REGULATIONS FOR THE NAVY OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES, 1862.

 

CHAPTER 6.

 

 THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF A FLEET OR SQUADRON.

 

 ARTICLE 1.

 

Shall inform himself of the condition of his command.

 

When an officer shall be appointed to the command-in-chief of a fleet or squadron, he shall, as early as possible, inform himself of the state and condition of the vessels, and the qualifications and characters of the commanding and other officers placed under his command, so that he may be able to select for any special service the officer best qualified to perform it.

 

ARTICLE 2.

 

He will use every exertion to equip his fleet expeditiously.

 

He will use every exertion to equip the fleet or squadron as expeditiously as possible, and make weekly reports to the Navy Department of his progress or the cause of any unusual delay.

 

ARTICLE 3.

 

His command to be kept in perfect condition for service.

 

He will at all times keep the fleet or squadron in the most perfect condition for service that may be practicable.

 

ARTICLE 4.

 

Reports to be made immediately before sailing.

 

Immediately before sailing for foreign service, he will cause reports to be made to the proper bureaus of the length of time for which the fleet is provided with provisions and stores; and he must, thereafter, give them such information as will enable them to forward supplies in time to prevent the necessity of disadvantageous purchases abroad.

 

ARTICLE 5.

 

To be frugal in expenditure of stores and provisions.

 

As many circumstances may arise to prevent or delay the arrival of provisions and stores upon foreign stations, the commander-in-chief will strictly enjoin upon all commanding officers of vessels to take the greatest care of stores, to practice the utmost economy in their expenditure, not to apply for survey until articles are reported unfit for use, and to convert those which may be unfit for one purpose to any other for which they will answer.

 

ARTICLE 6.

 

To make no alterations without the consent of the Secretary of the Navy.

 

He shall not order or authorize any alteration in vessels without the previous consent of the Secretary of the Navy, unless in cases of pressing emergency of which he shall give the department the earliest information.

 

ARTICLE 7.

 

To direct frequent examinations of hospitals.

 

He shall direct frequent examinations of the hospitals and hospital ships, and will require from the examining officers written reports of their state and condition, and cause every attention to be paid to the comfort of the sick.

 

ARTICLE 8.

 

All requisitions for supplies to be approved, by whom.

 

All requisitions for supplies for vessels must receive his approval before the articles will be furnished, unless the vessels should be separated so as to render it impracticable; and in such cases the requisitions must be approved by the senior officer present, and copies transmitted to the commander-in-chief by the earliest opportunity.

 

ARTICLE 9.

 

Approving officer must satisfy himself that articles and quantity are required.

 

The officer approving a requisition must, in all cases, satisfy himself that the articles and quantity required are necessary for the public service and comformable to such allowances as are or may be established.

 

ARTICLE 10.

 

Copies of bills to be forwarded to proper bureau.

 

A copy of every bill for purchases made abroad must be forwarded quarterly to the proper bureau, with a statement of the reasons which rendered the purchase necessary.

 

ARTICLE 11.

 

When there is no regular agent he may employ one, and to prefer consul.

 

When there is no regular agent established, he may employ one, or adopt such other measures for the purpose of procuring supplies as he may deem most advantageous for the Confederate States, giving the preference to a consul of the Confederate States, if one resides at the place.

 

ARTICLE 12.

 

To exercise vessels under his command whenever circumstances permit.

 

He will exercise the vessels of the fleet or squadron whenever circumstances will admit, in performing the various evolutions that are essential to order and safety, and particularly those which it may be necessary or useful to adopt in presence of an enemy.

 

ARTICLE 13.

 

To cause boats to be inspected when armed and manned.

 

He will cause the boats of the squadron to be frequently assembled and inspected when manned and armed, and exercised in fleet sailing, in the evolutions for landing or embarking from the shore, and for boarding the vessels of an enemy.

 

ARTICLE 14.

 

To inspect the vessels under his command.

 

He shall inspect the vessels under his command once a quarter when practicable, and at other times as frequently as he may deem necessary; and he will see that all proper attention is paid to order, discipline, efficiency and cleanliness; to the laws and regulations, and to the instructions from the Navy Department; and shall be careful that the ship in which he himself sails shall be a proper example to others.

 

ARTICLE 15.

 

To be attentive to conduct of officers and men in battle.

 

He shall be attentive, in battle, to observe the conduct of those under his command, that he may be able, if necessary, to correct their errors and prevent ill effects from any accident or neglect, and to make correct reports of their conduct.

 

ARTICLE 16.

 

May transfer or suspend officers under his command, and report to department.

 

Should he find cause to transfer or suspend any officer under his command, he shall, in such case, transmit to the Secretary of the Navy, by the earliest conveyance, his reasons for the same.

 

ARTICLE 17.

 

He will issue general orders regulating leave of absence.

 

He shall issue general orders regulating the extent of leave of absence which may be granted to officers and men to visit the shore by the commanding officers of vessels; but no officer shall be allowed to be absent on leave from the vessel to which he belongs, when in squadron, more than forty-eight hours without the written permission or authority of the commander-in-chief.

 

ARTICLE 18.

 

He will make semi-annual reports to the Secretary of the Navy.

 

He shall make to the Secretary of the Navy semi-annual reports of the professional skill and attainments of all commanding officers of vessels under his command, and also of the order and efficiency in which they keep their vessels; and if an unfavorable report is made, the officer shall be furnished with a copy thereof.

 

Quarterly reports.

 

He shall also make quarterly reports of the number and rates of their crews and the expiration of their service.

 

ARTICLE 19.

 

He will correspond regularly and frequently with the department.

 

He shall correspond regularly and frequently with the Secretary of the Navy, keeping him informed of his proceedings and of the state and condition and probable wants of the vessels under his command, and of all other important information within his knowledge relative to the service on which he may be employed, or in any foreign naval force employed upon the station, or in its vicinity, sending duplicates, and, if necessary, triplicates, when on foreign service.

 

ARTICLE 20.

 

He will forward monthly returns of state and condition of fleet.

 

He shall forward, by all convenient opportunities, to the Secretary of the Navy, monthly returns of the condition, distribution, and employment of the vessels of the squadron.

 

ARTICLE 21.

 

He will keep copies of all orders and letters.

 

He shall keep, in the most intelligible form, copies of all orders given or received by him, and of all his official correspondence; and at the end of every cruise he will transmit to the Secretary of the Navy a list of all the numbers of his correspondence with the department, and shall furnish duplicates of all such as the secretary shall inform him have not been received.   Every letter to the department must be endorsed with its date and number, and the number of enclosures it contains, and each enclosure must be marked with the date and number of the letter to which it belongs.

 

ARTICLE 22.

 

To forward plans or suggestions for improvements.

 

He will forward to the Navy Department any suggestions or plans for the improvement of public works in navy yards, or in the construction, equipment, or arrangement of vessels-of-war, or upon any subject connected with the navy, which he may deem important to the interests of the Confederate States, accompanying the same with plans and estimates of their cost when practicable.

 

ARTICLE 23.

 

When about to return home he will leave all surplus provisions.

 

When a vessel of a squadron is to return to the Confederate States, he shall withdraw all provisions and stores not necessary for her passage home, if required for the vessels which remain, and take care to transfer to her invalids and all persons whose terms of service have expired, or are about to expire, unless the public interests should require their detention.

 

ARTICLE 24.

 

Not to resign his command without consent of the Secretary of the Navy, except.

 

He shall not resign his command without the previous consent of the Secretary of the Navy, unless a medical survey shall certify that the state of his health renders it absolutely necessary.

 

ARTICLE 25.

 

When he resigns he will surrender all orders, copies, &c.

 

When he shall, for any cause, resign or transfer his command, he shall deliver to his successor accurate copies of all unexecuted instructions and orders, taking receipts for the same, together with all information relating to the squadron or the service which may be useful to him.

 

ARTICLE 26.

 

Should he be killed in battle, his pendant to be kept flying.

 

Should he be killed in battle, his flag or pendant shall be kept flying while the enemy remains in sight, and the officer next in rank shall be immediately informed thereof, and will take command of the fleet or squadron.

 

ARTICLE 27.

 

If obliged to leave his station on account of ill health, the officer next in command to succeed.

 

Should he die or leave his station in consequence of ill health before permission can be received from the Secretary of the Navy, the officer of the squadron next in rank shall succeed to the command, and exercise the powers of commander-in-chief, and, if a captain, shall retain them until otherwise ordered by the Secretary of the Navy; but if a commander or inferior officer, he may be superseded by order of any captain with whom he may meet in command of a squadron or vessel.

 

ARTICLE 28.

 

Officers succeeding to command to relinquish it as soon as a successor arrives.

 

Any officer who shall have succeeded to the command-in-chief of a fleet under the circumstances named in article 27, shall discontinue to exercise the powers and authority of commander-in-chief so soon as he shall receive official information of the arrival within the limits of the station of an officer who has been duly appointed to the command-in-chief upon the station, without waiting to meet with, or to receive an order directly from, such commander-in-chief.

 

ARTICLE 29.

 

To examine and compare internal regulations of vessels.

 

He will examine and carefully compare the internal regulations for general police, prepared by the commanders of vessels, (see article 8, section 1, chapter 9,) in order to secure uniformity in the time and manner of executing the duties of the several vessels of the squadron.

 

ARTICLE 30.

 

He shall direct course to be steered.

 

He will direct the course to be steered by all vessels present under his command.

 

ARTICLE 31.

 

When he takes immediate command of vessel.

 

If, from any circumstance, he shall deem proper to take the immediate command of the ship in which he sails, he will cause the fact to be entered on the log.

 

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