington and John Howard, who fought with General Daniel Morgan during his stunning victory in the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781. The bestowal of these congressional medals is not taken lightly by members of Congress and is considered a very high honor. 

In the more than 245 years since it issued Washington’s award, Congress has approved just 181 Congressional Gold Medals, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors. Some awards, such as the Cárdenas Medal, were issued as a Congressional Gold Medal, with silver and bronze examples given to multiple recipients. Most congressional medals are large, non-wearable medals, also called table medals. Awarded as both a table medal and a wearable medal, the Cárdenas Medal is one of only seven congressional-authorized pieces to be worn on a military uniform.

Despite the fantastic achievements of Admiral George Dewey and Admiral William T. Sampson, only one Congressional Gold Medal was awarded for the Spanish-American War: to Captain Frank Newcomb. This article focuses on his medal and the actions that earned it.

The Ship & Captain

The USRC Hudson was one of the first Revenue Cutter Service vessels to have a steel hull and a triple-expansion 475-horsepower steam engine, making her more robust and powerful than previous cutters. The ship had a length of 95 ½feet, a beam of 20 feet, and a displacement of 128 tons. Upon her commissioning, she had a crew of 3 officers and 11 men. 

Once drafted into naval service for the Spanish-American War, Hudson was fitted with two 6-pounder Driggs-Schroeder rapid-fire guns, one fore and one aft, and one Model 1895 Colt .30 caliber machine gun positioned amidships on the roof deck. In addition, ⅝-inch armor plates were added to the pilothouse and the upper engine room, located amidships. Seven additional crewmen and two other officers were assigned to handle the guns. The commander for the duration of the Spanish-American War was Frank H. Newcomb, serving as a first lieutenant in the United States Revenue Cutter Service.

Frank H. Newcomb

Frank Hamilton Newcomb was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 10, 1846, the oldest of three children. His father, Hiram Newcomb, was a merchant sea captain, and Frank began sailing on his father’s ship at an early age. In 1862 he served on a merchant ship that made an around-the-world trading voyage. 

In 1863, at age 17, Newcomb received a U.S. Navy appointment as acting master’s mate aboard the USS Para. During the Civil War, Newcomb served in several military engagements. When the war ended in 1865, Newcomb resigned from the Navy and attempted to make a living as a merchant seaman. He discovered there wasn’t much money to be made as an American mariner and decided to try his hand at railroading and various other jobs. However, his love of the sea kept calling him, and in 1873, he accepted a commission in the Revenue Cutter Service as a third lieutenant.

Over the next 25 years, Newcomb rose steadily in rank, serving in various commands aboard Revenue Service cutters and a stint as an assistant inspector for the United States Life-Saving Service. In 1897, now a first lieutenant, he took command of USRC Hudson in New York City’s harbor. On February 15, 1898, he received orders assigning Hudson to the Navy and sailed the ship to Norfolk, Virginia, to be outfitted for blockading duty in the event of war. The United States declared war on Spain in April, and on April 23, Hudson departed Norfolk under orders to go to Key West, the staging area for operations against Cuba.

Cárdenas Battle

On May 11, 1898, Hudson joined the USS Wilmington and USS Winslow in entering Cuba’s Cárdenas Harbor in search of three small Spanish gunboats that were known to be there. They soon encountered shallow water, however, and the deeper-draft Wilmington—drawing more than nine feet—was forced to stay back while Hudson and Winslow entered the inner harbor alone. Maneuvering on opposite sides of the harbor, the two ships worked their way toward the town of Cárdenas. 

Winslow’s captain, Lieutenant Bernadou, backed into the harbor to allow all three of his one-pounder rapid-fire guns and the rear torpedo tube to engage the Spanish gunboats—maximizing his little ship’s firepower and enabling him to beat a hasty retreat if necessary. Although this would expose his steering gear to enemy fire, Bernadou was confident that his rapid-fire guns could deal with the small Spanish gunboats. 

With Wilmington sitting 2,000 yards away, Winslow was suddenly engulfed in a hail of gunfire from both shore batteries and the three Spanish ships. Water Tender John Madden, onboard Wilmington, described the assault as a “hornet’s nest.” Watching in horror as his comrades were raked by Spanish fire, Newcomb signaled Wilmington, requesting permission to move in to assist Winslow. With permission granted, he ordered Hudson forward at full speed while Wilmington provided supporting fire with her larger guns.

Once within range, Newcomb ordered his men to begin firing on the Spanish guns. The Spanish smokeless powder made their shore batteries hard to detect. In Bernadou’s words, “at no time could I detect the exact position of the guns.” To make matters worse, the smoke from the Americans’ use of black powder obscured their vision. The combined American fire disabled the gunboat Antonio Lopez and set several buildings in the harbor ablaze. 

Even though Hudson’s cabin and pilothouse had been armored, her two six-pounder guns were fully exposed. Second Lieutenant James H. Scott and Third Lieutenant Ernest Meade commanded Hudson’s six-pound deck guns, exposing themselves to enemy fire throughout the engagement. Together, these two gun crews fired 135 rounds of ammunition during the hour-long rescue. 

As Hudson approached Winslow, the wind picked up. Winslow’s steering had been knocked out, and wind  pushed the vessel toward the shore. Newcomb realized what was happening and pulled Hudson in close. While Newcomb was approaching, a Spanish shell exploded on Winslow, killing executive officer Ensign Worth Bagley and an enlisted sailor. They and three other crew members became the first American casualties of the Spanish-American War. Bagley would be the only American naval officer killed in combat during the war.

Still under heavy fire, Newcomb ordered Scott to relinquish command of his gun and take charge of securing a towline to Winslow. Scott and several of the crew stood on deck, trying to heave a 3-inch hawser across to Winslow. Securing a heavy towline is difficult even in calm waters, but doing so while completely exposed to enemy fire and a choppy sea would have been nearly impossible. The first towline snapped almost as soon as Hudson began to pull on Winslow. Rather than taking the easy way out and abandoning Winslow to save his own crew, Newcomb quickly repositioned Hudson for another try. Finally, Scott secured the second line. The fearless little Revenue Cutter, still firing continuously, turned around with the Winslow in tow and pulled the ship away from certain destruction.

The Cárdenas Medal

Following the Spanish-American War, Newcomb and Hudson returned to New York. In recognition of Newcomb’s act of bravery in the rescue of the U.S. Navy’s torpedo boat USS Winslow at Cárdenas, Congress authorized the U.S. Mint to strike a commemorative medal to honor Hudson and his crew. The Cárdenas Medal was awarded as a 3⅛-inch table medal and as a wearable 1-¼-inch medal suspended from a yellow and blue ribbon affixed to a brooch (called a rider by the mint) bearing CARDENAS in large capital letters. The medal was awarded to Lieutenant Newcomb in gold, the other officers in silver, and the enlisted crew members in bronze. In addition to the Cárdenas Medal, Newcomb was advanced seven numbers on the Revenue Cutter Service’s promotion list, a significant achievement. In 1910, at age 64, Newcomb retired as a captain-commandant, the highest rank in the Revenue Service.

The U.S. Mint moved into its new facilities at the beginning of the 1902 fiscal year. The new building included a special room with larger presses capable of striking the large bronze medals. As a result, the bronze Cárdenas Medal was one of the last large-size medals the U.S. Mint struck in bronzed copper rather than bronze. 

Barber’s Design

Charles E. Barber, the U.S. Mint’s 6th chief engraver, designed the Cárdenas Medal. The obverse features a nude female figure representing fame, standing next to a palm frond and inscribing with a chisel the words JOINT RESOLUTION/OF CONGRESS/APPROVED MAY 3, 1900./IN RECOGNITION/OF THE GALLANTRY/OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN/OF THE HUDSON/WHO IN THE FACE OF/A GALLING FIRE/TOWED THE WINSLOW/OUT OF RANGE OF/THE ENEMY’S GUNS”.  Below this is a tablet engraved with the recipient’s name and rank or rate. Although the palm frond also symbolizes victory, here it signifies the East Indies theater of combat. The oak branches represent strength and virtue, and the laurel branches stand for victory. 

The reverse features a winged Victory holding a sword in her right hand and a palm frond in her left. Below is a scene of Hudson towing Winslow through a rough sea. The exergue is embossed “Cardenas/May 11, 1898”. 

Although these two scenes are labeled obverse and reverse in the U.S. Mint’s annual report, this distinction is meaningless in practice since the pendant of the wearable version of the Cárdenas Medal mounts a swivel ring, allowing the wearer to position one side or the other to the front. Although opposite of the mint’s designation, the reverse facing front is more in keeping with the modern practice of engraving the recipient’s name on the reverse of bravery or meritorious service medals.

Heroic Honor

The Cárdenas Medal is one of the rarest American medals awarded for heroism in combat, and the only valor award issued to U.S. military personnel in three grades: gold (commander), silver (officers), and bronze (enlisted ranks). 

The silver version of the Cárdenas Medal was given to officers who served on the Hudson and helped save the crew of the Winslow. (Photo: National Coast Guard Museum)

Ship’s Officers: 

• First Lieutenant Frank H. Newcomb, commanding officer
• Second Lieutenant James H. Scott, executive officer
• Third Lieutenant Ernest E. Mead 
• First Assistant Engineer Nathaniel E. Cutchin 
• Second Assistant Engineer Theodore G. Lewton   
• Ship’s Crew: 
• Gustaf Anderson, Quartermaster 
• Emrik Bedmarik, Coal Passer 
• John Callaghan, Fireman * 
• Thomas (Hos) Cavanagh, Seaman** 
• Thomas Hodson, Coal Passer 
• E.F. Johnson, Cook  
• Moses W. Jones, Boy  
• John Lawson, Seaman 
• John F. Mouritain, Boatswain 
• Gustaf Peterson, Quartermaster 
• Jak Pidersen, Seaman 
• Joseph Pritchard, Coal Passer
• Joe Platt, Coal Passer 
• James Reiffy, Oiler 
• John M. Reilly, Fireman 
• Hari Sabery, Seaman 
• Henry Savage, Steward** 
• R. L. Ward, Seaman 
• William Williamsen, Fireman

*      Deserted June 30, 1898 

**    Declared a deserter on May 31, 1898 

Although 19 enlisted men were aboard the Hudson, the U.S. Mint struck only 17 bronze medals. Most likely, the crew list was submitted before Savage and Cavanagh deserted, but after Callaghan had deserted.

Sources

Christy, Gabe. “Frank H. Newcomb–Hero of Cárdenas. warhistoryonline.com.

Comparette, Thomas Louis. Catalogue of Coins, Tokens, and Medals in the Numismatic Collection of the Mint of the United States at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1914.

Emering, Edward J. “Cárdenas Medal of Honor.” The Medal Collector, 48, no. 7 (1997): 33.

Maclay, Edgar Stanton. A History of the United States Navy From 1775 to 1902, Volume 3. New York, New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1902.

Strandberg, John E., and Roger James Bender. The Call of Duty: Military Awards and Decorations of the United States of America, 1st ed. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender Publishing, 1994.

Thiesen, William H. “Cutterman Frank Newcomb and the Rescue of USS Winslow.” Sea History, 151, winter (2016–17): 18-22.