NAVY, CONFEDERATE. 



599 



bnilt), but were repulsed with some loss. The 

 army and citizens were now subsisting almost 

 entirely upon supplies obtained by foraging in 

 the neighborhood ; and as the Confederates not 

 only restricted to a few miles the area within 

 which Gen. Negley's forage parties could safely 

 operate, but also ravaged the country them- 

 selves almost to the outskirts of the city, pro- 

 visions soon became distressingly scarce. When 

 the advance of Gen. Rosecrans's army reached 

 Nashville, early in November, reopening com- 

 munication with the North, the troops had 

 been for some time on half rations. From this 

 period until the close of the year the city was 

 the headquarters of Gen. Rosecrans. 



About the 20th of November the board of 

 trade appointed in the spring to grant recom- 

 mendations to loyal persons wishing to ship 

 goods to Nashville resumed operations, and 

 permits to a limited extent were given to 

 traders friendly to the Government. 



On the 9th, i-n order to prevent misunder- 

 standings between citizens and soldiers, Gen. 

 Rosecrans issued an order reminding the troops 

 that loyal men were entitled to all the rights, 

 privileges and protection due to any citizen : that 

 peaceable inhabitants, whether loyal or not, 

 were entitled to immunity from violence and 

 plunder, subject only to heedful surveillance ; 

 and that outspoken rebels could claim no other 

 protection than that afforded by the laws of 

 war and humanity. Citizens guilty of any acts 

 of hostility, or belonging to partisan corps, be- 

 ing removed beyond the reach of proper mili- 

 tary control, were to be treated as pirates and 

 robbers. Soldiers were strictly forbidden to 

 enter private grounds or houses without writ- 

 ten permission or order from a commissioned 

 officer, who was to be held responsible for all 

 that was done. Another order, addressed to 

 provost marshals and their deputies, gave spe- 

 cial instructions for avoiding unjust and unne- 

 cessary arrests of private persons. General Or- 

 ders No. 23, after prescribing regulations for 

 sutlers, designed to prevent goods from being 

 passed South through the lines of the army, 

 announced that " in towns and cities now or 

 hereafter within the lines of this army, no one 

 will be allowed to sell goods needed for the 

 use of the resident citizens, unless he be a resi- 

 dent trader." 



On Dec. 13 Governor Johnson published a 

 proclamation, nearly identical in terms with his 

 circular letter of August 18, calling attention 

 to the destitute condition of the widows, wives, 

 and children of Confederate soldiers, and or- 

 dering an assessment of some $60,000 for their 

 benefit, " from those who contributed directly 

 or indirectly to bring about this unfortunate 

 state of affairs." The population of Nashville 

 in 1860 was 16,988. 



NAVY, CONFEDERATE. The passage of 

 secession ordinances by the several States united 

 under the title of Confederate States, was imme- 

 diately followed by the resignation of nearly 

 all the officers of the United States Navy, who 



were residents of any one of those States. These 

 resignations were made with the intention of 

 seeking service under the new Government 

 about to be organized. Their applications met 

 with a ready response from the Confederate 

 Government. A Navy Department was at 

 once organized, and these officers were ap- 

 pointed with a rank similar to that which they 

 had previously held. The grades of rank were 

 afterward altered as follows : admiral, flag- 

 officer, captains, commanders, lieutenant com- 

 manding, first and second lieutenants, lieu- 

 tenants for the war, masters, passed midship- 

 men, midshipmen, &c. The officers were as- 

 signed to the ports of the Confederate States to 

 perform such duties as might offer in connec- 

 tion with the small steamboats at those places. 

 The operations at sea, under the authority of 

 the Confederate Government, are hereto an- 

 nexed. 



The operations of the Confederate privateer 

 Sumter were closed in the year 1861 by the 

 refuge of the vessel in Gibraltar, where, being 

 unable to procure coal, she remained watched 

 by the Federal ship Tuscarora. The Sumter 

 was finally sold, and the Federal steamer left 

 Gibraltar, Jan. 13th, for the Spanish waters of 

 Algesiras. The efforts of the Confederates 

 were then turned to the formation of an ex- 

 tensive navy by purchasing vessels in England. 

 It very soon became apparent that a number 

 were in process of construction at the ship- 

 yards near Liverpool, and the attention of the 

 British Government was called to the fact, 

 which became the basis of diplomatic corre- 

 spondence. Early in April, the American min- 

 ister, Mr. Adams, addressed Earl Russell rela- 

 tive to the Oreto, then in a forward state, and 

 by general report destined for the Confederate 

 service. For particulars respecting her con- 

 struction and departure from England, see 

 DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. On her arrival 

 at Nassau, she was immediately seized by the 

 captain of her Majesty's steamer Greyhound. but 

 almost as quickly released. Shortly after she was 

 seized again, but, after some difficulty, released 

 again. The authorities appeared to have great 

 doubts as to whether she was or was not in- 

 tended for the Confederate service. On one 

 occasion, when the British gunboat Bulldog 

 went to seize her, she was discharging shell. 

 The Oreto, on the 4th of September, suddenly 

 appeared off Mobile harbor, which was block- 

 aded by a steamer under Commander George 

 Henry Preble, whose instructions were emphatic 

 against giving offence to foreign nations while 

 enforcing the blockade. The Oreto approached 

 flying the English flag and pennants. Com- 

 mander Preble hesitated to fire lest the stranger 

 should really prove an English man-of-war. 

 The few mo'ments' time lost in the hesitation 

 sufficed for the Oreto to pass out of range and 

 gain her object, getting safely into Mobile bay 

 with her freight. For this want of success. 

 Commander Preble was summarily dismissed 

 from the service without a hearing. 



