Seaman, serving on board the U.S.S. _Bennington_, for extraordinary heroism displayed at the time of the explosion of a boiler of that vessel at San Diego, Calif., July 21, 1905. (G.O. 13, January 5, 1906.)
Captain of forecastle; captain of gun on board of the U.S.S. _Varuna_ in the attack upon Forts Jackson and St. Philip April 24, 1862; mentioned as having done his "duty through the thickest of the fight with great coolness and danger to the enemy." (G.O. 11, April 3, 1863.)
Captain of forecastle, belonging to the U.S.S. _Santiago de Cuba_; was one of the boat's crew detailed for General Terry. This boat's crew were represented to have been the only men who entered Fort Fisher in the assault from the fleet January 15, 1865. (G.O. 59, June 22, 1865.)
Ordinary seaman; was one of the crew of the first cutter of the U.S.S. _Rhode Island_ on the night of December 30, 1862, which was engaged in saving the lives of the officers and crew of the _Monitor_. The crew had saved quite a number, and, owing to their gallantry and zeal in the desire to save others, they became separated from the _Rhode Island_ and were adrift for several hours. (G.O. 59, June 22, 1865.)
Private, United States Marine Corps. "On November 17, 1915, it was planned to attack Fort Riviere, Haiti, with a force made up of detachments from the Fifth, Thirteenth, Twenty-third Companies, and the marine detachment and sailors from the _Connecticut_. Fort Riviere was an old French bastion fort, about 200 feet on the side, with thick walls of brick and stone, the walls being loopholed. The original entrance had been on the northern side, but had been blocked, a small breach in the southern wall being used in its stead. As this breach in the wall was the only entrance to the fort, it was naturally covered by the defenders on the inside, making passage through it into the fort a most hazardous undertaking for the leading men. Notwithstanding the fact that the fire of the Cacos was constantly passing through this hole in the wall, Sergt. Ross L. Iams, Fifth Company, unhesitatingly jumped through, closely followed by Pvt. Samuel Gross, of the Twenty-third Company. A mêlée then ensued inside of the fort for about 10 minutes, the Cacos fighting desperately with rifles, clubs, stones, etc., during which several jumped from the walls in an effort to escape, but were shot by the automatic guns of the Fifth Company and by the Thirteenth Company advancing to the attack."