 On September 26, 1890, Congress passed special legislation authorizing the President to appoint one additional ensign in the United States Navy.The final statute noted that Jackson had behaved "with conspicuous gallantry by leading the men into the mizzen rigging to form a sail, when this position in the rigging was one of great danger, as the mast was liable to be carried away and fall overboard when the ship struck, and did thereby contribute largely to the success of the maneuver which the captain of the "Trenton", in his official report to the admiral, says saved the lives of four hundred men from certain destruction.