1Ra\>al ©r6er OF THE 'Olnitcb Statce Circular of Information of the Naval Order of the United States. Organized July 4, 1890 PHILADELPHIA, PA. i8g6 , Wo.7 hi. Gift Mrs. Julian Jam** 1012 ISSUED BY THE GENERAL RECORDER, BY ORDER OF THE GENERAL COMMANDERY. History of the Naval Order. The Naval Order of the United States developed from an informal gathering, in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1890, of a few persons interested in the naval history of our country. A permanent organization was effected November 10, 1890, under the style and title of the Naval Commandery of the United States. The membership was restricted to officers and enlisted men of the Naval, Marine and Revenue-Marine services, and to their descendants, and v«as -limited in nuajber. This organization is believed to be the first hereditary society in which eligibility was dependent on purely naval service. At the meeting of the Commandery, held November 10, 1892, action was taken to broaden the field of the association by the formation of a National body with branches in the different States. In connection with another society of a similar character (styled the Naval Legion of the United States and since dissolved), a provisional organization was effected on June 19, 1893, and the First Congress of the Order was held in the Armory of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts. At a Special Congress held August 15, 1893, the General Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States was fully constituted; the parent body becoming the Massachusetts Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States. A change was also made at the same time in the eligibility clause of the Constitution, membership being restricted in future to commissioned officers of the Navy and Marine Corps and to their descendants. State Commanderies have likewise since been instituted and incorporated in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and the District of Columbia, at subsequent General or Special Congresses of the Order held on August 15, 1893, April 23 and August 8, 1894, and on October 5, 1895. (3) Extracts from the Constitution of the Naval Order of the United States. Preamble. Whereas, Maity of the principal battles and famous victories of the several wars in which the United States has participated were fought and achieved b)' the Naval forces; Whereas, It is well and fitting that the illustrious deeds of the great Naval commanders, their companion officers in arms, and their subordinates in the wars of the United States should be forever honored and respected; — Therefore, Entertaining the most exalted admiration of the undying achievements of the Navy, we, the survivors and descendants of participants of those memorable conflicts, have joined ourselves together and have instituted the "Naval Order of the United States, ' ' that we may transmit to our latest posterity their glorious names and memories; and to encourage research and publication of data pertaining to Naval art and science, and to establish libraries in which to preserve all documents, rolls, books, portraits and relics relating to the Navy and its heroes at all times. ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP. The Companions of the Order shall be of two classes. First Class. Commissioned officers, midshipmen and naval cadets, or corps or staff officers with relative rank as such, or appointed volunteer officers in line of promotion, who were in actual service in the Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Service under the authority of any of the thirteen original Colonies or States, or of the Continental Congress during the War of the Revolution or of the United States (4) during the War with France, the War with Tripoli, the War of 1812, the War with Mexico, the Civil War, or in face of the enemy in any engagement in which the Navy of the United States has participated, and who resigned, were discharged with honor, or who are still in the service, or those who served as aforesaid, but in a grade below that of a commissioned officer, midshipman, naval cadet, or corps or staff officer, with relative rank as such, or appointed volunteer officer in line of promotion, and who subse- quently became a commissioned officer, regular or volunteer, in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Service: Provided however, That this clause shall not be so construed as to include officers who at any time have borne arms against the Government of the United States. All male descendants of those who are eligible as above specified, or in default thereof, then one such collateral representa- tive as may be deemed worthy. Secojid Class. Enlisted men who have received the United States Naval Medal of Honor for bravery in face of the enemy, may be enrolled exempt from fees and dues by the Commanderies of the States in which they reside; such membership to be for life only. ARTICI.E VII. ORGANIZATION OF COMMANDKRIES. The General Commandery shall have the power to authorize and constitute a Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States in any State or Territory in which no such Commandery exists, when formally petitioned to do so by ten or more Com- panions of the Order residing in said State or Territory and on receipt of the prescribed charter fee. ARTICI^E IX. ADMISSION OF COMPANIONS. Any person above the age of twenty-one years, of good moral character and reputation, desirous of becoming a Companion of the Order, shall make application in writing, setting forth claims of eligibility, and accompanied by proofs of the same, in which it must be satisfactorily shown that the service of the participant was other than shore duty, regularly performed in the United States Navy or on an armed vessel in the service of the United States, or sailing under letters of marque and reprisal in time of war. Said application, bearing the endorsement of two Com- panions, and accompanied by an admission fee of not less than five (5.00) dollars, shall be submitted to the Committee on Mem- bership, who shall present their report to the Council of the Commandery. Upon a favorable ballot by that body the applicant shall thereupon become a Companion of the Order. The applications of persons claiming the eligibility through Naval service, whether rendered personally or by an ancestor, which does not appear to come within the specifications of Article III, of this Constitution, must first be referred by the Council of a vState Commandery to the General Recorder for his decision and bear his endorsement before the applicant can be elected to mem- bership in the Order. ARTICLE XIII. INSIGNIA. The Insignia of the Order shall consist of a gold Cross pattee, one and one quarter inches in diameter, arms of blue enamel edged with gold. CROSS. Obverse: In the centre of a circle of red enamel five- sixteenths of an inch in diameter, an eagle, wings extended, rest- ing on an anchor surrounded by thirteen stars of five points all of gold, representing in substance the insignia of the Navy of the United States; the whole encircled by a band of white enamel one- eighth of an inch wide, displaying in letters of gold the motto of the Order, " Fidelitas et Patria." Reverse: The Cross as above described. In the center on a circle of red enamel five sixteenths of an inch in diameter shall appear in gold the insignia of the United States Marine Corps, the whole encircled by a band of white enamel one-eighth of an inch wide, bearing in letters of gold the legend, " Naval Order of the United States. ' ' The Cross shall be worn on the left breast suspended by a ribbon of heavy ribbed white silk, one and one-half inches wide, with, a red center three-fourths of an inch wide, the whole an inch and a half in displayed length. Officers of State Commanderies shall wear the Cross suspended by the ribbon of the Order around the neck. When the Insignia is not worn, a rosette one half of an inch in diameter of the prescribed ribbon and pattern may be worn by Companions in the upper button-hole of the left lapel of the coat. General Information. The Naval Order consists of the General Commandery- and the State Commanderies. The legislative body for the whole Order is the Congress, which, composed of the General Officers and six Delegates from each Commandery, meets in regular session every third year, on October 5th, the anniversary of the adoption by Congress in 1775, of the resolutions formally authorizing the fitting-out of the first ships of the Navy. It may also meet in Special Session upon the vote of the General Council, which meets semi-annually. The Council, in either the General or a State Commandery, has the functions of a board of directors. The Councils of State Commanderies meet quarterly. The Stated Meetings of the State Commanderies are held in the month of November of each year for the election of officers. Special Meetings are held from time to time. The Admission Fee is five (5) dollars; the annual dues are three (3) dollars; and are payable in January of each year. Companions admitted after the first day of October, shall be exempt from the payment of annual dues for the current year. The payment of fees for life or endowed memberships in the Order, is regulated by the by-laws of the respective State Commanderies. All Applications for Membership must be made to the Recorder of a State Commandery, who will furnish the necessary blanks, which must be filled out fully and returned with the admission fee to the Recorder before action can be taken by the Council. The application is in duplicate, one copy being for file with the General Commandery, the other for the State Com- mandery. In case of rejection of the application, after investiga- tion by the Membership Committee, the fee is returned. Insignia. By the provisions of the Act of Congress of Sep- tember 25, 1890, officers and enlisted men of the different branches of the services are permitted to wear the Insignia and colors on all occasions of ceremony and when in full uniform. (8) The cost of the Insignia is $15, the rosette costs twentj^-five cents. Either are obtained from the General Recorder through the State Recorders; payment in advance being required in all cases. The important business transacted at the meetings of the General and State Commanderies and Councils, is briefly reviewed in a series of special orders published for the information of Com- panions and containing also a list, with rank and residence, of all candidates elected to membership, together with the names of the Companions proposing them. OFFICERS OF THE GENERAL COMMANDERY. 189J-1898. General Commander, Rear Admiral John Grimes Wai,ker, U. S. N. (Penna. Commandery). Vice General Commanders, Rear Admiral Francis Asburv Roe, U. S. N. (retired) (Mass. Commandery). Chief Engineer George Wallace Melville, U. S. N. (D. C. Commandery). Colonel John BiddlE Porter, (Pennsylvania Commandery). General Recorder, Captain Henry Hobart Bellas, U. S. A. (retired) (Penna. Commandery). (Address : Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa.) Assistant General Recorder, Frederick Bacon Philbrook, (Massachusetts Commandery). General Treasurer, Ivieutenant Jarvis Bonesteel EDSON,(late U. S. N.) (N. Y. Commandery). General Registrar, Captain CharlES Bunker DAHLGREN,(lateU. S. N.) (Penna, Commandery). General Historian, Captain Richard Strader Collum, U. S. M. C. (Penna. Commandery). General Chaplain, Rt. Rev. William Stevens Perry, D. D., LL. D., D. C. 1,., (Bishop of Iowa) (Massachusetts Commandery). 3Tembers of General Council, Major Horatio Barnard Lowry, U. S. M. C. (D. C. Commandery). Commodore Edward Eells PoTTER,U. S.N. (retired) (Penna. Commandery). *Commander Felix McCurley, U. S. N. (Pennsylvania Commandery). Captain Norman H. Farouhar, U. S. N. (Pennsylvania Commandery). Lieutenant Loyall Farragut, (late U. S. A.) (N. Y. Commandery). *Hon. John Hoffman Collamore. (Massachusetts Commandery). Chief Engineer LouiS J. Allen, U. S. N. (New York Commandery). Major Henry Chauncey, Jr. (New York Commandery). Lieutenant Robert S. Critchell, (late U. S. N.) (Illinois Commandery). * Dec-eased. (10) OFFICERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMANDERY. 1896-1897. Commander, Chief Engineer David Betton Macomb, U. S. N. (retired). Vice Commander , Commander Hknry Ware Lyon, U. S. N. Recorder, Amos Binnev. (Address: 53 State Street, Boston, Mass.) Treasurer, Hosea Emery Bowen. Registrar, Frankun Thomason Beatty, M. D. Historian, William Lithgow Willey, S. D. Chaplain, Rev. Charles Langdon Tappan. 3Iembers of Council, Rear Admiral George Eugene Belknap, U. S. N. (retired). Thomas Amorv De Blois, M. D. Charles William Galloupe, M. D. Lieutenant William McCarty Little, U. S. N. (retired). Rodney Macdonough. Lieutenant Commander William Melville Paul, M. V. M. Frederick Bacon Philbrook. Major William Boerum Wetmore. Trustees of Permanent Fund, William Lithgow Willey, S. D. Charles Calhoun Philbrook. Franklin Thomason Beatty, M. D. (11; OFFICERS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA COMMANDERY. 1896-1897. Commander, Colonel John Biddle Porter. Vice Commander, Commodore Edward Eeli,s Potter, U. S. N. (retired). EecorrJer, James Varnum Peter Turner, (late U. S. N. ) (Address: 517 City Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.) Treasurer, John Marston. Registrar, Captain Charles Bunker Dahlgren, (late U. S. N.) Historian, Captain Richard Strader Coli^um, U. S. M. C. Chaplain, Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden. Blembers of Council, Rear Admiral John Grimes Walker. U. S. N., Captain Norman H. Farouhar, U. S. N., Captain Henry Hobart Bellas, U. S. A. (retired) Henry Kuhl Nichols, Edward Trenchard, William Ellison Bullus, Henry Kuhl Dillard, Edward Rutledge Shubrick, (late U. S. N.), Paymaster Reah Frazer, U. S. N. Committee on dlemhership. Captain Henry Hobart Bellas. U. S. A.. Captain Henry B. Seely, U. S. N. (retired), James Varnum Peter Turner, (Recorder). Delegates to the General Commandery, Captain Richard Strader Collum, U. S. M. C, Captain William Bainbridge Hope, U. S. A., John Marston. Alternates. Commander James McQueen Forsyth, U. S. N Charles W. Ruschhnberger, (late U. S. N.) Ben Holladay Dorcy. Trustee of the Permanent Fund, To serve three years. Captain Charles Bunker Dahlgren. (12) - OFFICERS OF THE NEW YORK COMMANDERY, 1896-1897. Commander, LoYALL Farragut, (late U. S. A.) Vice Commander, Henry Chauncey, Jr. Hecorder, Chief Engineer Louis Joseph Allen, U.S. N. (Address: Union Club, New York, N. Y.) Treasurer, Jarvis Bonesteel Edson, (late U. S. N. ) Historian, Chief Engineer GEORGE CowiE, Jr., U. S. N. Chaplain, Rev. J. L. Humphreys. Members of Council, Philip Burril Low. Albert Bullus. William T. Salter. John Loyd. Marshall Ten Broek Davidson. James Mortimer Montgomery. Delegates to the General Commandery, Jarvis Bonesteel Edson. John Loyd. James Parker. Alternates, Chief Engineer Henry Schuyler Ross, U. S. N. George Sanford Wiley. Philip Burril Low. (13) OFFICERS OF THE ILLINOIS COMMANDERY. 1 896- 1 897. Commander, Commander James Henry Dayton, U. S. N. Vice Commander, Lieutenant Commande/ Edward M. Stedman, U. S. N. (retired). Recorder, Paymaster Horatio Loomis Wait, (late U. S. N.). (Address: 108 La Salle Street, Chicago, 111.) Registrar and Treasurer, • Robert Siderfin Critchei