The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-16

valuable officer, then and still the head of the
Bureau Of construction and repairs: The steam.
ship Mississippi, II Dahlgresn guns, was also al
Boston, thoroughly repaired and secured in the
same way, and could be ready for sea in three
weeks, according to the same report. The frig'
ate Saatee, OF so guns, was at Portsmouth, New
hampshire, the ffigate st. Lawrence, OF so guns,
was q Philadelphia, and the sloop-of-war James
town, of % guns, was also at Philadelphia, and
these three ships could have been ready for sea
| In forty days from the moment the order should
be given, as was afterward done. The brig
cambridge, of guns, was at Boston, and the
brig Perry, OF guns, was at New York, and
both of them could have been ready for sea in
eleven days from the time the order should be
given, as was afterward done. The sloop- of. war
Plymouth, OF % guns, was at Norfolk. in good
condition, and the steamer Anacosta, of ! or 2
guns, was at Washington, already in commission.
Here were thirteen ships, with sos guns, at home,
IN the Atlantic navy yards, which could have
put to sea in good order TOR service before the
bombardment of Fort Sumter. Thus we had on
the Atlantic coast at the Inauguration of Mr.. Lin
coin naval force of twenty-six vessels, carry
ing an armament of 554 guns, which could be pus
to sea in good order before the war commenced,
against enemy which had no naval force
whatever; for such had been the course of the
department in promptly removing all seeds OF
disaffection, that the secession of eleven states
from the Union lost not a siI gle vessel to the
service.
Beside these there were at the New York. Bos-
ton and Portsmouth navy yards the frigate Poto
mac, of 90 guns, and the sloops of war Savan-
nah, "a guns Fincennes, 20 guns ; Marion, Is
guns Dale, 10 guns. and Preble, l6 guns, which
could be repaired and made ready for sea in from
81 to "a days, as was afterwards done. The old
frgate constitution, of so guns, bad been thor
oughly repaired, and anchored at Annapolis.
have not Included in this notice the eight line-of
battle ships which had been recommended by
board OF naval officers to be converted into steam
fIigates, as | had also recommended in my annual
report, communicated by President Buchanan
to congress, but congress had not seen fit to au-
thorizs it, or make the necessary appropriations
for that purpose. There were also the new
steamship Pensacola, waiting for some Of her
machinery the frigates Rsritan and Columbia,
the brig Dolphia and some others. The steam
frigate Niagara had not returned from her visit
to Japan with the Japanese commissioners.
TheBureau of construction, charged with repairs,
had pushed them forward far and fast as
could be done with the mean switch congress had
furnished. The appropriations for the navy for
the fiscal year were
July l, 1883, to June 50, 1859. IA, sos, $50 %
July /, 1889, to June SO, 1860. &c, 464, 100 SIS
July l, 1880, to June so, 1851. 10, 40C, 129 90
Tho reduction fell very largely upon navy
Yards and naval repairs
On the Pacific side, for the protection of our
interests on that coast, had an efficient sCuid-
ron, consisting, at the Inauguration of Mr. Lin
coin, of the steamer Lancaster, p guns the
steamer Saranac, . guns the sloop-of-war ST
Marys, p guns, the steamer Wyoming, 6 guns
the steamer Narragansett, guns, and the sloop-
of-war Cyane, 20 guns. This squadron was no
greater than the defence of the coast and the
magnitude of our inter rests in that quarter i'm
peratively demanded,
The East India squadron, which, in 1858, CON
sisted of ships, carrying lS9 guns, had been re-
duced so that in 1851 it consisted of vesSels,
carrying As guns, viz. the steamer Hartford. 10
guns steamer Saginaw, gus steamer Daco-
tt, 8 guns, and sloop-of-war John Adams, 30
guns.
The Brazil squadron, which, in 1859, consist
ed OF vessels, carrying los guns, had been re-
duced so that in 1851 it consisted of 8 vessels,
carrying So guns, viz. the Congress, 40 guns
the steamer Seminole, guns, and the steamer
Pulaski, gun.
The Mediterranean squadron consisted of 8 |
ships, carry ing 81 guEs, when entered upon the
duties of the department When left il, the
squadron consisted Of ships, carrying SIS guns |
VIZ the steamer Richmond, l6; the Suslue- |
hanna. Is, and the Iroquois, guns.
The African Squsdro for the year 1861 con-
sisted of eight vessels, carry ing 95 guns, viz,
the Constellation, %; San Jacinto, Is; Ports I!
Mouth, y ; Mohiean, 6 Saratoga, 90 Sam
ter, 5 Relief 2-half of them steamers The |
squadron consisted Of the same number Of yes
SETS and guns in 1850, the ViuceRnes having
been ordered home at the beginning of the year.
THIS squadron was required to be kept on the |
coast OF Africa By our treaty with Great Britain
or the suppression Of the slave trade and in
he year 1860, with the aid of a small portion of /
he home squadron on the American side. had |
aptured II slsvers and rescued 3,ll9 victims of
hat trade.
With this reduction of the other foreign
quadrons ard this force at home On the
Atlantic and Pacific sides. l was not willing
o reduce the squadron on the coast OF Afri-
a, nor was there any necessity for it.
This, sir, was the scattering of our vessels
ii over the world" of which you speak i
his was the command of the whole navy,
onsisting Of che vessel with 5 guns
piked," 10 which, according to your speech
I bridgeport. the present secretary of the
svy succeeded.
l am, cir, with due consideration, YOUR
oedient servant, Isaac ToUCEY.
Hartford, April 80, 1866.