Y » o o z: o E .11.^2...... Author Title Imprint. 1«— i7372-2 OPO w f » m Mm w 1 m k h I ■mm !'f:i||| REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY ON ITS OPERATIONS DURING THE AVAR WITH SPAIN. Captain JOHN E. BARTLETT, U. S. Navy, Eetired, Chief V. S. Aitxiliary Xaval Force. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. REPORT CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY ITS OPERATIOIiS DURING THE WAR WITH SPAIN. Captain JOHN E. BAETLETT, U. S. Navy, Eetired, Chief U. S. Auxiliary Naval Force, WASHINGTON": GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1898. \ ~^. ' ' ' > cr: REPORT CHIliF OF THl^: UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. Navy Department, Headquarters U. S. Auxiliary Xaval Force, Washington, October 1, 1898. Sir : I have tlie lionor to submit the following report concerning the United States Auxiliary Naval Force, which was organized for service in the war with Spain under the terms of a joint resolution of Congress, passed to meet the emergency, in the month of May last. As a con- sideration of this joint resolution is necessary to a complete under- standing of the organization and limitations of the Auxiliary Naval Force, I set it forth in full, as follows: JOINT RESOLUTION providing for the organizatiou and enrollment of tlie United States Auxiliary Naval Force. Resolved hi/ the Senate (uul House of Kepresentafires of the United Slates of America in Com/ress assembled, That a United States Auxiliiiry Naval Force is hereby authorized to be established, to be enrolled in such numbers as the President may deeui neces- sary, not exceeding three thousand enlisted men, for the exigencies of the present war with Spain, and to serve for a period of one year, or less, and shall be disbanded by the President at the conclusion of the war. Sec. 2. That the chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force shall be detailed by the Secretary of the Navy from the active or retired list of the line otllcers of the Navy not below the grade of captain, who shall receive the highest pay of his grade while so employed. Skc. 3. That' enlistment into the United States Auxiliary Naval Force shall be made by such officer or oflicers as the Navy Department may detail for the purpose, who shall also select from merchant vessels and other available sources such volun- teers as niay be deemed best fitted for service as officers in said P'orce, and shall report to the Secretary of the Navy, for his action, their names and the grade for which each is recommended. Sec. 4. That for the purposes of this organization the coast line shall be divided into districts, each of which shall be in charge of an assistant to the chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force; and such assistant chiefs may be detailed by the Secretary of the Navy from the officers of the active or retired list of the line of the Navy, or appointed by him from civil life, not above the rank of lieutenant- commander. Sec. 5. That the officers and men comprising the United States Auxiliary Naval Force shall receive the same pay and emoluments as those holding similar rank or rate in the Regular Navy; and all matters relating to the organization, discipline, and government of men' in said Force shall conform to the laws and regulations governing the United States Navy. Sec. 6.' That the chii-f of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force, or such officers as the Navy Department may detail for such service, may, with the consent of the governor of any State, muster into the said P'orce the whole or any i)art of the organizations of tin- Naval Militia of any State to serve in said Auxiliary Naval Force, and shall report to the Secretary of the Navy, for his action, the names and grades for which commissions in said United States Auxiliary Naval Force shall be issued to the officers of such Naval Militia, and shall have the power to appoint and disrate the petty officers thereof. 4 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. Sfc 7. That the ulUicer.s. warraut officers, petty officers, and enlisted meu and boys of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force thus created shall be paid from the ai)iiroi>riation "Fay of the Navv:" and the sum of three million dollars, or so much thereof as may be recinired, is hereby appropriated, from any money in the Treasury not otherwise' ap])ropriated, for the purchase or hire of vessels necessary lor the pur- poses iif this resolution. Approved May 26, 1.S98, and known as "Public resolution No. 34. At tlie time tlie resolution received the sigiiatiiie of tlie President, part of the organization which it authorized and some of the results ■svhich it was designed to accomplisli had already been eftected under a ditlerent name. This occurred because the resolution, which had been introduced in Congress early in the month of April, had been set aside in favor of legislation of wider scope, and in the meantime, in antici- pation of its i)assage, prei)arations for naval defense and offense had to be rushed forward under authority of existing laws. As a result, when the Joint resolution became a law, its provisions had to be applied to existing conditions, and various elements which had up to that time been developed separately had to be concentrated under one manage- ment. On March 23, 1898, the Department had directed Commander Horace Elmer, l". S. N., to prepare, with all possible dispatch, a scheme utiliz- ing the available resources of our Atlantic coast in the formation of a "Mos(piito tlotilla,'' in general accordance with the methods proposed by the Naval War College. He was direcited to suggest for each impor- tant locality the names of suitable vessels (in such numbers as he might think proper) to be outfitted as improvised gun vessels, rams, or tor- pedo boats; to indicate how and where the armament of these vessels should be obtained and mounted; how their captains and crews might be secured from the merchant service or Naval Militia; to propose appointments for volunteer oflicers and ratings for enlisted men, and to l)repai-e an organization for the whole coast and rules for the govern- ment of each local division. Commander Elmer was told that "prompt- ness, efticiency, and economy'' were necessary, and that his scheme must be so perfected that it could be ])ut into instant execution on the issuing of orders from the Department. A copy of the letter of the Depaitment is annexed hereto. (Appendix A.) Commander Elmer was immediately detached from duty at Philadelphia and ordered to l)roceed to New York, where he established head(|narters at the navy- yard, and undertook with great zeal the work outlined for liim, which soon i)roved to have an enormous amount of detail. The consideration of the needs of the different i)orts, the vessels available for the various kinds of service proposed, and the selection of suitable officers and men rendered his task com))lex and arduous. He was assisted in A^arious features of it, however, by the officers of the New York Navy- Y^ard and New York Naval Militia, and by the Board on Auxiliary Ves- sels, and had at his command such clerical force as could be spared from ihe pressing woik of the yard. During the first week of April the joint resolution was prepared by the Dei)artment to fully carry out the purposes intended, and Com- mander 1^1 mer was directed to arrange the different districts in con- nection with what was then called the " Coast-defense system," or "Mosquito Hotilla,'' so that each district should conform to the corre- sponding district estal)lislied by the Light-House Board of the Treas- ury Department. This was done with the idea of simplifying the organ- ization and exi)edifing its completion, as the naval oflicers detailed as inspectors of the various light-house districts were familiar with the localities in which they were stationed and generally acquainted with the personnel and materiel of the districts. A copy of the ])epartment's UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 5 letter is hereto annexed. (Appendix B.) The light-house inspectors were not relieved of their regular duties, but were ordered to assume in addition to them the duties connected with the coast-defense districts. On April 1!), 1808, the Department informed Commander Elmer that he could not move actively in the matters with which he was charged nutil war was declared and the President should call out the Naval Militia. In the meantime, he was directed to use all possible dispatch to perfect his scheme, so that each of the vessels which he proposed to assign to defeuse should be selected and her armament allotted upon his request, by the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, and held in readi- ness for his orders. He was told to prepare contracts for the work to be done upon the vessels in local establishments, and to see that the officers of the Naval Militia who were to command these vessels were nominated by the local chiefs of the Naval Militia, and that the crews, also from the Naval Militia, should be set apart by name for each par- ticular ship. A copy of this letter is hereto annexed. (Appendix C.) Of course but a part of the many details of this plan had been worked out when war was declared on April I'o. Just at this critical time, and while his exi)erience, intelligence, and untiring energy were of the greatest importance to the public service, Commander Elmer died, after a very short illness, leaving the work which he had begun so admirably to be carried on by another. At the time of his death, the plans of the Department had been elaborated so as to include the defense of fifteen harbors and strategic points on the Atlantic and (iulf coasts, with a flotilla of 28 gun vessels, li' torpedo vessels (one tube each), and 40 patrol boats, and the armament of these vessels had been worked out with such ordnance as was available. All of these vessels were to be employed in the inshore or coast patrol fleet, it having been deter- mined to organize a deep-sea or oftshore patrol fleet as a distinct naval command. The light house inspectors of all the districts but three had reported for duty in connection with coast-defense work, and corre- spondence had been opened all along the coast with the local Naval Militia and other sources, to obtain data in regard to vessels suitable for the different classes necessary for the formation of the "Mosoiiito flotilla." ^ Prior to this, the Department had taken up actively with the State authorities the employment of the Naval Militia, but'^it was apparent that there was no authority of law for mustering Naval Militia organi- zations into the United States service and that the President was not authorized to call them out for service outside of the United States, and the passage of the joint resolution became of prime necessity. In the absence of a national naval reserve the Department had relied upon the State Naval Militias to supply the personnel for coast signal work and for manning the vessels of the coast-defense system. It was for these purposes only that the Naval Militias had been drilled and instructed under orders from the Department. The scope of their duties is well defined in the "Memorandum for boards appointed to report ui)on the condition and efficiency for service of the Naval Mili- tia" in 1897, which says: They are not to be considcied in any sense as a naval reserve capable of manning our seagoing fleet, although their cooperation would be very valuable in examining into the seaforing personnel of their respective districts," in keeping constantly- informed as to this source of supply for the Navy, and in suggesting possibilities in the way of grouping and registering these men, which would make them available in the case of sudden need. A true naval reserve would have to be established under national auspices alone. The dual chiiractcr of the Naval Militia, owing as it does allegiance to the State maintaining it and the (Jeneral Government, ruust place a limitation on the expectations that the latter has concerning it. (Annual Keport of the Operations of the Naval Militia for 1897, p. 9.) 6 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. The last aimiial repoit of the Secretary of the Navy also called atten- tion to the fact tliat the Naval Militia offered the only means of procur- inj>- what was in any way a substitnte for an eHicient naval reserve to consist of seafariiio; mon nnder direct control of the national anthori- ties.aiid noted tliat there were particular and important fnnctions which belonged to the ^■aval Militia alone, and that there were three or lour of these organizations wliich, in the event of a sudden emergency, could be utilized at once tor manning some of the smaller naval vessels. It mentioned tlie i)laciug of mines and the establishment of signal sta- tions for coast defense as two of the most important features of their work, all of which was to be performed in the "Second line of defense." (Annual Keport of the Secretary of the Navy, 1897, p. 31.) Organizations of 2\aval Militia existed in January, 1898, in fifteen States, aggregating 3,703 petty officers and enlisted men, and about L'Ul) comnussioned officers. Just prior to the war organizations were officially recognized in two additional States, and provisional organiza- tions were formed in two others. Without waiting for special legisla- tion the Department called upon the State Naval Militias in the latter part of March to furnish officers and crews for the single-turret moni- tors (which had seen service in the War of the Itebellion and were then laid up at League Island Navy-Yard), and had arranged with the gov- ernors of the vaiious States that either leaves of absence or discharges should be granted to such officers and men as should volunteer for this duty. The resitonses were prompt and satisfactory and showed the patri- otic s])irit of the Naval Militia, eight monitors being rapidly i)ut in commission, each under command of a naval officer, all the other offi- cers and the entire ciews being furnished by the Naval Militias of the various States. The Dei)artment also called upon the States of New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Maryland to furnish officers and men for the merchant steamers purchased for the war and renamed the Yankee, rrairie, Yo.sennte, and Dine. This was in accordance with the suggestion that some of the older organizations of Naval Militia were comi)etent to furnish officers and men for seagoing vessels. This call was one which taxed to the utmost the resources of the Naval Militia organizations, coming closely as it did upon that for volunteers to man the monitors, but it was responded to with most gratifying alacrity. To fill the complement of these vessels each organization called upon contributed about -50 men. As examples of the promptness with which the call was met, the contingent from the First Naval Battalion, New York, reported, uniformed, armed, equipped, and ready for duty in six hours after receiving notice, and the contingent from the Massa- chusetts Naval Brigade, which was notified at 1 o'clock on a Saturday- afternoon, arrived at the New York Navy- Yard, fully prepared for service on the Prairh., at 9 o'clock the next morning. For the first time in the history of the Navy, professional men, business men, and men of leisure and of the highest education were brought into the lower ratings, and from the reports which have come incidentally to my notice it appears that they served with great intelligence and enthusiasm, and after a short experience made good men-of-warsmen, although they had had little or no training as seagoing sailors and exhibited some of the lack of knowledge of the care of property and themselves that is common to all volunteers. The Xaval Militia of the seaboard States had also been taxed to furnish officers and men for the Coast Signal Service. They had been trained to exi)ect such duty, and the admirable manner in which they performed it has been commented upon by me in another report pre- UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 7 viously submitted. Active recruiting to fill tlie vacancies caused by these drafts was in progress in the Naval Militia organizations at tlie time of the declaration of war and of Commander Elmer's death, and their officers were busily at work preparing to fill the places in the scheme of coast-defense for which they had been instructed, as soon as the formation of the Auxiliary Naval Force should be authorized by law. This was the situation when, on April 25, 1898 (the date that Congress declared tliat a state of war had existed since April 21), orders were issued to Kear Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., retired, to report imme- diately' to the commandant, navy-yard, Xew York, "for duty as officer in charge of the torpedo-boat flotilla work in connection with the coast- defense system," as the successor of Commander Elmer. The work of the most pressing importance (war having been declared) was the acquisition of suitable vessels to add to the monitors, the stations for which had been determined and which had been assigned for duty in the coast-defense fleet. Money for the purchase of -some of the neces- sary steamers, tugboats, and yachts was available from the appropria- tion for "National defense," and competent engineers and naval constructors were at once detailed to headquarters, and boards tor the inspection of vessels, composed of officers of the necessary professional requirements, were organized in the districts where there was the largest number to be inspected. Nothing, however, could be done with regard to the personnel until the passage of the joint resolution, which was still unavoidably held back in Congress by the pressure of legislation connected with the war. Admiral Erben was made fully acquainted with the intentions of the Department and with the situation, in a let- ter dated April 28, a copy of which is hereto annexed. (Appendix D.) Meanwhile submarine mines Avere placed by the War Department in the harbors of the more important seaports and shipping thereby greatly interfered with, and the Navy Department was called upon to patrol and protect the mine fields. This duty was relegated to Eear Admiral Erben's command, and instructions were given him relative thereto, under the dates of May (J and May 17, copies of which are annexed. (Appendix E and Apiiendix F.) At this time, however, but few of the vessels purchased under the recommendations of the Board on Auxiliary Vessels had been prepared for patrol duty, and it was impossible to obtain a sufficient number of boats to perform this service. In New York, the governor of the State hired suitable tugs, fitted them out, manned them with officers and men from the Naval Militia, and put them at the service of the Department, and by this means the mine fields at the entrance to the port of New York were thoroughly patrolled for ten days, the Naval Militia acquitting themselves most creditably in this duty. The governor of New York also placed at the disposal of the Depart- ment, on April 27, the services of his Naval Militia Aide, who was of material assistance in securing the passage of the joint resolution author- izing the organization and enrollment of the Auxiliary Naval Force. On May 26 the President signed the joint resolution, and Admiral Erben became the chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force. From the foregoing resume, it is i^ossible to understand the condi- tions existing at the time that the resolution became a law. The exigen- cies of the war upon which the resolution was predicated (in section 1 thereof) existed. An officer of the Navy, not below the grade of captain, already had charge of the organization contemplated by the joint resolution, as was provided in section 2 thereof. The coast line 8 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL, FORCE. had been divided into districts, each one of which was in command of an officer of the Navy, assisting tlie chief, and it but remained to com- plete the alterations and repairs to the newly purchased vessels (upon wjiich men were working night and day at the various navy-yards) to get them on their stations, and to examine and enlist the men from the Naval Militias, and examine their officers for recommendation and appointment. Prior to this date, and in the emergency, the officers who had been commissioned for temporary duty on the monitors and auxiliary cruisers, and in the coast signal service had been accepted without examinations, the only exception being the officers of the U. S. S. Yankee. The Department, however, determined (as the joint resolution did not restrict the purpose for which the officers should be used, but authorized their employment for general service) that no further appointments should be made except upon the recommendation of examining boards, which were thereupon appointed and convened. The chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force and the gov- ernors of the States having Naval Militias were notified by the Depart- ment that there was opportunity for a more general employment of the naval forces of the States, and it was suggested that the various adju- tant generals should be instructed to rendezvous their Naval Militia for examination and the enlistment of such as might be found (piaMed. Officers and men were informed that the intention was that their serv- ices would be used as far as practicable for necessary coast-defense (the duty for which they had been instructed and drilled), but that as they were, when mustered in, to receive the same rank and pay as those of the Kegular Navy, they should be prepared in case of special emer- gency to serve wherever the Department deemed their presence most necessary. Those passing examinations, physically and professionally, were recommended for appointment to the grades or enlisted for the ratings for which they were found qualified, and when mustered into the service were sent to the nearest receiving shii) or station, from which regular details were drawn as required. These details, as far as prac- ticable, were made up of men from the same State and organization. A copy of the circular of " Instructions for the enlistment of the Aux- iliary Naval Force," which was sent to the adjutant-generals of the various States interested, is annexed. (Appendix G.) I also append an examiiuition paper upon which a candidate for the i)osition of lieu- tenant was examined. This was selected at random, and is an evidence of the thoroughness of the examinations. (Appendix H.) Officers were rapidly examined, recommended for appointment, and commis- sioned, the form of commission given them being annexed. (Appendix I.) No special form of enlistment paper for the men was used, but on the first and second sheets of the ordinary enlistment record the words " Auxiliary Naval Force," were written. The limit of the term of enlistment was entered in each instance as one year, and the sentence was added " Discharge will be granted, upon request, provided the exigencies of the service will permit." \'essels Avere rapidly purchased under the $3,000,000 appropriation carried by the joint resolution, and were sent to the nearest navy-yards to be altered for the purposes for which they were intended. The ves- sels ])urchased under this appropriation included 10 yachts and 5 tugs, the cost aggregating $503,500. I annex a list of these vessels, giving their names at the time of purchase, their names in the service, and the date when purchased. (Appendix J.) From the number of vessels attached to the Auxiliary Naval Force, and which were manned by officers and men from the Naval Militia, those which were deemed best UNITED STATES AUXILIARY XAVAL FORCE. 9 suited for service in southern waters were detached on June 30, namely, the (lonrtwr Russell, East Boston, Apache, Vildiuj, Sylvia, and (later) Potomac and Kanawha. These were then given comiuandiug officers from the Navy. At the beginning of July the organization of the Auxiliary Naval Force included Kear- Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., Eetired, as chief, with headquarters at No. 39 Whitehall street, New York. Attached to his staff were a medical inspector, a surgeon, an assistant surgeon, a pay inspector, an assistant paymaster, 6 chief engineers, 2 naval construct- ors, and 2 lieutenants. The light-house inspectors were acting as assistants to the chief in the various districts, as above described. Seventeen vessels were then being put in commission, for the comple- ments of which Admiral Erben estimated that 73 officers and 500 men were necessary. It was contemplated putting 4 more monitors in com- mission. Twelve hundred men had been enlisted and sent to receiv- ing ships or stations. :Seventy-seven officers from the Naval Militia had been nominated for commissions and 64 had been commissioned. Only 1() vessels on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts were actually in com- mission, including 5 receiving ships— the Minnesota at Boston, the New Hampshire at New York, the Fortsmouth at Hobokeu, N. J., the St. Louis at l*hiladelphia, and the Bale at Baltimore (Appendix Ja.) — and the monitors Catslill, Lehigh, Jason, Sahant, Monta ul\ Nantucket, and Bassaic. The remaining 4 vessels were at navy-yards being pre- pared for service. On Saturday, July 9, forty-four days after the signing of the joint resolution, I was ordered to relieve F.tar Admiral Erben and assume the duties of chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force, with headquarters at the Navy Department. A copy of my orders is annexed. (Appendix K.) I immediately made room for the headquarters in the Office of Naval Intelhgence, and with but one assistant, Lieut. Herbert L. Satterlee, U. S. N. (at that time attached to the Coast Signal Serv- ice), undeitook the completion of the details of the Department's plans. The submarine mines were receiving occasional damage, owing to the lack of proper protection. The officers who had been commissioned and the 1,200 men who had been enlisted were waiting on the various receiving ships for assignment to active duty. The converted vessels at the navy-yards were without complements, and there was need of small dispatch boats and tugs. The Naval Militia, which had recruited up to its legal strength at the re([uest of the Department, was not ful- filling the part which had been assigned to it in case of war; its offi- cers and men were becoming restless at the inactivity, its facilities were not being fully emjiloyed, and the Navy was still short of men for its seagoing ships. Tlie DepartJnent was overwhelmed with requests for active service and the mustering in of organizations which had been recruited for the war. The situation was urgent, and prompt action was necessary. I gave all the time that I could spare from my duties as Chief Intelligence Officer and Superintendent of the Coast Signal Service, and made myself familiar with the situation, relying upon Lieutenant Satterlee's intimate knowledge of the Naval Militia, as he had been for years the navigating officer of the First Naval Battalion, New York, and, more recently. Naval Militia Aide on the staff of the governor of New York. I found at once that no use had been made of the services of the commanding officers of the naval brigades of Mas- sachusetts and New York, both of wlioni were ex-officers of the Ignited States Navy, and had been studying for years the duties of their forces in the naval patrol and defense of the seacoast of their respective 10 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAU FORCE. States They were immediately examined, lecommeiided for appoint- ment, commissioned, and substituted for the lighthouse inspectors in chari-e of the districts in which they were located. As rapidly as ])()ssible^the other light house inspectors were, in succession, relieved of the extra duties which had been imposed upon them in counectiou with the Aiixiliarv Naval Force, and the senior ofticers (not already atloat) of the State Xaval Militias were ordered to duty as my assist- ants in the various districts, lu the meantime the naval officers com- manding the monitors were detached and assigned to other duty, and the command of these vessels was intrusted to competent otticers of the Force who came from the ISaval JVlilitia. The officers and men of some of the States that had not been given an opi)<)rtunity to entei- the service were examined, and, if pioticient, were respectively commissioned and enlisted, those from Louisiana and Fh)rida being sent to the navy-yard at Pensacola. Within forty-eight hours from the time of assuming command, I was enabled to get two of the converted yachts at New York on duty patrolling the mine fields, and on July 12 they were joined by a third. In rapid succession the various yachts and the tugs were furnished with officers and crews, put in commission, and assigned to active duty. After filling the comple- ments of these vessels, those monitors which were still being fitted out at the navy yards were supplied, and an effort was made to send all the men renuiiniiig on the receiving ships to the front. To this end, a draft of men was sent from the Pensacola yard to the naval station at Key West, and other drafts were forwarded from receiving ships on the Atlantic coast to the Norfolk Navy-Yard for transportation south by the first public conveyance. This was done, not only to complete the plans of the ])ci)artment for using the Naval Militia, but to obviate the necessity of enlisting more men for general service. Several hundred men enlisted from the Naval Militia were sent to Cuban waters from Key West and distributed among the vessels of the first and second squadrons of the North Atlantic fieet, where they saw actual warfare at Santiago in the battle which resulted in the destruction of Admiral Cervera's S(iuadron. Our naval successes, and the situation of the war in the lat- ter i)art of July, made any further increase of the Force unnecessary, and the Department determined not to issue any more commissions or make any more enlistments. I append a form of the certificate given to those who passed^ their examinations, but whose services were not needed. (Appendix Ka.) The protocol of peace was signed while some of these drafts of men were on their way to the South, and it was therefore necessary to return them to the receiving ships, from which they had started. Tiie Auxiliary Naval Force on the Pacific coast, which had been under the command of Eear Admiral Joseph N. Miller, U. S. N., sepa- rate and distinct from Eear Admiral Erben's command, was transferred to me, and the Pacific coast was thereu])on organized as a district, and Lieut. W. F. (hum, U. S. N., who entered the service from the California Naval Militia, was appointed my assistant in charge. The four reve- nue cutters attached to this district patrolled the coast from San Fran- cisco to Alaska, in order to protect the treasure-laden vessels from the Klondike gold fields. When at its maximum strength, and after the 7 vessels herein- before named had been detached, the fieet of the Auxiliary Naval Force consisted of 41 vessels. The yacht SJtearwatcr, the torpedo boat Mtoili/, and the monitors Canonieus and Mahopac were attached to it, but were never put in commission. UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 11 The complete organization of the Auxiliary Naval Force was as fol- one messenger. The first district, from the most easterly point of jNIaine to Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire, E. J. Beach, lieutenant. U. S. IST., assistant to chief, with headquarters at I'ortlaud. To this district were attached the monitors Monlaul- and Wyandotte. The latter, however, was never seut to her station at IJath, Me. The second district, from Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire, to New- port, E. I., J. W. Weeks, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headcjuarters at Boston. Attached to this district were the U. S. 11. S. Minnesota, the monitors CatsliU and Lehigh, the tug Seminole, and the yacht Inea. The third district, from Newport, K. 1., to Seabright, N. J., J. W. Miller, lieutenant-commander, U. S. N.. assistant to chief, with head- (|uarters at New York City. Attached to this district were the U. S. li. S. Xea- Eanq)shi)e, the monitors Jason, Manhattan, and Xahant, the yachts Aileen, ElfYida, Enquirer, Freelance, Emitress, h'estless, and Shearwater, and "the torpedo boat Manly. The monitor Manhattan, however, was never sent to her station at Newport; the Jason was stationed at Fishers Island and the Xahant at Tompkinsville. The fourth district, from Seabright, N. J., to JNletomkin Inlet, Vir- ginia, Lieut. J. S. Muckle, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquar- ters at Philadelphia. Attached to this district were the U. S. E. S. St. Louis, the monitors Canonicus and MeJiopac, and the side-wheel steamboat Arctic. The fifth district, from Metomkin Inlet, Virginia, to New Eiver Inlet, North Carolina, Isaac E. Emerson, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquarters at Baltimore, Md. The vessels attached to this district were the U. S. E. S. Dale, the monitor Akix, and the yacht Sylph. ' J 1 ^ The sixth district, from New Eiver Inlet, North Carolina, to Jupiter Inlet, Florida, George L. Morton, lieutenant, IT. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquarters at Port Eoyal, S. C. The vessels attached to this district were the monitor Xantuclcet and the tugs Cheyenne, Chiclcasaic, and ^Yaban. The seventh district, from Jupiter Inlet, Florida, to Perdido Entrance, Florida, J. C. Sutherland, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquarters at Pensacola, Fla. Attached to this district was the tug Tacoma, and the battalion of the Auxiliary Naval Force at the Pensa- cola Navy-Yard. The eighth district, from Perdido Entrance, Florida, to the most west- erly point of Texas, J. W. Bostick, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquarters at New Orleans, La. Attached to this district were the monitor Passaic and the tugs Choctaw and Powhatan. The ninth district, the Pacific coast of the United States, W. E. Gunn, lieutenant, U. S. N., assistant to chief, with headquarters at San Fran- cisco. Attached to this district were the revenue cutters Cor win, Grant, I*erry, and Bush, and the tugs Active, Lroquois, and Viyilant. Pay Inspector J. H. Stevenson, U. S. N., retired, was attached to the headquarters of the third district, and Assistant Paymaster Webb V. H. Eose was attached to the headquarters of the " seventh district. Chief Engineer Alexander Henderson, retired, was attached to the 12 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. heacUinaiters of the third district. Chief Engineer E. D. llobie, retired, was attaclied to the headquarters of the second district, and Ohiet Engineer W. W. Dungaii was attached to the headquarters of the fifth district. . . . There were commissioned in the naval service, from the ISTaval Militias, lieutenant commander, 1; lieutenants, 50; lieutenants (junior grade), 44: ensigns, 1)5; surgeons, ID; paymasters, 14; engineers, lil; mates, I'A; a total of 2«>3 olhcers, and there were enlisted 3,83li men from the same source. The ohiccrs furnished their own uniforms and side arms and tlie men came into the service armed, uniformed, and equipped. A table showing tlie number of officers and men from the Naval Militia of each State is hereto annexed. (Appendix L.) I also append a table showing the points at which the various vessels were stationed and the character of duty performed by each. (Appendix M.) About the middle of August, acting under instructions from the Department, 1 began to put out of commission the patrol boats as fast as their i)resence at tlie mine fields was no longer necessary, the sub- marine mines being removed. The monitors were ordered to proceed to League Island Navy- Yard, with the exception of the Passaic, which was ordered to Pensacola, and the Nantucket, to Port Royal, and the revenue cutters were returned to tiie Treasury Department. There was some dehiy in getting all the monitors that were destined for that point to League Island, owing to the fact that they had to be convoyed by tugs, which at that time were hard to procure. The tugs attached to the Force were then, with one exception, in Oulf waters, and as soon as they were no longer needed for duty connected with the navy-yards and naval stations they were also laid up. Tlie last yachts to be put out of commission were the Aileen and IJlfrida, which had been for some time used in the ([uarantine patrol at Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, N. Y. However, on the 2Gth day of September all the vessels of the Force had been placed out of commission and their crews discharged. J have temporarily retained the services of my nine assistants in the various districts for the purpose of properly closing uj) the affairs of the districts, perfecting their records, and making full reports as to the number of officers aiul men admitted into the Force in the districts, giving their grades and ratings, the character of the service performed in the districts, the suitability of the vessels assigned for the purposes for which they were employed, the manner in which they stood the requirements of the service, and the characteristics of the district from a defensive point of view, taking into consideration the needs of a thor- ougldy e(iuip[)ed naval force to protect them. They are also inci- dentally carrying (mt the suggestion of the Secretary's report above referred to, as to '• grouping and registering" in their districts the men available for service in a United States iSTaval Keserve. The following changes were made in the list of assistants: Lieut. 11. J. Beach was relieved in the first district by T^ieut. (Junior Grade) William IL Cliftbrd, Jr.; and Ijieut. Commander J. W. Miller, in the third district, by Lieut. E. C. Weeks. The headquarters of the sixth district was removed from Fort Koyal, S. V>., to Wilmington, N. C. I think that the data secured by these assistants and the information contained in their reports will be of value to the J)epartment for reference and for guidance in any further emergency, and Avill file them in the Naval Militia Oflice. As this is the first time that the Naval Militia has been called into service by the I'nited States, it is of great interest to note the charac- UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 13 ter of work performed by it and the manner in which it fulfilled the requirements i)reviously outlined by the Department. A])art from their services on seagoing ships (in which they acted as substitutes for naval reserves and acquitted themselves far better than could have been reasonably expected, in view of their lack of training for such life) and of their services in the Coast iSignal Service (in which they more than fulfilled the highest expectations of their friends concerning them), the etficiency of the officers and men of the ]Sraval Militia mnst be judged from their work in the Auxiliary ISTaval Force. The character of the work performed was twofold — first, guard duty, and second, patrol duty. The scope of the former was limited to the possibilities of the old type of monitors. It must be remembered that these vessels were hastily pnt into service after having been laid up for a period of over thirty years and that after the most necessary repairs had been made at the iiavy- yards there was still a large amount of work which had to be done by their crews to fit them for the service for which they were intended. This was done cheerfully and well by officers and men, who were natu- rally anxious to be at the front, but who also fully appreciated the exi- gency which required coast-defense vessels to protect home ports. The routine duties of the first few weeks on these vessels were performed under very adverse circumstances, as repairs were going on (with the attendant noise, confusion, and dirt), painting was being done, and coal, provisions, etc., were being got on board. After the vessels had been cleaned up and the crews shaken down and they had reached their sta- tions a high degree of discipline and efficiency was attained. The crews were regularly exercised and drilled in boat work and artillery with the secondary batteries. Target practice was also performed with the old 15-inch smootlibore guns. Many of these vessels cruised from port to port in the district to which they were attached, went to sea for target practice, and entered harbors by day and night, thereby showing that the oflficers and men of the Naval Militia were thoroughly comi^etent to handle ships of that or a similar type, and there was no mishap of even the slight- est character on any of the ten monitors during the four and a half months in which they were in service. The monitors were brought back to be i)ut out of commission in excellent coiulition, and were so readily handled and manned by their officers and crews that it is fair to believe that the coast-defense vessels in the future can be turned over to the Naval Militia with entire confidence. The patrol duty was performed by converted yachts and tugs, and the officers and men dis- played special aptitude for this work, owing to their intimate knowl- edge of local waters. Their acquaintance with harbors and bases of supplies, with the local prevailing weather conditions, and with the land- marks which would have to be relied upon in case of the removal of the aids to navigation, make them the force ])ar c.rcelleiice for the work of an inshore patrol. In the duty of protecting the mine fields, the high order of intelligence of the officers and men, as well as their knowledge of the local personnel in the merchant marine, aided them in properly enforcing the harbor regulations and in dealing with merchantmen. Their officers also proved to have considerable ability in the handling of small vessels, and the fact that there were no accidents or casualties in the fleet shows that they were qualified to perform their duties. The results of their practice in scouting and reconnaissance work proved that they would have been of great value to the service if the seat of war had unfortunately been transferred to these shores. In order 14 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. to illustrate the aptitude of these ofifieers for the character of service mentioned,! annex a copy of an " Information blank for signal and boat reconnaissance parties," returned by two of the officers attached to the Third district, who were sent to report upon the character of communication by water between Shinnecock Bay and Peconic Bay, houix Ishmd. New Y\)rk. (Appendix X.) It is not. however, merely in the performance of guard and patrol duty tiiat the Naval Militia has been of service to the Department, but iu many other ways, and the ofticers and men of the Xavy have cause for sincere thankfulness that the Naval Militia existed during the war ■with Spain. Its ofticers and men have cheerfully and patiently endured the monotonous and often uninteresting duties connecteureau of Navigation to take them there. In the emergency I was called upon to furnish a detail of officers for both ships, the Buffalo being a vessel of 7,500 tons and the Bainbow of ^,254 tons. Lieut. William II. Stayton, U. S. N., commanding the U. S. S. Enquirer, and Lieut. E. M. Harmon, U. S. N., commanding the U. S. S. Xahant, UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 15 were selected to command these vessels, respectively, and these officers, with a detail of seven others from the Third District, reported at the Norfolk Navy- Yard within twenty-four hours after I was requested to undertake this matter. The vessels were prepared for sea, crews from the receiving ship at Norfolk put on board, and the passage to New York safely accomplished, in spite of a dense fog which prevailed, and they were delivered to the commandant of the New York Navy- Yard, without the services of a pilot being employed, in the most sea- man-like manner and with the utmost despatch. Thirty one hours after the Buffalo passed out of the Yirginia (Japes Lieutenant Stayton tied her up at the dock in the New York Navy-Y'ard without the aid of a tug. In the routine work of the navj^-yard at Pensacola, Fla., services of the most practical and efficient kind were i^erformed by Lieut. J. G. Sutherland, U. S. N., my assistant in the Seventh district, who was on duty there in command of a contingent of the Auxiliary Naval Force, and much of the work of the naval station at Port IJoyal, S. C, was per- formed, during the war, by officers attached to this Force. In writing of the men of the Force (who came from the Naval Militia of South Carolina), the commandant of the Port Iloyal station expresses what seems to have been the general opinion which the regular officers formed of the men of the Naval Militia, when he says : '' They were intel- ligent and obedient young men, a credit to the service." The vessels assigned to duty at Montauk Point were very useful to the Marine- Hospital Service there, as is shown by a letter from Supervising Sur- geon-General Walter Wyman, M. H. S., which I annex hereto. (Appen- dix O.) These vessels were attached to the command of Lieut. Gom- mander J. W. Miller, LT. S. N., who, in connection with this and all the other duties intrusted to him, proved a most efficient and experienced officer. I wish also to commend the assistance rendered by Lieut. John W. Weeks, U. S. N., in charge of the Second district. Both of these officers showed the most untiring zeal in the organization and management of their commands. On the whole, the work of the officers and men from the Naval Militia was performed in a thorough and efficient manner; but our recent expe- rience shows that there is a certain class of work which they should not undertake to do. Their anxiety to see active service and to get away from receiving ships led many men of education to enlist as coal passers and in other ratings which they were not physically competent to fill. This, of course, was quickly discovered and easily remedied with- out mishap, and only resulted in the discomfiture of the men themselves. In some cases, too (while commissions were being given without exam- inations), officers undertook duties for which they were not properly qualified, but they were quick to realize their mistake and were assigned to duty which they were found competent to perform after going before examining boards. When it is considered that the Naval Militia put its men promptly in the service when they were most needed, and that no time or money had to be spent in arming, uniforming, or eipiipping them,it is apparent that the country realized the full benefit of the appropriations which have been made during the past six years and of the services which have been rendered by the Department in drilling and instruct- ing them. The most casual investigation of the subject shows that the State Naval Militias are popular and efficient organizations of the State service in almost all the States in which they exist. In my opinion the policy of the Department in carrying out the wise provisions made by Gongress to foster and develop the Naval Militias of the States should 16 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. be continued in tlie luture. Tlie success of those organizations wliich Lave received tlie best support from tlieir respective States shows that the etforts of the Department sliould be directed to encouraging and raising the standard of those located in States less able to provide for their naval forces. Of course disparities in personnel, in climate, and in State appropriations will always result in differences in the Xaval Militias of the States, and it seems to me that it is only by a careful study of the existing conditions and the granting by Congress to the ])epartment of a greater latitude in applying the appropriations that the best results can be obtained. No general rule or standard can be made that will api)]y. The Department has made a wise selection in detailing Lieut. W.'ll. II. Southerland, U. S. N., to take charge of the Naval Militia interests, and the work of development should be prose- cuted along the line of the suggestions made in the last report of the Secretary of the Navy. In \iew of the State support given to the Naval Militia and of their local i)opularity, they can never be converted into a United States luival reserve, and no attempt should be made to accomplish this, lu the dominant enuHgcncy of the war they were diverted to a certain extent from the services for which they were intended in the second line of defense, and were used as a luival reserve. They were called upon (as has been shown herein above) to augment the crews of blue jackets on our lighting ships, and furnished entire complements of offi- cers and men for auxiliary cruisers (which in many instances were used as fighting ships), and in various ways were employed to supplement and assist in the work of the Navy. This should never happen again. The necessity of establishing a United States Xaval IJeserve, which the Department has for many years pointed out, has been most thoroughly proved. The time is appropriate to ask for legislation on the subject, and the Department can no doubt rely on the sagacity and energy of the i)resent Committees on Naval Affairs in the Senate and House of Kei)resentatives to procure the authority of law. :My position as chief of the Auxiliary Naval Force has given me an ()l)portunity to observe the various conditions prevailing on the Atlan- tic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts, and the possibilities in the way of personnel and nnit(''riel. 1 have also had the benefit of the ideas on this subject of oflicers from all of the nine districts, who have been interested in it and made it a study. During this war the situations which con- stantly developed and the problems which arose for prom])t solution made i)laiii the ])roper relation between the Naval ^Militiaand a United States Naval Reserve, and suggested the most natural, easy, and eco- nomical method of obtaining the latter. It has become apparent in the first ])lace that the Naval Militia has a distinct and important func- tion to ])erform in the second line of defense; that a certain proportiou of its officers and men (which number can be increased by the guid- ance of the Department) is capable of becoming a part of a United States Naval lieserve, but that, for the latter purpose, most of the naval militiamen have not had sufficient experience at sea. Let us then revise the (character of the instruction and drill given to the Naval Militia and give them better op])ortunities to become familiar with the vessels and guns which they will be expected to man and handle, so that at the conclusion of a man's term of active service therein and when he is a Naval Militia " veteran '' he will be competent to pass into the I'nited States Naval lieserve. After their experience in this war, l)robably !•(» per cent of the officers and men who came into the service UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 17 from the Naval Militia are competent to fill, in a United States Naval Keserve, the grades and ratings which tliey held at the time of their honorable discharge. Moreover, it is not improbable that the popu- larity of our branch of the service and the well merited applause with which these men have been received at home would lead them to enter a naval reserve. Legislation authorizing this would at once furnish a strong nucleus for the personnel of a United States Naval Reserve, widely distributed over the country and far-reaching in its influence for the advancement of the general interests of the Navy. Another branch of the service, most important in the formation of a United States Naval Reserve, is the Revenue Marine Service. The per- sonnel of this service is well disciplined, of a high order of intelhgence, and most intimately acquainted with the harbors and channels of our seacoast. They are seafaring men, and only need instruction in gun- nery and the mechanical appliances on board a man-of-war to make them men-of war's men. The personnel of the United States Life Sav- ing Service has also proved in the war that it would fill a most valuable place in a United States Naval Reserve, and the same is true of the United States Light-House Service. The large body of competent officers, engineers, and seamen of our merchant njarine was hardly drawn upon in this war, except in cases where vessels were purchased or chartered and some or all of their officers and crews entered the service with them. There will be found, however, in the hist number of the Navy Register and in the files of the Bureau of Navigation the names of many officers and men from the merchant marine who entered the service in the manner indicated, and these should be included, when a United States Naval Reserve is created, and their fellow officers and men in the merchant service stimulated to cjualify for admission. I annex a draft of a bill which follows the lines of H. R. 6346, introduced in the Fifty-fifth Congress, second session, but which carries out the suggestions above made, and I respectfully submit it for the considera- tion of the Department. (Appendix P.) A ITnited States Naval Reserve organized on this basis would be com- petent to supply the personnel and to a large extent the matt'riel of a Naval Coast defense System. Judging from our recent experiences such a system should include: (1) An inshore jxdrol fieet, composed of reve- nue cutters, light house tenders, and vessels already in the possession of the Department, or to be acquired for that purpose, and officered and manned by United States naval reserves belonging to («) the Revenue- Cutter Service, (?>) the Light-House Service, {c) those who come from the Naval Militia, {d) those who come from the merchant marine; (2) a coast signal service, consisting of specially erected signal stations and those established at lighthouses, life-saving stations, and Weather Bureau offices, officered and manned by United States naval reserves, {a) who come from the Naval Militia, (b) who belong to the United States Life-Saving Service, [c] who belong to the United States Light- House Service, and assisted by the observers of the Weather Bureau; (3) a port (jvard and torpedo Jieet, consisting of coast defense vessels, monitors and tori)edo boats, officered and manned by United Statesnaval reserves, (a) who come from the Naval Militia, {h) who come from the mer- chant marine; and (4) a navigating reserve, from which to supply the emergency needs of the Navy and the vacancies caused by casualties, comprising receiving ships or stations, at which in time of war should be assembled all the United States naval reserves from the various sources indicated who are qualified as seamen, except those detailed for duty 6827 2 18 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. in the first and third branches of the Xaval Coast-defense System enumerated above. In such a Xaval Coast-defense System the Xaval Militia would till a most important part. Lieut. J. C. Colwell. U. S. ^".. writing ou the subject of "Xaval Keserve and Coast Defense" in 18S8. says in this regard : •• The Xaval Militia branch is placed first in importance because it Is upon the coast defenders that at first the bruut of a maritime war would fall, and the men to bear the weight of a foreign naval attack should have the best system of organization, drill, and equipment that it is possible to give. ' The organization being local, the ofiicers and men would have an intimate knowledge of the ca]»abilities of their immediate neighborhood for oft'ense and defense, and would be much more valuable at such a place than would a body of entirely strange seafaring men suddenly ordered to that service." The Xaval Militia has brought the Xavy in touch with the people in a way in wliich nothing else could have done in time of peace. It is a valued addition to the military establishment of the various States, and when more fully develoi)ed will be a stepping-stone to the United States Xaval Eeserve. It should be to a large extent a school foi' the utficers of the latter, and from the United States Xaval Reserve alone should acces- sions to the fighting strength of the Xavy be made in time of war. In such a gradual develoi>ment. the intelligent and patriotic citizen may serve his State as a naval militiaman and thus be enabled to qualify as a United States naval reserve, and in time of war go into active service with a degree of i)rofieiency which will release him from the performance of ser^"ice in those ratings which call simply for physical labor, and enable him to exercise the highest percentage of his efficiency. The large amount of detail connected with the administration of the Auxihary Xaval Force greatly restricted my opportunities for person- ally visiting the several districts and inspecting tlie vessels. To an unusual extent the successful operation of the service depended upon an intelligent execution of orders issued from head»iuarters. I wish to congratulate the officers and men of the Force on the results which they attained despite the necessary haste in which it was inaugurated and their lack of practical experience, and to commend them for their faith- fulness and zeal. My assistants in charge of the several districts have given unre mitting and faithful attention to their exacting and arduous duties, and I am under great obligation to them for their zealous and intelli- gent handling of the details of the work of the Force during its season of activity and for the expedition and thoroughness which have marked all the steps incident to bringing its operations to a close. I append copies of the forms of honorable discharge given to officers and enlisted men. (Appendix Q.) I esteem myself particularly fortunate in having had the assistance of Lieut. Herbert L. Satterlee. T'. S. X.. as my chief of staff. For years past he has been identified with the most progressive efforts for the practical development of the Xaval Militia and its advancement in efficiency. In the present emergency he has labored day and night with untiring energy, and his services have been of the highest value in the aid he has rendered in connection with the management of the details of the work. Through his assistance, also, I am enabled to make the present report much more full than, with the pressure of other duties, would otherwise be possible. I would suggest that the Department avail itself, whenever practicable, of Lieutenant Satterlee's familiarity with Ifaval ^lilitia matters. UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 19 I am much indebted to the chiefs of the several bureaus for their always ready assistance and their desire to further the prompt dispatch of business, which might otlierwise have been sadly hampered by too great regard for nonessentials of form and routine. " In closing my report I wish particularly to thank the Department for the confidence that has been placed in me, enabling me to carry on successfully this important duty, which has so often required prompt decision and immediate action. Very respectfully, John K. Bartlett, Captain, United States Xavy (Retired), Chief United States Auxiliary Xaval Force. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Appendix A. March 23, 1808. SiH : You are hereby directed to prepare, with all possible dispatch, a scheme for utilizing the available resources of onr Atlantic ports iu the formation of a mosquito flotilla in general accordance with the methods proposed by the Naval War College. Von will suggest for each important locality the names of suitable vessels, in such numbers as you may think proper, and fitted as improvised gun vessels, rams, or torpedo boats; their arniameut, if any; how and where obtained and mounted; how their captains and crews may be secured from the merchant service or Naval Militia; the proposed appointments as volunteer oiticers, or ratings as enlisted men; and you will prei)are an organization for the whole coast, and rules for the government of each local division. The I)ei)artment confines itself to indicating the outlines of what it desires, leav- ing the details to your discretion. It reminds you that promptness, efficiency, and. economy are necessary. You will submit, as soon as possible, a, resume of your scheme, which must be so perfected that it can be put into instant execution on the issuing of orders from the Department. You are authorized to ])erform such travel as may be needed, and directed to report from time to time your movements. It is suggested that you make New York your headquarters. In that event the commandant of the navy-yard at that place will give you such clerical aid as you may re(|uire. The demand for officers is so great that it is impossible to assign you other assistants. You are hereby detached from present duties. Very respectfully. Commander Horace I^oier, U. S. N., Cramp's Shipyard, Phihidelpliia, Pa. John D. Long, Secretary. Appendix B. April 14, 1898. Sir: Referring to your letter of the I3th instant, you will please arrange the difi'erent districts iu connection with the coast-defense system with the mosquito flotilla, so that each district will conform with the corresponding district as sub- divided by the Light-House Board of the Treasury Department. Respectfully, Commander Horace Elmer, U. S. N., Navy- Yard, New York, K. Y. John D. Long, Secretary. Appendix C. April 19, 1898. Sir: Referring to the Department's older of the 23d ultimo, and to subsequent letteis addressetl to you iu regard to a scheme for utilizing the available resources of the Atlantic ports in the formation of a mosquito flotilla, you are hereby directed to take charge of the foiiuation of said mos(iuito flotilla, in accordance with the above-mentioned correspondence and with the following, by which you will be guided : It is, of course, impossible to move actively in the matters with which you are charged until war is declared and the President calls out the Naval Militia. In the meantime you are directed to use all possible dispatch to perfect your scheme, so 20 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 21 that at each port the vessels you propose to assion to the defense will be selected, theii' anuamont allotted upon your request by the Chief of the Bureau of Orduaiice, and held in readiness for your orders. Contracts should be prepared for the work to be done upon the vessels in local establishments. The officers of the Naval Militia who are to command the vessels should be nominated for your consideration by the local chief of the Naval Militia and the interest of these officers enlisted, and the crews (also from the Naval Militia) set apart, by name, for each particular ship. The officers should be given to understand that they are to receive acting appoint- ments in the United States Navy, and the men that they are to enlist for one year, or during tht^ war, unless sooner discharged. The officers and men should be kept together as far as practicable, and the men should serve under their own officers. In short, every possible latitude is left to your discretion in the planning. When directed to put your plan into execution, nothing more should be required than to send teh'graphic instructions to the officers, and every person interested will, pre- sumably, know what to do and carry out the instructions with dispatch. The officers assigned to the different districts of the system of coast defense, iu connection with the mos(|uito flotilla, will be directed to report to you. Keep tlie Department fully advised as to all the developments in connection with this duty. Respectfully, John D. Long, Secretary. Commander Hokace Elmer, U. S. N., In charge of Mosqidto Flotilla Work, Xar/f-Yard, Xeiv York, X. Y. Appendix D. Navy Department, Office of Assistant Secretary, IVasMnf/ton D. C, April 2S, 1S98. Sir: The Department returns herewith the telegram to Commander Horace Elmer from the commanding officer of the Maryland Naval Militia, which was inclosed in your letter of April 27. A similar telegram has been received by the Department. The Department incloses herewith copy of a joint resolution providing for the organization and enrollment of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force for coast defense, which is now being C(msidered by Congress. Until the passage of this act it will not be possible to carry out the inteutious of the Department with regard to this organization. Under the naval appropriation act the Department is now making appointments of acting officers, but it is intended that they shall serve iu the Regular Navy. The United States Auxiliary Naval Force is to be an entirely separate organ- ization, appointments and enlistments being made by you, as chief of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force, as soon as there shall be a warrant by law. Under the terms of the naval appropriation act appointments of officers are made only to the rank of lieutenant and below. In the various State organizations there are sev- eral Naval Militia officers above this rank whose services can not be utilized afloat, nor would it, in the judgment of the Department, be wise to give them grades higher than lieutenant in the Auxiliary Naval Force. As the coast is to be divided into districts, and each district is to have a naval officer at its head, the appointments and enlistments in the United States Auxiliary Naval Force will be left to you and your assistants, subject to the approval of the Navy Dejiartment. As it has been stated above, however, it will be necessary to wait the action of Congress before any appointments or enlistments are made. Very respectfully, T. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary. Rear- Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., In charge of Count- I>efen8e System, U. S. Naval liendezvons, No. 66 South street, New York, N. Y. Appendix E. Navy Department, Washington, D. C, May 6, 1S98. Sir: Referring to the question of the patrol of defensive mine fields at the differ- ent harbors where the Auxiliary Defense Fleet is stationed. The De])artmeut considers that the maintenance of the mine fields in proper con- dition and repair, and the furnishing of necessary craftfor doing that work, devolves upon the War Department. 22 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. Such of the smaller vessels of the Auxiliary Defense Fleet as you may think proper, when not required for duty of a more strictly military character, will be employed in patrolliui;- the neighborhood of the mine fields forthe purpose of obliging friendly vessels to cross the same by and through the ehaunels that have been marked for that i)urpo8e by the Army. Respectfully, c . John D. Long, Secretary. Rear-Admiral Henry Erben, U. 8. N., In Charge Auxiliary Defense Fleet. Appendix F. Navy Department, Washin(jton, May 17, 1898. Sir: After cousultation with the War Department, this Dejjartment has consented to patrol the mine fields of the various ports, in so far as may be necessary to oblige vessels crossing the said fields to keep in the channels marked by the Army ; and the Navy will also patrol the mine fields for the purpose of military defense against the enemy, the Army to maintain their mine fields in proper repair and condition for service. This will be one of the duties of the Auxiliary Naval Force for coast defense, and you will give the uecessary instructions iu the various districts to carry this into efi'ect as soon as you are furnished with a sufficient number of vessels ready for service. Very respectfully, Chas. H. Allen, Afisistant Secretary, Rear-Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., 39 Whitehall Street, New York City. Appendix (i. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ENLISTMENT OF AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. Navy Department, Ifashinyton, May 26, 1S9S. 1. Officers and men must be given one year's leave from the State authorities. 2. At the top of the first and main sheets of the enlistment records must be noted, in red ink, "Auxiliary Naval Force." 3. The enlistments must be made for " one year's general service, unless sooner discharged," which must be indorsed, with red ink, on the first and main sheets of the enlistment records. 4. On the same sheets must also be noted, "discharge will be granted, upon re- quest, provided the exigencies of the service will permit." 5. Officers must lie examined for the grades to which they may be appointed for one year if successful and according to the duties they will be expected to perform. 6. Men will be examined for the ratings which they will be expected to hold, and will be enlisted according to article 797, paragraphs i and 2, Navy Regulations, 1896. Petty officers will then be given acting appointments by their commanding officers. 7. Officers and men will be examined physically, and slight disabilities will be waived, taking into consideration the duties to be performed. Age and height limits will also be waived. 8. All disabilities waived will be entered on the enlistment records or attached to the appointnu'nt.s. Respectfully, A. S. Crownixshield, Chief of Bureau. The Secretary of the Naay. Approved, John D. Long, Secretary. UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 23 APPENDIX H. EXAMINATION FOR GRADE OF LIEUTENANT. SEAMANSHIP. Storm trysail : Describe, get up from below, beiul and set. Trysail already bent: Describe and set. Describe varioii.s anchors, naming parts. Anchors on bows : Get oft' and let go. Ship anchored: Get under way. Describe each action in turn. Chains: All about them. Bring to, slipping, shot bitter end and hoAv and where made fast, mooring swivels, shackles, how placed on chain. Compressors and controllers: Shackle pins and marking. Describe process of leading out an anchor with small boat or boats. Shift from steam to hand steering gear. Relieving tackles. Rudder head gone : What do ? Rudder gone : What do ? Rudder gone with other vessel in company: What do? Heave to. Heave to with a drag. Heave to with a sea anchor, which describe. Use of oil. Sight a light at night : What do? Man overboard ; boats swung in : Describe every action until man is picked up. XAVIGATIOX. Box the compass in quarter jioints. Hand lead, coasting lead, and deep-sea lead: Their weights; their lines; how to mark and how to heave them. Heave deep-sea lead on twin-screw vessel. Describe arming; its purpose; how the dead-reckouiug is checked by it; what does arming bring to the surface? Describe Walker's sounding machine. Describe Sir William Thompson's sounding apparatus and depth recorder, and how it is operated. Mark the log line, and give formula for 28 second glass. Describe one or two patent logs; two kinds of dials. Barometer: What is high, low, normal? Relation of thermometer to barometer. Rising or falling barometer indicates what? Laws of storms; what two motions have they. Northern hemisphere ; how to find the center; how to avoid it; how act in any position? When and how heave to? Heave to below Hatteras; above Hatteras; in easterly storm. Describe the various kinds of charts, and how each is used; what are the mean- ings of symbols and letters on charts, tirst, second, third column? Why is there no scale on Mercator's chart, and how are distances measured thereon ? Use of compass on chart. Danger angles. Great circle sailing. Rules of the road. Buoys: What kind, what shape; how placed? Coast lights, light-ships on Eastern coast of United States. Character of coast, dangers, etc. Depth of water in chaunels of New York Harbor. Range lights, etc., for this district. Describe the day's work from sunrise to sunrise. Work position up on dead reckoning. Meaning of distance: departure; middle latitude. Correct courses for deviation, variation, lee way, and current sailing. Correct sextant for all errors. What sights are taken during twenty -four hours, and for what purpose? Position by cross-bearings. Position by 2 and 4 point bearings of one light or object Position by i and 8 point bearings of one light or object. Describe noon sight for latitude. Describe time sight for longitude. 24 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. What is hour angle? Descrilic amplitude, and when and how taken. Describe a/iiimth, and when and how taken. Describe latitude bv ex-meridian. Describe 8ummers method and its uses; line of position, line of bearing, relation of that line to the unobserved body. Suniiaer's method, two lines of bearing. Mow could a Summer's line be used in coast navigation? Latitude by Polaris. Latitude by meridian .altitude of the moon, or a star. Ltmgiludi' liv time sight of a star. What is the best time to take a time sight, and why? Describe mean time; apparent time; sidereal time. Describe the chronometer, its care, its use. Rating the chronometer in a harbor of the United States; in foreign harbors. What must be jiositively kiuiwn in order to obtain correct rating? The compass error and its corre(^ti()ns. Describe thi' magnetism of an iron or steel ship. Etfect of hard or soft iron and how to correct. Place compass and correct by (1; bearing of an object, (2) by reciprocal bearings. What signals used in this latter wt)rk ? Quadrantal deviation; note position of correctors; (3) heeling error. What is a Flinder"s bar? Construct a Na])ier's curve. (iive sing-song for recollecti(ui of working. STKAMSIIIl'S. The steering engine and its correction. After-screw steering gear and how connected to rudder head. Describe ancht)r engines. Describe cargo winches, English and American, and how worked. Get up steam in donkey boiler. Rig hoisting boom with its gear. Remedy for anchor or cargo engines pounding. Eftect of screw on ship's head. Stability of ships, and how corrected. Bulkheads, number of, and how built. Limliers and valves, water-tight doors. NAVAL BRIGADE. Arm and away boats. Land through the surf on enemy's coast. Describe boat line of attack. Deploy skirmishers and divide your force into its proper elements. Place the commanding ottieer. SIGNALS. Method of setting. International code. Navy code. Wigwag and shapes. Ardois system of night signaling. GUNNERY. Slow-firing guns. Quick-tiring guns. Rapid-fire guns. Cun mounts. Recoil cylinder, how tilled? Recoil of large gnns; small guns. Automatic guns; describe. Describe the various breech mechanisms. Name the sights, and describe them. Gas checks; breech plugs. Shot, shrajmel, shell. Descrilte armor-piercing shells. Describe all kinds of percussion and time fuses. Primers. UNITED 8TATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 25 Appendix I. FORM OF COMMISSION. United States of America. navy department, washington, d. c. To all who shall xee these presents, tjreeting : Know ye that, reposing special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, ^jjg President of the United States does hereby in the United States Navy, from the day of , fidelity, and abilities of appoint him one thousand eiglit hundred and ninety Ho is, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duties of an officer of said grad«- by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging. And all officers, seamen, and marines under his command are strictly charged and required to be obedient to his orders as an officer of said grade. And he is to observe and follow such orders and directions from time to time as he shall receive from the President of the Inited States of America, or his superior officer set over him according to the rules and discipline of the Navy. This to be in force during the continuance of the exigency under which his services are required in the existing war and during the pleasure of the Presi- dent of the United States for the time being. Giveu under my hand and seal at Washington this day of - and in the year of the Independence of the United States By the President : [seal.] -,189 Registered No. Secreiary of the Navy. Registrar. Appendix J. List of ri'ssels purchased under the appropriation carried by " Public Resolution No. 34." Class. Old name. New name. Date of pur- chase. Tug J. D. Jones May 18,1898 June 3, 1898 June 4, 1898 June 15, 1898 Do So Kate Jones Do Bristol Do Do Confidence Yacht Stranger June 6,1898 Do Do Huntress Do Eugenia Jnne 7, 1898 Do. June 9,1898 June 11,1898 Do Do Do Enquirer Do Svlvia Do Do Kanawha Do Do 295 Svlph June 13 1898 Do Eltiida Elfrida Do The yacht Freelance was presented to the Government, for the war, by her owner, F. Augustus Schermerhorn, Esq., of New York. Appendix Ja. The following is a list of the vessels used as receiving ships for men of the Auxil- iary Naval Force, with the dates on which they were received from the States to which they had been loaned for use by the Naval Militia, the dates when they were made receiving ships, and the dates when they were returned to the various States : 1. The l^ S. S. Minnesota, at Boston, was received from the State of Massachusetts June 1."); made a receiving ship on .lulv 13, and returned to the State on Septem- ber 14. 26 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 2. The U. S. S. New Hampshire, nt New York, was received from the State of New York on .June 14; made a receiving ship July 13, and returned to the State on Sep- tember 14. 3. The U. S. 8. St. Louis, at Philadelphia, was received from the State of Pennsyl- vania on July 2; made a receiving ship on July 2, and returned to the State on September 15. 4. The U. S. S. Dale, at Baltimore, was received from the State of Maryland on June 17; made a receiving ship on July 13, and returned to the State on Septem- ber 14. 5. The U. S. S. Portsmouth, at Hoboken, N. .1., was received from the State of New Jersey on Juno 17; made a receiving ship on July 15, and returned to the State on September 14. Appendix K. Na \' Y 1 )E I'A RTMKNT, Washington, Juh/ 9, 1898. Sir: Under the provisions of Public Resolution No. 34, approved May 26, 1898, you will assume the duties of chief of thi' United States Auxiliary Naval Force, with he;id(iuarrers in the Navy Department, Washington, D. C, and will be governed hereafter in the performance of your duties, as chief of said Auxiliary Naval Force, by the provisions of the above-mentioned resolution and by the instructions con- tained in a letter addressed to Rear-Admiral Henry Erben, U. S. N., retired, by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, dated the 28th of April last. Respectfully, John D. Long, Secretary. Capt. John R. 1>arti.ett, U. S. X., Retired, Chief Intelligence Officer, Navi/ Department, Washington, D. C. Received July 9, 4 p. m., 1898. JoHN^R. Bartlett, Captain, U. S. N., Retired. Appendix Ka. FORM OF CERTIFICATE. Navy Department, washington, d. c. This is to certify that was physically and professionally examined by naval examining boards at , found duly qualified for the naval service, and recommended for appointment as a . The proceedings and recommendations of the examining boards were approved by the Department, but by reason of the early termination of hostilities and the exi- gencies of the service not requiring further apiiointments the Department has been unable to accept his tender of his services. This certificate is therefore issued as an expression of the Department's apprecia- tion of the patriotism and fidelity of the above-named citizen, who tendered his services to his country and held himself ready to brave the perils of the sea and hazard the unknown dangers of war. Given under my hand and seal of the Navy Department this day of -, 1S98. [seal.] Secretary of the Nary. UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 27 Appendix L. Followiuj; are the number of officers and men of the naval militia of the several States who entered the United States naval service for the period of the war with Spain: California Coniiecticut Florida Illinois Louisiana Maryland Masrtachusetta . Miclii<;an New Jersey New STork North Carolina. Pennsylvania .. Rhode Island . . South Carolina . Virsrinia Lieuten- ant-com- mander. Total. Lieuten- ants. Lieuten- ants (junior grade). En- signs. Mates. Sur- geons. Engi- neers. Pay- mas- ters. Petty offi- cers and enlisted men. 40 188 57 709 215 178 400 264 279 805 189 92 143 211 62 3,832 Appendix M. location of the vessels attached to the united states auxiliary naval force on august 12, 1898. U. S. S. Actice, at San Francisco, Cal. U. S. M. Ajax, at anchor off League Island Navy-Yard. U. S. S. Aileen, on station at Montauk Point, Long Island, Xew York. U. S. S. Arctic, at Newcastle, Del. U. S. M. Canonicus, at Leagne Island Navy- Yard. Not in commission. U. S. M. Catakill, at anchor, Lower Harbor, Boston, Mass. U. S. S. Cheyenne, at Key West, Fla. U. S. S. Chickasaw, at Key West, Fla. U. S. K. C. Cunvin, at San Diego, Cal. U. S. R. S. Dale, at Baltimore, Md. U. S. S. Choctaw, at Pensacola Navy-Y'ard. U. S. S. Elfrida, on station in "The Narrows," New York Harbor, New York. U. S. S. Enquirer, at New York Navy-Yard. Out of commission. U. S. S. Freelance, at New York, N. Y. U. S. R. C. Crant, cruising ort' coast of Alaska. U. S. S. Huntress, at New York, N. Y. U. S. S. Iioxt, on station, mine fields, Boston Harbor. U. S. S. Irotjuois, cruising off San Francisco, Cal. U. S. M. Jason, at anchor off Fishers Island, New York. U. 8. M. Leiiigh, at anchor. Proviucetowu, Mass. U. S. T. B. Manlji, at navy-yard. New York, N. Y. Not in commission. II. S. M. Mahopar. at Leagne Island Navy- Yard. Not in commission. U. S. M. Montauk, at anchor off Portland, Me. U. S. M. Manhattan, at League Island Navy-Yard. U. S. R. S. Minnesota, at Boston Navy-Yard. U. S. M. Xahant, at anchor off Tompkinsville, N. Y. U. S. M. Xantucket, at anchor off Port Royal, S. C. U. 8. R. S. Xew Hampshire, foot East Twenty-eighth street, New York City, N. Y. U. S. M. Passaic, at anchor, Port Eads, La. U. S. R. C. Perrtj, at Astoria, Oreg. U. S. S. Powhatan, on station, Mobile entrance, Alabama. U. S. S. Restless, at New York, N. Y. U. S. R. C. Exish, at San Francisco, Cal. U. S. R. S. St. Louis, at Philadelphia, Pa. 28 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. U. S. S. Seminole, at Boston Navy-Yard. U. S. S. Shearwater, at New York Navy- Yard. Not in commission. U. S. S. Syli)h, at League Island Navy-Yard. Not in commission. U. S. S. Tacoma, at Pensacola Navy- Yard. U. S. .S. Vigilant, at San Francisco, Cal. U. S. S. ITaban, at Key West, Fla. U. S. M. Wyandotte, at Boston Navy- Yard. A total of forty-one vessels. (Form No. 5 N M.) INFORMATION BLANK FOR SIGNAL AND BOAT RECONNOISSANCE PARTIES. Name, rank, or rating of person eollecting information: William C. Bliss, ensign, U. .S. N. District, Third coast defense: d;ite, August 8, 1898. Locality: Long Island, New York (Shinueeock Canal from Peconic Bay to Shinne- cock Bay.) "Expedition made by four boats from Auxiliary Naval Fleet. Entered canal from Peconic Bay at about 9.40 a. ni., the tide in the bay then being within forty-four minutes of low water. Sounding of entrance showed a wide seiuicircular bar, with a depth of not more than li feet at any spot. Bottom sandy. Entrance protected by jetties (spile and riprap) extending about 7.") feet from high-water mark. Some 30 feet off tlie entrance a depth of 4 feet was found, and between the jetties, which extend about 200 feet inland, an averagi' depth of 5 feet in the middle and shoaling to either side. Shore, sandy formation. Two hundred feet from inshore end of jetty an indentation surrounded l)y salt marsh makes to the east. On the w^est side the land rises from the shore very gradually. " Following on up the canal, pine groves with rising land appear on both sides. The canal bends to the west around a slight ])oint of its west bank and then extends almost due south into Shiunecock Bay. After rounding this point the canal leads under the Montank Division of Long Island Kailroad, and from a point al)out 125 feet below the bridge, it is bordered by spile-sheathed retaining walls extending 500 feet soTith from the railroad bridge. From this point to Shiunecock Bay the banks are natural. The railroad bridge crosses the canal at right angles and is a plate girder bridge some 20 feet high, supported by a trestle work resting on stone foun- dation. The canal is somewhat chokee located at the same spot, a signal pole being visible from either bay. The canal could easily be protected against an enemy, there being plenty of good cover on commanding ground. The reconnaisance party included Lieut. Commander J. W. Miller, Lieut. R. P. Forshew, Ensign W. C. Aufermann, Ensign W. H. Carry, and Ensign VV. C. Bliss. (Signed) " " William C. Bliss, Ensiqn, U. S. X." UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 29 Appendix N. Approx. Len^tti of Cahj-I . •%. mile . Avcr-i,^e width, <^boL/■^ 75 fccK C-.;jo.U.6.M- F'ccoNic 3/\y |i 30 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. Appendix C>. Tkeasu ky Uepaktjient, Office of the Supervising Suhgeon-General Marine-Hospital Service, Washlnnto)!, I). C, September 22, 1S98. Dear Sir: The temporary niaritime iiuarantiiie station established by this Service at Moutauk I'oint, New York, having been closed, I desire to express to you the thanks of this Service for your assistance in furnishing two patrol vessels which ■were necessary for the proper conduct of thf (luarantiue. The Secretiiry of the Treasury has addressi-d a letter to the Secretary of the Navy acknowledging the services rendered by these vessels, but I wish in addition to record in this letter the value of the duties performed by said vessels and my apiire- ciation of your personal active interest in the matter. Respectfully, yours, Walter Wyman, Superrlsiinj Surgeon- (letieral Marine-Hospital Service. Capt. John R. Bartlett, LT. S. N.. Chief United States Auxiliary Naral Force. Nan/ Department, Washington, 1). C. Appendix P. A BILL TO ESTABLISH A UNITED STATES NAVAL RESERVE. Beit enacted hy the Senate and llonse of Bepresentatires of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a United States Naval Reserve is herein and hereby estab- lished, to consist of all such of the otitieers, petty ofHcers, and men who entered the United States Navy or the United States Auxiliary Naval Force for service during the war with Spain, and who have received, or shall I'eceive, honorable discharges therefrom, as may enroll therein, such officers, petty officers, and men to be given the respective numbers, grades, and ratings which they held at the time of such dis- charge, and also all officers and eulisteil juen of the Unitetl States Revenue Marine, United States Life-Saving Service, United States Light-House Service, and United States Coast Survey Service, in their grades and ratings. Sec. 2. That any able-bodied person between the ages of eighteen and forty-five is eligible for enrollment in the United States Naval Reserve: Prodded, That he is an ex-officer or a formerly enlisted man in the United States Navy, or has served as an officer or enlisted man for at least five years and has been honorably discharged irom the Naval Militia authorized by the laws of any State or the United States, or is an ex-officer or formerly enlisted man of the United States Revenue Marine, United States Life-Saving Service, United States Light- House Service, or United States Coast Survey Service, or holds a pilot's license or a certitieate as master or mate or chief engineer or assistant engineer, and is serving on a registered or enrolled vessel, or whose principal occupation is on the high seas or navigable waters of the United States, or in the construction, repair, and rigging of vessels, or the construc- tion and repair of marine engines or electric plants or parts thereof. The grades and ratings of these officers and men shall be determined by examination, and shall correspond to the grades and ratings existing in the United States Navy. Sec. 3. That the chief of the United States Naval Reserve shall be detailed by the Secretary of the Navy from the active or retired list of the line officers of the Navy not below the grade of captain, and he shall have the relative rank and pay of a commodore while holding said office, and shall recommend to the Secretary of the Navy for appointment such officers in said United States Naval Reserve as may be necessary for its organization and administration. He shall also command the Naval Coast Defense System. Sec. 4. That enrollment in the United States Naval Reserve shall be for a period not exceeding five years, and that every person enrolled therein, or who has received a full and honorable discharge therefrom, shall be exemj>t from service in any other military force of the United States or of any State. The officers thereof shall be duly commissioned, and shall be borne upon the Navy Register as United States Naval Reserves, and the men thereof shall receive from the Secretary enrollment papers and certificates stating their physical and professional ability and the length of their previous service. They shall not be called into active service in time of peace, but, if they so elect, shall perform such annual drills, exercises, or courses of UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. 31 study as the Seoretary of the Navy may determine, in which case they shall he suh- ject to the same articles, rules, and regulations, and receive the same pay, allowances and privileges as the officers and men of the Xavy, but no such pay and allowances shall be in excess of those for the period of duty actually performed by such officers and men. In time of war or when war is imminent, the President may call into active service all or any part of the I'nited States Naval Reserve, and they shall obey such call under the pain and penalty of desertion. Sec. 5. That the Tnited States Naval Reserve herebv established shall furnish the personnel for a Naval Coast Defense System, to consist of: First, an inshore patrol tleet, to which, in time of war or when war is imminent, the United States revenue cutters and light-house tenders shall be attached; second, a Coast Signal Service, which, in time of war or when war is imminent, shall include the establishments of the United States Light-House Service, United States Life-Saving Service, and Weather Bureau; third, a port guard and torpedo fleet, and fourth, a Navigating Reserve; the men of the United States Naval Reserve being distributed among these four branches, according to their (lualifications, by the Secretary of the Navy, who shall make regulations for the enrollment, organization, and administration of said Reserve. Sec. ti. That any vessel commanded by a commissioned officer of the United States Naval Reserve, and which shall have in her complement at least five other officers and men of said United States Naval Reserve, shall be known as a United States Naval Reserve ship, and shall have the right to fly a distinctive flag: Provided, That the color, shape, and size of such flag, and the manner of flying the same, shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy. Sec. 7. That the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be reijuired, is hereby appropriated for the purpose of paying the expenses incidental to the enrollment and training of the United States Naval Reserve and the publica- tion of the regulations governing it, and for otherwise carrying into operation the foregoing ]irovisions of this Act, and the same shall coustitiite a continuous annual appropriation, ])ayable out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropri- ated, for the purpose of continuing and maintaining the enrollment and training of the I nited States Naval Reserve, the same to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy. The officers and men shall be paid, when in active service, from the "Pay of the Navy." Sec. 8. That all laws and sections of laws conflicting with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed. Appendix Q. form of honorable discharge for officers. United States of America. NAVY department, WASHINGTON, D. C. Having served with fidelity in the United States Navy from the day of , 1898, to the date hereof, in the war between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, declared by Congress to have begun April 21, 1898, you are honorably discharged, with the thanks of the Government. This discharge is issued in accordance with the provisions of the act of Congress approved May 4, 1898, the exigency which, in the judgment of the President, rendered your services necessary having terminated. Given under my hand and seal of the Navy Department, at the city of Washing- ton, this day of , one thousand eight hundred and ninety . By the President : [SEAL.] , Secretartj of the Navy. , r. S. 'Xanj, 32 UNITED STATES AUXILIARY NAVAL FORCE. FOKM OF HONORABLE DISCHARGE FOR ENLISTED MEN. HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVY. This is to certify that , a , has faithfully served from the day of , 1898, in the war between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, declared by Congress to have begun April 21, 1898. Is honorably discharged from the U. S. S. , and from the naval service, this day of . This discharge is issued in accordance with the provisions of the act of CongresB approved May 4, 1898, the exigency, which, in the judgment of the President, ren- dered your services necesssry having terminated. > Commanding U. S. S. . LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 013 789 824 A A