, 1862-03-17
THE WESTERN NAVY.
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR is DUE.
Thanks Of Congress to Con, Foote
and bis 0fIicers and Men.
Lieut., Worden and the Iron Glad
Monitor.

/
Lieut.. Wordea and the Iron Glad
Monitor,
Speech Of Senator Grimes Of
Iowa.
In SENATE, March 1a, 1862.
The Senate had under consideration the fol- :
lowing resolution reported by Mr. Grimes
from the Committee on Naval Affairs:
Joint resolution t1presssre qf k< thanks Of Con-
9fess To- Cart. 4. II. Fooze Of Tie O. s. Macy,
ard e. e Ms G6seTs ana men n7dsrhss Command t"
Be il Rete1eed, de-, That the thanks Of Congress
and Of the American people are due and are hereby
e earz a. q ss
til1a under his command, for the great gaNantry
exhibited By them in the attacks upon Forts Hen
f. a9 and sssspp
to the pursuits OF lawful commerce. and Tor their
unwarer31g devotion to the cause Of the country /
IN the midst OF the greatest dlfdcalfles and dan-
SEC, 2 Be It FURTHER Rs,oEred, That the Presi-
dent II The United states be requested to cause
Foote, and through him to the officers and men |
under hla command. |
Also the following introduced by Mr. she1-
man:
Joint Resolution ezprzssire Of The thanks Of Cor
-q7sss to Lieatendnt j. L. IFor1en Of tie o. S.
11nd In Tie lfo4sitor:
Be i Reso!rsd, DC, That the thanks Of Congress
and Of the American people are due, aud are here
and to the officers and men Of the iron clad gun
boat Monitor, under his command for the skill
and eaautry exhibited by them In the late remark
ablebattIe between the Monitor and the rebel iron
clad steamer Merlim1c
SEC. 2. Be it further Reso'rea, That the Pres1-
dent Sf the qn5ea H. ns e SanSe s
and through him to the officers and men undeE his
command.
HI. Gn1MEs.-zNr. President-I conceive it
to be my duty, and it certainly ia great
The 4cnate to- the achieyements Of the newly
created naval fotilla on our Western waters,
and to the gallant part borne by its officers
and men against armed rebels in Kentucky aud
Tennessee. Surely no one could more properly
be proud Of the deeds Of our army Id that
quarter than s Senator 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 hare been, and are so
ccnjoined, that no rivalry ought to exist be-
tween them, except a yirtuous emulation in
| the performance of patriotic duty. No ex-
| amp1es can be found in the history Of any
country Of more important results attained in
teTprisc, than those we have lately Witnessed
| on tho Ohio, Mississippi Tennessee and Cum
| berland rivers; and feel assured that the sue
cesses, which have thus far been achieved, will
be surpassed By the same forces whenever they
| can find an enemy with whom to cope between
I Cairo and New Orleans
| On the 10th day Of May last, Commander
| John Rodgers was ordered by the Secretary Of
the Navy to proceed to Cincinnati and to pur-
! chase or commence the construction ofseTeral
.f1f1+ In
Under his auspices the three boats Tyler,
| Lexington and Conestoga, were purchased and
| fitted up for war purposes. They were put in
commission and reached Cairo, after some de-
lay arising from the low stage Of the water in
! the Ohio Tiyer, on the 18th Of Augnst-Cona-
mander Rodgers taking command Of the Ty-
ler, and assigning Commander Stembel to tile
Lexington and Lieut.. Phelps to the Conestoga
| The Taylor carried seven guns, the Lexington
Six, and the Conestoga four. Here vas the
beginniDg Of the Western hotilla. We al re-
member fhc unfarorablc criticisms indulged
in when these three s:crn-wheel steamers with
oak castings arrived at that military post.
Some said they would be shaken to pieces by
the recol Of their own guns; others that they
would be speedily sunk by the shore guns o.
visions Of Ho1Iins's Ram buttlng them to
pieces with impunjty- From the day they
reached their destination to the present
no rebel craft has shown itself ten miles
above Columbus, and no, rebel
rivers in j proximity which could be deemed
threatening to their navigation OF to the two
cities Of ST. Louis and Cairo. A few expert
mental trips dispclled all doabts OF. their et1i
cheney, and when the people became assured
| that they would do the work they were intend
ed for, Ill fears Of rcbcl incurson into any Q
tho Northwestern States, other than Missouri
| were also dispc1led- 4 band Of JEFF. Tlomp
sons robbers did, indeed, nuke demonstra
t1on Of crossing the Mississippi river in Angus
!: last, from the town Of Commerce, Missouri
wire coming they fed with what booty the
/ could lay their hands On, and pillaged impair
tally from friends and foes on the Missouri
shore. The boon Of security to the people Q
the Northwestern State9is a debt due in n
: small degree to those wooden gunboats, 70
however numerous and brave our armies,
: would have been impossible, with them alone
3 to have guarded all points On our river iine
/ Thus our people were not only projected fro1
e danger Of invasion, but were enabled to giy
I those offensive movements which have tt
= claimed SO much important territory from th
E domination Of tie enemy.
i On the Esd Of September Commander Rods
ers Was detached from service in the West, an
Captain a B. Foote was ordered to take con
mlnd as flag officer. Since that time the 70
loving boats, with iron clad bows, have bee
It built or prepared for service and added to tt
7 | G0tll1 uH0ef his command:
l. St. Louis, Is guns, Lieut.. Paulding.
Carondelet, = guns, Commander Walker.
p Pittsburgh, 13 guns, Lieut.. Thompson.
~ Louisville, 13 guns, Commander Dove
= Cincinnati, Is guns, Commander Stembei.
il Essex, guns, Commander Porter.
Mound Cay, Is guns, --.
n The frst engagement Of the gunhoat6 vii
q tue enemy took place on the 9th Of Septcmbe
II u ut Ingas's Bend on the Mississippi river,
81 81 short distance ADORE, and in fan view Of ii
" rebel stronghold at Columbus. In this e
& gagement the Lexington, Commander Ste1
% bel, ard the Cones:oga, Lieut.. Phelps,
b. fenced two shore batteries, dispersed q lar
Eody Of rebel cavalry, and SO disabled Il
'a 1ebtl gupboat Yankee that she has not be,
htaTd uf since.
On the s9th Of October the Cotestoga, Licr
n Phelps, proceeded with three companies
ra | Illinois volunteers g. miles up the Tenue=s
r. river to Eddyyille, Kentucky. where til
IL jointly attacked aud routed a rebel eucam
m 1nent, bringing away their horses, arms, can
~ eoDipage and negro slaves.
ns There xould hardly Il ave been an occasi
rs wherc TIE presence Of an efficient naval su
to port was more necessary than at the battle
as Belmont, fought on the Tth day OF Novesnb
20 ~ last, and there has been no conflict during
~ var where this support, when finally call
Enr in Te4uisition, was more effectively and G
nd portunely rendered. Nothing but the VI
H. directed ire Of grape and cannister from t
in guns Of the Tyler aud Lexington saved 0
/ AAAA i04%SE ANAA tAAAE. Ati<i45 NAt NJ b1Et
-, while retiring Oh board their transpor
~ Every effort Of the enemy to bring his artlle
Of. to bear on our columns was defeated By I
storm Of iron which assa1led him from t
suuboats. His pieces we're dismountcd a
he his horses and menewept down as East As til
were placed in position.
Y a great deal has been said about the oris
~ l Of tie proposition 10 take possession Of I
a. Tennessee river. The credit Of conceivIog
tes idea ef q military campaign in that Direct
70 70 has been claImed first for one aud then
a. ~ another military commander. I desire tt
i 4is impartial Justice should be done to every M
rs and acting upon the intention to do justice
~ ~ must be permitted to say that, so fir as
yes hv nsn1fr,t;n- fhe TrunrSscn an5 T,,,i
IL land rivers, originated with Commod
as5 Foote. The great rise Of water in these ris
was p1oyidcIIa and with the quick eye
= military genius, he saw at once the adrant
, | that it might secure to our arms. Accord
int II lie sent to Gen, Halleck, at st. Louis,
ga1s following dispatch:
be- sscA1Ro, Janusry Is, 1S6
ent Fort Henry and the Tennessee tlyer can be car
In with fou- lion clad gunboats and Troops, and
not | permanently occupied Have We your. 50. he
to @efe 9e;sns soF that When :sady
ent To this dispatch no reply was vouchsa
nis- bnt an order Has subsequently sent to
mg, Giant to proceed up the Tennessee river =
to his troops, under convoy Of the armed t1ot
re- and attack Fort Henry, directing Gen. Ct
les to shosc to Com. Foote bis orders to this Ell
-erv Com. Foote was at once ready for the exp
.o1n lion, and advised the Department to
.au- effect in thu following dispatch:
( in {. s. GUNBoAF CoKEsToeA
pro- :PApCcAH. Feb. 5, 1862
:itv, Sm:-I hare the horor to inform you inst
The Cairo yesterday With this vessel. having ords