The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-22
sPEECH or SENATOR GRImEs


Congress to Commodore Foote and his Officer,
and men.
The joint resolution Is 40 follows
Be Il resolved BY dte Seaate and House Of Repre-
sentatiues Of ae United States Of America in Con
gres assembled, That the thanks Of Congress ant
Of the American people are due, and are hereby
rendered, to Captain A. II. Foote, Of the Unitet
States Navy, aud to the officers and men Of the
western flotilla under his command, for the grea
gallantry exhibited by them in the attacks upor
Forts Henry and Donelson, for their efficiency
in opening the Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mis-
sissippi rivers to the pursuits of lawful commerce
and Tor their unwavering devotion to the cause
Of the country in the midst Of the greatest diff
culties and dangers.
Sec. 2. Aud Be It further resolved, That the Pre-
sident Of the United States be requested to cause
this resolution to be communicated to Captain
Foote, and through him to the officers and men
under his command.
Mr.. GRIMES. Mr.. President l conceive II
to be my duty, and it certainly is great pleas
ure to me, to call the special attention of the
Senate to the achievements of .he newly created
naval aotilla on the western waters, and to the
gallant part borne by its officers and men against
armed rebels in Kentucky and Tennessee. Sure
ly no one could more properly be proud Of the
deeds of our Army in that quarter than Sena-
tor from Iowa. Yet, know that whatever adds
to the glory of our Navy in the recent conflicts
in the West, adds also to the glory Of the Army,
and that the two branches Of the service have
been and are so conjoined that no rivalry ought
to exist between them, except a virtuous eInula.
tion in the performance OF patriotic duty. No
examples can be found in the history Of any
country of more important results attained in an
equal time, in an untried field of naval enter
prise, than those we have lately witnessed on
the Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumber-
land rivers; and feel assured that the successes
that have thus far been achieved, will be sur
passed by the same forces whenever they can 6nd
an enemy with whom to cope between Cairo and
New Orleans.
On the 10th day of Nay last, Commander John
Rodgers was ordered by the Secretary of the
Navy to proceed to Cincinnati and to purchase OF
commence the construction of several gunbOats
for service on the western rivers. Under his
auspices the three boats, Taylor, Lexington and
Conestoga, were purchased and fitted up for war
purposes. They were put in commission and
reached Cairo, after come delay arising from the
low stage of water in the Ohio river, on the 18th
of August, Commander Rodgers taking command
of the Taylor, and assigning Commander Stem
bel to the Lexington and Lieutenant Phelps to
the Conestoga. The Taylor carried seven guns,
Of large caliber, the Lexington six, and the Con:
estoga four. Here was tue beginning of the
western aotilla. We all remember the unfavor-
able criticisms indulged in when these three
stern. wheel steamers, with oak castings, arrived
at that military post. Some said they would be
shaken to pieces by the recoil of their own guns;
others that they would be speedily sunk by the
shore guns Of the rebels; while not few were
alarmed by visions of Hollins' ram butting them
to pieces with impunity. From the day they
reached their destination to the present no rebel
craft has shown itself ten miles above Columbus
and no rebel force of any description has har.
bored on the two rivers in a proximity which
could be deemed threatening to their navigation
or to the two cities of st. Louis and Cairo. A
few experimental trips dispelied all doubts Of
their efficiency; and when the people became as.
sured that they would do the work they were in
tended for, all fear of rebel incursion into any
of the northwestern States, other than Missouri,
was also dispelled. band of Jefferson ThOmp-
sons robbers did, indeed, make demonstration
of crossing the Mississippi river, in August last,
from the town of Commerce, Missouri; but AZ
the first intimation that the gunboats we're CON-
ing, they fed with what booty they could lay
their hands on, pillaged impartially from friends
and foes on the Missouri shore. The boon OF
security to the people of the northwestern States
is debt due, in no small degree, to these wood.
en- gunboats, for however. numerous and brave
our armies, it would have been impossible with
them alone to have guarded all points on our
river line. Thus, our people we're not only pro.
tected from danger of invasion, but they were
enabled to give all their time and energies to
preparation for those offensive movements which
have reclaimed so much important territory from
the domination of the enemy.
On the 23d of September, Commander Rod
gers was detached from service in the West, and
Capt. A. H. Foote was ordered to take COM
mand as flag officer. Since that time the fol-
lowing boats, with iron. clad bows, have been
built or prepared for service, and added to the
fotilla under his command: ST. Louis, thirteen
guns, Lieut.. Paulding; Carondelet, thirteen
guns, Commander Walk; Pittsburg, thirteen
guns, Lieut.. Thompson Louisville, thirteen
guns, Commander Dove; Cincinnati, thirteen
guns Commander Stembel; Essex, five guns,
Commander Porter; Mound City, thirteen guns.
The first engagement of the gunboats with
the enemy took place on the 9th Of September
at Lucas Bend, in the Mississippi river, a short
distance above, and in full view Of the rebel
stronghold at Columbus. In that engagement,
the Lexington, Commander Stembel, and the
Conestoga, Lieut.. Phelps, silenced two shore
batteries, dispersed large body of rebel Cav
airy, and go disabled the rebel gun00at Yankee
that she has not been heard of since.
On the 29th OF October, the Conestoga, Lieut..
Phelps, proceeded, with three companies of IL.
linois volunteers, sixty.two miles up the Ten
nessee river to Eddyville, Kentucky, where they
Jointly attacked and routed q rebel encamp.
ment, bringing away their horses, arms, camp
eQuipage, and negro slaves.
There could hardly have been an occasion
where the presence OF an efficient naval sup.
port was more necessary than at the battle Of
Belmont, fought on the 7tb day Of November
last and there has been no conflict during the
war where this support, when finally called into
requisition, was more effectively and opportune-
ly rendered. Nothing but the well directed fire
of grape and canister from the guns of the Tay-
lor and Lexington saved our land forces from
being utterly cut to pieces while retiring on
board their transports. Every effort Of the en-.
emy to bring his artillery to bear on our
columns was defeated by the storm of iron that
assailed him from the boats. His pieces were
dismounted and his horses and men swept down
as fast as they were placed in position.
great heal has been said about the origin
of the proposition to take possession Of the
Tennessee river. The credit of originating the
idea of military campaign in that direction has
been claimed, first by one, and then for another
military commander. | desire that impartial
justice should be done to every man and acting
upon the intention to DO justice, must be per-
mitted to say, that so far as can learn, the pro.
ject of turning the enemy's tanks by penetra.
ting the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, ori.
ginated with Commodore Foote. The great rise
of water in those rivers was providential, and
with the quick eye of military genius he saw at
once the advantage that it might secure TO our
arms. Accordingly he sent to Gen. HalIeck, at
St. Louis, the following dispatch:
CAIRO, January 20. 1852
General Grant and myself are Of opinion that
Fort Henry and the Tennessee river can be car
ried with four ironclad gunboats and troops
and be permanently occupied. Have we your
authority to move for that purpose when ready !
A. d. FOOTE.
To this despatch no reply was vouchsafed
but an order was subsequently sent to General
Grant to proceed up the Tennessee river with
his troops under convoy Of the armed fotila
and attack Fort Henry, directing General Grant
to shop to Commodore Foote his orders to this
effect Commodore Foote was at once ready
for the expedition, and advised the Department
to that effect, in the following despatch:
UNITED STATES GUHBoAr CoNEsTo0A,
PADUcAH, February 8, 1862.
SIR:-I have the honor to inform you that
ieft Cairo vestn rdsy with thia vosaoI h~v;p, <,r