NAYY, U. S. 



663 



NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES. The 

 following table exhibits the number and capac- 

 ity of the naval vessels of the United States, 

 whether built or in the course of construction, 

 at the date of the two last annual reports of 

 the Secretary of the Navy : 



Of the vessels placed under construction in 

 1863, 7 were double-end iron steamers, of 12 

 guns and 1,030 tons each; 20 were single-tur- 

 ret ironclads, of 2 guns and 614 tons each ; 4 

 were double-turret ironclads, of 4 guns and 

 3,130 tons each ; 12 were clipper screw sloops, 

 of 8 guns and 2,200 tons each ; 8 were spar deck 

 screw sloops, of 20 guns and 2,200 tons each ; 

 and 7 were screw sloops of great speed, carry- 

 ing each 8 guns, and of which 5 were of 3,200 

 tons each, and 2 of 3,000 tons each, making a 

 total of 58 vessels, 452 guns, and 48,010 tons. 

 This is exclusive of over 30 vessels commenced 

 previous to 1863, and not yet completed. The 

 remaining vessels added to the navy during the 

 year, comprised over 50 steamers for blockad- 

 ing and supply purposes, of which at least 20 

 were captured while attempting to run into 

 blockaded ports, beside tugs, tenders, store- 

 ships, &c. The classes of vessels, and aggre- 

 gate armament and tonnage of the navy, in- 

 cluding all the vessels building, at the close of 

 1863, were as follows : 



During the year there were removed from 

 the navy by various casualties, 34 vessels, hav- 

 ing an aggregate of 166 guns, and 15,985 tons. 

 Of these 12 were captured by the enemy, 3 

 were destroyed to prevent their falling into the 

 hands of the enemy, 4 were sunk in battle or 

 by torpedoes, and 15 were lost by shipwreck, 

 fire, and collision. In the last named category 

 were the ironclads Monitor and Weehawken, 

 which foundered at sea in stormy weather. 



The fleet in active service at the close of 

 1863, comprised 384 vessels of all classes, dis- 

 tributed as follows: Potomac Flotilla, 19; 

 North Atlantic Squadron, 72 ; South Atlantic 

 Squadron, 76 ; Eastern Gulf Squadron, 39 ; 

 Western Gulf Squadron, 68; Mississippi Flo- 

 tilla, 85 ; West India Squadron, 3 ; East India 

 Squadron, 2 ; Mediterranean Squadron, 1 ; Pa- 

 cific Squadron, 7 ; Special service, 6 ; miscel- 

 laneous, &c., 6. 



The number of officers of the higher grades, 

 at the close of the year, was as follows : 



Increased facilities for building and repair- 

 ing national vessels being imperatively demand- 

 ed, a committee of naval and scientific gentle- 

 men was appointed, under the authority of 

 Congress, to examine and report upon League 

 Island, in the Delaware river, near Philadelphia, 

 and New London, as sites for new navy yards. 

 A majority of the commission recommended 

 New London, but no action was taken upon 

 the subject by Congress previous to the close 

 of the year. 



The number of seamen in service on July 1st, 

 1863, including those on the Mississippi Flotil- 

 la, was about 34,000, and during the year en- 

 listments averaged over 2,000 a month. In 

 1862 the average was 1,529 a month. The 

 demand was altogether in excess of the supply 

 of trained and experienced seamen, notwith- 

 standing the marked decrease in the shipping 

 business which the ravages of Confederate 

 privateers had caused ; and the men enlisted 

 were, for the most part, of the class known as 

 landsmen, having little or no knowledge of a 

 seafaring life. Consequently, the number of 

 landsmen in nearly every vessel greatly exceed- 

 ed that of the classes known as seamen and or- 

 dinary seamen, and the reports of the com- 

 manding officers show that, in more than one 

 instance, the want of proper material for crews 

 was the cause of disaster. A few vessels in- 

 tended for special service were provided with 

 picked crews, but, with these exceptions, the 

 quality was far below the average of the old 

 navy. But even with the large body of men 

 in the service, and the increase in the average 

 of enlistments, there was, in the latter part of 

 the year, such a deficiency of material that 

 many vessels were reported at the national 

 yards completely equipped and ready for sea, 

 but unable to sail for the want of crews. At 

 the same time, it was well understood that men 

 could be obtained should the proper means be 

 taken. 



One cause for this deficiency was the opera- 

 tion of the Enrolment and Conscription Act of 

 1863, which provided no exemption for sailors 

 or mariners, a class of men whom most nations 

 foster and cherish by special laws, and who 

 were formerly expressly exempted by act of 

 Congress from militia duty. But the ^ chief 

 cause was to be found in the high bounties of- 

 fered for enlistment into the army, under the 

 influence of which many sailors, whose service 

 would be much more valuable afloat than on 

 shore, were induced to become soldiers. The 



* Beside one not recommended for promotion, 

 t Beside 18 not recommended for promotion. 



