Above: The ferry name -- Lt. Samuel S. Coursen.

He was a 24-year-old 1st Lieutenant,in Co. C, 5th Cavalry Regiment, who on Oct. 12, 1950, near Kaesong, Korea, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty.

The Medal of Honor was awarded to him posthumously August 2, 1951. The ferry that bears his name was built in 1955. With gross weight of 869 tons and a length of 172.5 feet, it was one of four Coast Guard ferries that serviced the island during that agency's tenure there from 1966 to 1995. Now owned by the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, it still services the island.

On ferry en route #1 --

4th of 74 views in NYCHS Governors Island prison history virtual tour.

To Next View

To Previous View

To Another NYC Isle's Prisons: Fort Jay, Castle Williams


To NYCHS
home page

© Copyright 2006 New York Correction History Society. Images & text. Non-commerical educational use with source credit permitted.

Terminal:
3 views, begin
Page 01
En route:
5 views, begin
Page 04
Docking:
3 views, begin
Page 09
Building 140:
5 views, begin
Page 12
Castle Wms:
4 views, begin
Page 17
Prison yard:
6 views, begin
Page 21
Sprial stairs:
4 views, begin
Page 27
Tiers, cells:
7 views, begin
Page 31
From roof:
4 views, begin
Page 38
Castle cannon:
5 views, begin
Page 42
Fort moat:
8 views, begin
Page 47
Fort cannon:
3 views, begin
Page 55
More fort:
9 views, begin
Page 58
8 return views:
ferry: Page 67,
terminal: P. 71