John A. Kress

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John A. Kress, Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Umatilla, Oregon, July 8, 1878. Captain Kress volunteered, though not charged with combat duties, to organized and lead an expedition against bands of hostile Piute-Bannock Indians and to prevent their crossing the Columbia river. Captain Kress seized a river boat and equipped it as a gunboat and by his gallant and fearless leadership in patrolling the Columbia River was successful in five attacks upon the Indians, both on land and from the river; succeeded in capturing and killing their horses, destroyed their boats, arms, and ammunition, and camp equipage, thus frustrating their plan of spreading the war among the Indians to the North.