Thanks of Congress

The Thanks of Congress is a series of formal resolutions passed by the United States Congress originally to extend the government's formal thanks for significant victories or impressive actions by American military commanders and their troops. Although it began during the American Revolutionary War, the practice peaked during the American Civil War. Similarly, the Confederate Congress also passed resolutions honoring extraordinary performance to individuals or military units.^[1]

Early years

During the American Revolution, the official Thanks of Congress from the Continental Congress was often accompanied by a specially struck commemorative gold or silver medal. Among the recipients were George Washington, Horatio Gates, John Eager Howard, John Stark, Baron von Steuben, and Henry Lee (See also List of Congressional Gold Medal recipients).^[1]

Other recipients in the early years of the United States include all participants in the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811), Alexander Macomb (War of 1812) (1814), Oliver Hazard Perry (War of 1812) (1814), James Lawrence (War of 1812) (1814), Charles Gratiot in the same war, and Andrew Jackson (epilogue to the War of 1812) (1815), William Henry Harrison (1818) and Zachary Taylor (1847).^[2][3]

American Civil War

During the American Civil War, the Thanks of Congress were joint resolutions of Congress which were published in the Statutes at Large to honor officers from late 1861 through May 1866 for significant victories or impressive actions.^[4] A total of thirty officers were named in these acts during the war, fifteen in the Union Army and fifteen in the Union Navy.^[1] Two naval officers were immediately promoted after receiving the award, John L. Worden of USS Monitor^[5] and William B. Cushing.^[6] Because the Thanks of Congress was only awarded to officers, the Medal of Honor was created at this time to honor soldiers in the Army, and over 1,500 men received the medal by the end of the war.^[1][7] Only one officer, General Ulysses S. Grant, received both the Thanks of Congress and a Congressional Gold Medal during the Civil War.^[7]

The first citation during the American Civil War recognized "the gallant and patriotic services of the late Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, and the officers and soldiers under his command at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, 10 Aug. 1861."^[8] Admiral David Dixon Porter was honored the most, on four separate occasions.

Others

Later honorees included Admiral George Dewey (1898) and Captain Arthur Rostron, for his captaining of the SS Kroonland (1914).^[7] In 1914, the Thanks of Congress were given to three Latin American diplomats: Domício da Gama, Rómulo Sebastián Naón, and Eduardo Suárez Mujica, for their work at the Niagara Falls peace conference which helped avert a war with Mexico.^[9]:1228 In 1915, they were extended to members of the Isthmian Canal Commission.^[9]:1191

Civil War recipients

Recipient	Date of approval	Military action
Nathaniel Lyon and officers and men under his command	December 24, 1861	Wilson's Creek, 1861[8]
Samuel F. Dupont, and officers, petty-officers, seamen, and marines under his command	February 22, 1862	Port Royal, 1861[10]
Officers, soldiers, and seamen of the army and navy	February 22, 1862	General award[11]
Andrew H. Foote, and to the officers and men under his command in the Western Flotilla	March 19, 1862	Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, 1862[12]
David G. Farragut and officers and men under his command	July 11, 1862	Forts Jackson & St. Philip, 1862[13]
Louis M. Goldsborough and officers, petty officers, seamen, and marines under his command	July 11, 1862	Roanoake Island, 1862[14]
John L. Worden and crew of the USS Monitor	July 11, 1862	Hampton Roads, 1862[15]
Andrew H. Foote	July 19, 1862	Island No. Ten, 1862[16]
John L. Worden	February 3, 1863	Hampton Roads, 1862[5]
Charles H. Davis	February 7, 1863	Memphis, 1862[5]
John A. Dahlgren	February 7, 1863	None[5][17]
Stephen C. Rowan	February 7, 1863	Battle of New Bern[5]
David D. Porter	February 7, 1863	Arkansas Post, 1863[5]
Silas H. Stringham	February 7, 1863	Forts Hatteras and Clark, 1861[5]
William S. Rosecrans, and the officers and men under his command	March 3, 1863	Stones River, 1862–1863[18]
Ulysses S. Grant, and officers and men under his command	December 17, 1863	"The Rebellion"[7][19]
John Rodgers	December 23, 1863	Battle of Wassaw Sound[20]
Nathaniel P. Banks and officers and men under his command	January 28, 1864	Port Hudson, 1863[21]
Ambrose E. Burnside	January 28, 1864	Knoxville, 1863[22]
Joseph Hooker, Oliver O. Howard, George G. Meade, and the Army of the Potomac	January 28, 1864	Gettysburg Campaign, 1863[23]
Cornelius Vanderbilt	January 28, 1864	None[7][24][25]
William T. Sherman, and the officers and soldiers under his command	February 19, 1864	Chattanooga, 1863[26]
Volunteer soldiers who have reenlisted	March 3, 1864	None[27]
Cadwalader Ringgold and the officers and crew of the USS Sabine	March 7, 1864	rescue of the USS Governor, 1861 and USS Vermont, 1862 [28]
David D. Porter	April 19, 1864	Vicksburg, 1863[29]
Joseph Bailey	June 4, 1864	Red River Campaign, 1864[30]
William B. Cushing and the officers and men who assisted him	December 20, 1864	Sinking of the CSS Albemarle[6]
John A. Winslow and the officers and men under his command on board the USS Kearsarge	December 20, 1864	Sinking the CSS Alabama, 1863[31]
William T. Sherman and officers and soldiers of his command	January 19, 1865	Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea, 1864[32]
David D. Porter, and officers, petty officers, seamen, and marines under his command	January 24, 1865	Fort Fisher, 1865[33]
Alfred H. Terry, and the officers and men under his command	January 24, 1865	Fort Fisher, 1865[34]
Philip H. Sheridan	February 9, 1865	Cedar Creek, 1864[34]
George H. Thomas and army under his command	March 3, 1865	Nashville, 1864[35]
David G. Farragut and the officers and men under his command	February 10, 1866	Mobile Bay, 1864[36]
Winfield S. Hancock	April 21, 1866	Gettysburg, 1863[37]

See also

• Congressional Gold Medal
• Medal of Honor

Notes

1. Heidler & Heidler 2002, p. 579
2. Jenkins 1856, p. 319
3. Brown 2006, p. 305
4. Technically, enlisted men also received the award since most recognized the men under the officer or on board the ship named in the act.
5. 37 Pub. Res. 11; 12 Stat. 823
6. 38 Pub. Res. 4; 13 Stat. 565
7. Stathis 2008 Also received Congressional Gold Medal
8. 37 Pub. Res. 1; 12 Stat. 611
9. The Statutes at Large of the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1915.
10. 37 Pub. Res. 11; 12 Stat. 613
11. 37 Pub. Res. 12; 12 Stat. 613
12. 37 Pub. Res. 28; 12 Stat. 616
13. 37 Pub. Res. 41;12 Stat. 622
14. 37 Pub. Res. 39; 12 Stat. 621
15. 37 Pub. Res. 42;12 Stat. 622
16. 37 Pub. Res. 60; 12 Stat. 626
17. Award text reads, "Distinguished service in his profession, improvements in ordnance, and zealous and efficient labors in the ordnance branch of the service."
18. 37 Pub. Res. 29; 12 Stat. 827
19. 38 Pub. Res. 1; 13 Stat. 399
20. 38 Pub. Res. 2; 13 Stat. 399
21. 38 Pub. Res. 7; 13 Stat. 401
22. 38 Pub. Res. 8; 13 Stat. 401
23. 38 Pub. Res. 9; 13 Stat. 401
24. Gift of steamship
25. 38 Pub. Res. 10; 13 Stat. 401
26. 38 Pub. Res. 12; 13 Stat. 402
27. 38 Pub. Res. 16; 13 Stat. 403
28. 38 Pub. Res. 18; 13 Stat. 403
29. 38 Pub. Res. 22; 13 Stat. 404
30. 38 Pub. Res. 40; 13 Stat. 408
31. 38 Pub. Res. 3; 13 Stat. 565
32. 38 Pub. Res. 5; 13 Stat. 565
33. 38 Pub. Res. 8; 13 Stat. 566
34. 38 Pub. Res. 7; 13 Stat. 566
35. 38 Pub. Res. 28; 13 Stat. 571
36. 39 Pub. Res. 8; 14 Stat. 349
37. 39 Pub. Res. 27; 14 Stat. 354

References

• Brown, John Howard (2006). "Alexander Macomb". The Cyclopaedia of American Biography: Comprising the Men and Women of the United States Who Have Been Identified with the Growth of the Nation V5. Kessinger Publishing. p. 700. ISBN 1-4254-8629-0.
• Jenkins, John S. (1856). "Alexander Macomb". Daring Deeds of American Generals. New York: A. A. Kelley.
• Heidler, David Stephen; Heidler, Jeanne T., eds. (2002). Encyclopedia Of The American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-04758-X. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
• "Statutes of the Confederate Congress". Retrieved 2009-10-15.
• United States Statutes at Large. Available from: LexisNexis Congressional; Accessed: 2009-10-15.
• Stathis, Stephen W. (2008). "Congressional Gold Medal list of recipients, 1776–2008" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2009-10-15.