ART. 116. He shall direct frequent examinations to be made of the hospital vessels and establishments under his command, and cause every attention to be paid to the comfort of the sick, and shall require, from the examining officers, written reports of their state and condition.

ART. 117. All requisitions for supplies for the vessels under his command must receive his approval, or the approval of the captain of the fleet, before the articles will be furnished, unless the vessel 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 of the squadron, by the earliest opportunity. The approving officer must, in all cases, satisfy himself that the articles and quantity required are really necessary for the public service, or conformable to such allowances as are or shall be established.

ART. 118. He shall have no private interest in the procurement of any supplies for the public service, nor in any way interfere with their purchase, when there are proper officers appointed for that purpose, unless there should be a necessity of making use of his credit or authority for obtaining them.

ART. 119. When there is no regular agent established, he may appoint one, or adopt such other measures for the purpose of procuring supplies, as he may deem most advantageous for the United States.

ART. 120. He must exercise the fleet or squadron on all occasions, when the state of it and other circumstances will admit, in performing the various evolutions that are essential to order and safety, particularly those which may be necessary or useful to adopt in presence of an enemy.

ART. 121. He shall inspect, or cause the captain of the fleet to inspect, the vessels under his command, as frequently as he may deem necessary, and see that all proper attention is paid to order, discipline, efficiency, and cleanliness, and to the laws and regulations of the service, and he shall be careful that the ship in which he himself sails shall be a proper example to others upon those subjects.

ART. 122. He shall be attentive in battle to observe the conduct of those under his command, that he may be able to correct their errors, and prevent ill effects from any misconduct.

ART. 123. Should he find cause to transfer, or suspend from their stations, any officers under his command, he shall, in such case, transmit to the Secretary of the Navy an account thereof, with his reasons for the

same.

ART. 124. He shall make to the Secretary of the Navy semi-annual reports of the professional skill and attainments of all commanders of vessels in his squadron, and of the order and efficiency in which they keep their vessels, and quarterly reports according to form No. the last days of March, June, September, and December.

on

ART. 125. 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 in which he may be employed, and of any foreign naval force employed upon the station, or in its vicinity-sending duplicates when on foreign service.

ART. 126. 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, and of the officers and men in the different vessels, according to forms in the appendix, marked

ART. 127. He shall number and keep all orders and instructions given or received by him, and all his official correspondence, in the most intelligible form, and at the end of every cruise shall transmit to the Secretary of the Navy a list of all the numbers of his correspondence with the department, and copies of any papers which the Secretary may state not to have been received.

ART. 128. He shall forward to the navy commissioners any sugges tions, 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 service, accompanying the same with estimates of their cost, when practicable.

ART. 129. He shall, whenever a vessel of his squadron is to return to the United States, 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; so as to prevent, if possi ble, the unnecessary detention of any person in the service beyond the term for which he had enlisted.

ART. 130. He shall not resign his command without the previous consent of the Secretary of the Navy, unless the ill state of his health shall render it absolutely necessary.

ART. 131. When he shall resign his command to another, or be superseded therein, he shall deliver to his successor accurate copies of all unexecuted instructions, orders, or signals, taking receipts for the same, together with all such information relating to the squadron, or the ser vice to be performed, as may be useful to his successor.

ART. 132. Should he be killed in battle, his flag shall be kept flying while the enemy remains in sight, and the officer next in command shall be immediately informed thereof, and take command of the fleet.

CHAPTER VI.

COMMANDERS of SQUADRONS OR DIVISIONS OF A FLEET.

ART. 133. The commanders of squadrons, under a commander in chief, will be held responsible to him for the efficiency, discipline, and attention of the vessels under their immediate command.

ART. 134. All reports, returns, and requisitions, from vessels belong. ing to squadrons or divisions of a fleet, must be made to their respective commanders, and by commanders of divisions to commanders of squadrons, and receive their approval before they are transmitted to the com mander in chief.

ART. 135. The commander of one squadron or division may correct, by signal or otherwise, the mistake or negligence of ships in another squadron or division, when it is probable they cannot be distinctly seen

by the commander of the squadron or division to which they belong, or whenever, being in presence of an enemy, the officer commanding that squadron or division does not, himself, immediately correct such negligence or mistake.

ART. 136. If a commander of a squadron or division should, during battle, perceive any vessel of a squadron or division commanded by an officer of inferior rank, or junior to himself, evidently avoiding battle, or not doing his duty, he may send an officer to suspend the commander of that vessel, and to take command of her. If the vessel does not belong to the division of the officer who takes these measures, he is to give the earliest information of his proceedings to the commander in chief, and to the commander of the squadron or division to which the vessel may belong.

ART. 137. Commanders of squadrons and divisions shall, when practicable, inspect the vessels under their command, immediately before going to sea, and after their return into port, and at other times, when it can be done, as often as once a month, and whenever the commander in chief may direct, and shall make reports, in writing, to him of their efficiency and discipline.

ART. 138. Whenever the commander in chief shall not declare his intention of manoeuvring the fleet in detail, it shall be the duty of commanders of squadrons and divisions to make all the signals which may be necessary to regulate the movement of their squadrons or divisions, so as to carry into execution any general evolution, or to preserve any prescribed position that may have been ordered by the commander in chief.

ART. 139. Commanders of squadrons and divisions will, after battle, call upon their captains for written reports of the conduct of their officers, and the state and condition of their vessels, and will, afterwards, make similar reports to their immediate commanders.

ART. 140. Officers who may be entitled to carry a flag or broad pendant, together with the captain of the fleet, flag lieutenant, and secretary, when allowed, and the coxswain, cook, steward, and servants of such superior officers, shall not be considered as belonging to any particular vessel, but shall be borne as supernumeraries on the books of the vessel in which they may sail.

CHAPTER VII.

THE COMMANDER OF A PORT OR COAST STATION.

ART. 141. Whenever an officer shall be appointed to the command of a port or coast station in the United States, the limits of the command will be defined by the Secretary of the Navy.

ART. 142. All vessels of the United States in commission, which shall arrive, or be stationed, within the limits of his command, shall make all .their reports, and submit all their requisitions to him for examination and approval, and shall obey his orders, unless they shall be commanded by superior officers, or shall be under orders, and in the presence of his superior officer.

ART. 143. The commander of a port or coast station will conform to

the regulations prescribed for commanders in chief of fleets or squadrons, respecting the procuring and distribution of stores, and the discipline of the service.

ART. 144. The same officer cannot perform the duties of a commandant of a navy yard and commander of a port or coast station at the same time, except by order of the Secretary of the Navy.

ART. 145. It shall be his duty carefully to inspect, with the commander of the vessel, all vessels at the port where he may be, and which are not commanded by superior officers, or under the command and in the presence of his superior officer, immediately before going to sea, and report to the Secretary of the Navy and to the navy commissioners their state and condition, and their efficiency for service.

ART. 146. He shall, also, examine and inspect, with the commander, all vessels which arrive from sea, at the port where he may be, not commanded by a superior officer, nor under the command and in the presence of his superior officer, and shall report to the Secretary of the Navy and to the navy commissioners the efficiency, state, and condition of the vessels, and the nature and extent of any repairs which, in his opinion, they may require, to enable them to perform the service for which they may be intended.

CHAPTER VIII.

CAPTAIN OF A FLEET.

ART. 147. It shall be the duty of the captain of the fleet to keep a journal of the movements and operations of the fleet or squadron, and he shall insert in it all information which may be obtained, that may relate to the service upon which the fleet or squadron shall be engaged, and shall note, particularly, the various evolutions and circumstances attending them, that may occur in action. He shall present the journal to the commander in chief daily, who will approve it upon satisfying himself of its correctness.

ART. 148. He shall receive the orders of the commander in chief, and shall transmit them, in his name, to the person for whom they are intended, according to his directions, either by signals, in writing, or verbally, as may be necessary. These orders shall be obligatory upon all persons in the fleet to whom they may be addressed, when issued at the place where the flag of the commander in chief is flying.

ART. 149. He shall immediately report to the commander in chief any neglect or disobedience of his orders.

ART. 150. He shall keep a register of the orders of the commander in chief, noting the day and the hour when he shall have received them. This register shall be kept according to the form annexed, and marked

ART. 151. He shall keep another register, according to the form annexed, and marked , in which he shall insert the register number of the orders he may transmit, noting the day and the hour when they are transmitted.

ART. 152. He shall take care, when officers are called on board to receive verbal orders, that they note in an order book, [see form mark] which they must bring for that purpose, the substance of the

ed

order given.

ART. 153. He shall cause to be inserted in a register, according to form marked all signals which may be made in the fleet or squad

ron.

ART. 154. The captain of the fleet shall be subject only to the orders and directions of the commander in chief, or whoever may act as commander in chief for the time being.

ART. 155. Whenever the captain of the fleet shall be detailed for, or employed on any other service, he shall take rank and command according to his commission.

CHAPTER IX.

COMMANDERS OF VESSELS.

Discipline and general duties.

ART. 156. When an officer shall be appointed to the command of a vessel, he shall, immediately upon joining her, visit her throughout, and ascertain her state and condition; and, if he discovers any defect or deficiency, shall make immediate report to his superior officer.

ART. 157. After assuming the command, he will be held responsible for the whole conduct and good government of the officers and others belonging to the vessel, according to the laws and regulations for the government of the navy, and must set an example of respect and obedience to his superiors, and of unremitted attention to his duties.

ART. 158. When a vessel shall be transferred, by the commander of a navy yard, to him for service, he shall hoist his pendant, and use every exertion to complete the arrangements that may be necessary for her efficient employment at sea, and shall report her state, weekly, to the proper authority.

ART. 159. When appointed to the command of a vessel, he shall be furnished with a statement of her condition, and of her presumed or ascertained qualities, according to the form annexed, and marked commandant of the navy yard; or by the previous commander of the vessel, if the vessel be already in commission.

by the

ART. 160. He shall, as soon as possible, arrange his men at their quarters, and at their various stations, for performing their different duties, and shall muster and exercise them as frequently as other duties will permit before going to sea; and shall cause the quarter, watch, and station bil's to be fairly made out and hung in some conspicuous place, where all persons on board may have access to them for information.

ART. 161. He shall, as soon as possible, after recruits are received on board, rate them according to their abilities, without partiality or favor, but no person shall be rated ordinary seaman who shall not have been employed at sea two years, nor seaman, unless he has been at sea five years; and he shall take care that every person does actually perform the duties of the station in which he is rated.

ART. 162. He shall, as often as once in three months, at general muster, revise the ratings of the petty officers and crew, having strict regard to their merits and demerits, but the number of men, in any rating which may be established by regulations, shall, in no case, be exceeded,