The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-10-08

|" HE armed steamers which consti.
| tuted the Western Flotilla are
i certainly entitled to the honor
OF being designated as the fight
ing squadron Of the war. A majority
| of these vessels were constructed under
contract by Capt. James B. Eads. 1t
was essentially requisite that the Gov
eminent should maintain control Of the
| five thousand miles Of navigable streams
| in the Western States. and for this
purpose a class Of vessels adapted to
smooth and shallow waters had to be
hastily constructed. And some Of them
were actually afioat and ready for their
crew inside Of sixty-five days from the
date of signing the contract. This fleet
rendered very important and valuable
service on the upper Mississippi. the
Tennessee. Cumberland, Yazoo and Red
Rivers. and other places on the West
ern waters. and continued in active SER
vice so long as there was rebel rag
within range OF their guns.
Capt. John Rodgers was the first COM
mander of this fiotilla. About the LIST
of September. 1861. he was relieved by
Capt. A. H. Foote. as the commander
of the fleet in it's operations at Bell
mont, Island No. 10. Fort Henry and
other places He is entitled to honor
able mention. At the battle of Fort
Donelson he was seriously wounded, and
was compelled to relinquish his COM
mand He was relieved by Capt. Charles
H. Davis, in May, 1852. Shortly after
the retirement of Captain Foote from
active service he died from the effect
of the wound received at Fort Donel
SON.
depot for naval supplies being sad
ly needed in the Western waters, tenn
porary navy yard was established at
Cairo. ILL.,, and Capt. A. NJ. Pennock was
ASSIGNED to It's command. The eN-
tensive operations of the Western 10
tilla are matters OF history too we'll
known to require repetition. A ram
fleet under Colonel Elliot assisted ma
in numerous engagements in
which the fleet participated. Captain
Davis continued in command until Oc-
tober, 1862. when he was relieved by
Rear Admiral D. D. Porter. Soon af-
tNt HcSt PidyCu iihPpi suH'
part in the disastrous Red River cam
paign, which was conceived in the fer
tile brain of General Halleck. and
seemed to have been conducted without
any plans or definite object in view.
Admiral Porter concentrated a greater |
part of his fleet at Vicksburg. and CO.
operated with the land forces under
General Grant in reducing that famous |
stronghold to the authority OF the Ma
.ional Government and never did
commander work as industriously as he
or the accomplishment of the object in |
view. The services of the fotilla here
ire worthy to be ranked among the
;rightest events of the war. Admiral
Porter. in an official dispatch to the |
Navy Department. dated off Vicksburg,
January Is. 1868, says: THE depart
nent may rest assured that the navy Ia
lever idle. The army expects us TO look
lfter their interests on the water, and
t employs every vessel | have. The
Lancaster. Cincinnati. Switzer-
and. and Cairo were sunk by the rebel
batteries and torpedoes. and number
# men attached to these vessels were
rowned
E The ceaseless activity of Admiral Por-
er in the disposition Of his forces dem
his fitness for the responsible
position in which he found himself
'laced. From the time he assumed COM