# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 1/5th Congress/3rd Session/Chapter 24

Chap. XXIV.—An Act for the Government of the Navy of the United States.
Repealed 1800, ch. 33, sec. 11.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following rules and regulations be adopted and put in force, for the government of the navy of the United States.
Duty of commanders.Article 1. The commanders of all ships and vessels, belonging to the United States, are strictly required to show in themselves a good example of honour and virtue to their officers and men, and to be very vigilant in inspecting the behaviour of all such as are under them, and to discountenance and suppress all dissolute, immoral, and disorderly practices, and also such as are contrary to the rules of discipline and obedience, and to correct those who are guilty of the same, according to the usage of the sea service.
Divine service.2. The commanders of the ships of the United States, having on board chaplains, are to take care, that divine service be performed twice a day, and a sermon preached on Sundays, unless bad weather, or other extraordinary accidents prevent.
Swearing and drunkenness.3. Any person who shall be guilty or profane swearing, or of drunkenness, if a seaman or marine, shall be put in irons until sober, and then flogged if the captain shall think proper—but if an officer, he shall forfeit two days pay, or incur such punishment as a court martial shall impose, and as the nature and degree of the offence shall deserve.
Commanders not to inflict greater punishment than twelve lashes:-4. No commander, for any one offence, shall inflict any punishment upon a seamen or marine beyond twelve lashes upon his bare back with a cat of nine tails, and no other cat shall be made use of on board any ship of war, or other vessel belonging to the United States—if the fault shall deserve a greater punishment, he is to apply to the Secretary of the Navy, the commander in chief of the navy, or the commander of a squadron, in order to the trying of him by a court martial; and in the mean time he may put him under confinement.
Nor to discharge commission or warrant officers, &c.5. The commander is never by his own authority to discharge a commission or warrant officer, nor to punish or strike him, but he may suspend or confine him, and shall report the case to the Secretary of the ​Navy, or commandant of a squadron, as soon as he arrives in port, if at sea, or if in port in ten days, in order that a court martial may decide on the offence.
Officer occasionally commanding not to order punishment.6. The officer who commands by accident in the captain or commander’s absence (unless he be absent for a time by leave) shall not order any correction but confinement, and upon the captain’s return on board, he shall give an account of his reasons for so doing.
Articles of war to be hung up and read.7. The captain is to cause the articles of war to be hung up in some public place of the ship, and read to the ship’s company once a month.
Seamen to be entered on the ship’s books.8. Whenever a captain shall enter or enlist a seaman, he shall take care to enter on his books, the time and terms of his entering, in order to his being justly paid.
Return of officers and men to be made, &c.9. The captain shall, before he sails, make return to the Secretary of the Navy a complete list of all his officers and men, with the time and terms of their entering, and during his cruise or station, shall keep a true account of the desertion or death of any of them, and of the entering of others, and after the expiration of the time for which they were entered, and before any of them are paid off, he shall make return of a complete list of the same, including those who shall remain on board his ship.
Men to be furnished with slops.10. The men shall, at their request, be furnished with slops that are necessary, by order of the captain, and the amount delivered to each man, shall be regularly returned by the purser, so that the same be stopped out of his pay.
Who are petty officers.11. All officers not having commissions or warrants, (or appointed commission or warrant officers for the time being) are termed petty, or inferior officers.
Petty officers and seamen turned over into another ship, not to be rated lower, &c.12. Whenever any inferior officer, seaman, or other person, be turned over into the ship of a commander other than the one with whom he entered, he is not to be rated on the ship’s books, in a worse quality, or lower degree or station, than he served in the ship he was removed from; and for the guide of the captain, he is to demand from the commander of the ship from which such person or persons were turned over, a list, under his hand, of his or their names, and the quality in which he or they served.
Wages and prize money may be paid to assignees.13. Any officer, seaman or other person, entitled to wages or prize money, may have the same paid to his assignee, provided the assignment be attested by the captain and the purser; but the captain and commander of every vessel in the service of the United States, is to discourage his crew from selling any part of their wages or prize money, and never to attest the letter of attorney until he is satisfied that the same is not granted in consideration of money given for the purchase of wages, or shares of prize money.
In case of death, the name to be entered on the books.14. When any officer or other person dies, the captain is forthwith to have his name entered on the books of the ship, in order to the wages being forthwith paid to his executors or administrators.
Treatment of sick and hurt men.15. A convenient place shall be set apart for the sick or hurt men, to which they are to be removed with their hammocks and bedding, when the surgeon shall advise the same to be necessary, and some of the crew shall be appointed to attend them, and keep the place clean;—cradles and buckets with covers, shall be made for their use, if necessary.
Fishing.16. All ships furnished with fishing tackle, being in such places where fish is to be had, the captain is to employ some of the company in fishing: The fish to be daily distributed to such persons as are sick, or upon recovery, provided the surgeon recommend it, and the surplus, by turns, amongst the messes of the officers and seamen, gratis, without any deduction of their allowance of provisions on that account.
In case of exigence, allowance of provisions may be shortened.17. It is left to the discretion of commanders of squadrons, to shorten the allowance of provisions according to the exigence of the service, ​taking care that the men be punctually paid for the same—the like power is given to captains of ships acting singly, where it is deemed necessary, and if there should be a want of pork, the captain is to order three pounds of beef to be issued in lieu of two pounds of pork.
Warrant of supply of provisions.18. If any ships of the United States shall happen to come into port in want of provisions, the warrant of the commander of the squadron, or of a captain where there is no commander of a squadron present, shall be sufficient to procure the supply of the quantity wanted, from the agent, or navy agent at such port.
Provisions to be inspected.19. The captains are frequently to cause to be inspected the condition of the provision, and if the bread proves damp, to have it aired upon the quarter deck, and other convenient places, and in case of the pickle being leaked out of the flesh casks, he is to have new pickle made and put therein, after such casks are repaired.
Clothes, &c. of deceased to be secured.20. The captain shall cause the purser to secure the clothes, bedding and other things, of such persons as shall die or be killed, to be delivered to their executors or administrators.
Papers found on board of captured vessels to be preserved.21. All papers, charter-parties, bills of lading, passports, and other writings whatsoever, found on board any ship or ships which shall be taken, shall be carefully preserved and the originals sent to the court of justice for maritime affairs, appointed or to be appointed for judging concerning such prize or prizes, and if any person or persons shall wilfully or negligently destroy or suffer to be destroyed any such paper or papers, he or they so offending shall forfeit his or their share of such prize or prizes, and suffer such other punishment as they shall be judged by a court martial to deserve;Penalty on stealing certain things. and if any person or persons shall embezzle or steal, or take away any cables, anchors, sails of any of the ship’s furniture, or any of the powder, arms, ammunition, or provisions of any ship belonging to the United States, or of any prize taken by a ship or ships, aforesaid, or maltreat or steal the effects of any prisoner, he or they so offending shall suffer such punishment as a court martial shall order.
Preparation for fight.22. When in sight of any ship, ships, or other vessels of the enemy, or at such other times as may appear necessary to prepare for an engagement, the captain shall order all things in his ship in a proper posture for fight, and shall, in his own person, and according to his duty, heart on, and encourage the inferior officers and men to fight courageously, and not to behave themselves faintly or cry for quarters, on pain of such punishment as the offence shall appear to deserve for his neglect.
Cowardice.23. Any captain, officer or other person who shall not exert himself, or who shall basely desert his duty or station in the ship, and run away while the enemy is in sight, or in time of action, or shall entice others to do so, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall inflict.
Mutiny and sedition.24. Any officer, seaman, mariner or other person who shall disobey the orders of his superior, or begin, excite, cause or join in any mutiny or sedition in the ship to which he belongs, or in any other ship or vessel in the service of the United States, on any pretence whatsoever, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall direct; and further, any person in any ship or vessel belonging to the service aforesaid, who shall utter any words of sedition and mutiny, or endeavour to make any mutinous assembly on any pretence whatsoever, shall suffer such punishment as a court martial shall inflict.
Quarreling with or striking a superior officer.25. None shall presume to quarrel with or strike his superior officer, on pain of such punishment as a court martial shall order to be inflicted.
Quarreling and fighting, &c.27. There shall be no quarreling or fighting between ship mates on board any ship belonging to the United States, nor shall there be used any reproachful or provoking speeches, tending to make quarrels and disturbances, on pain on imprisonment, or of such punishment as the captain, or a court martial shall judge proper to inflict.
Neglect of duty.28. If any person shall sleep upon his watch, or negligently perform the duty which shall be enjoined him to do, he shall suffer such punishment as the captain, or a court martial shall inflict.
Murder.29. All murder shall be punished with death.
Robbery and theft.30. All robbery and theft, not exceeding twenty dollars, shall be punished at the discretion of the captain, and above that sum as a court martial shall inflict.
Master of arms misbehaving.31. Any master of arms, or other person of whom the like duty may be required, refusing to receive such prisoner or prisoners, as shall be committed to his charge, or having received them shall suffer him or them to escape, or dismiss them without orders from his captain, the commander in chief of the navy or the commander of a squadron, for so doing, shall suffer in his or their stead as a court martial shall order and direct.
Duty of the detecting and apprehending offenders.32. The captains, officers and others shall use their utmost endeavours to detect, apprehend, and bring to punishment all offenders, and shall at all times readily assist all officers and others appointed for that purpose, in the discharge of such duty, when it is required, on pain of being proceeded against and punished by a court martial at discretion.
Correspondence with enemies or rebels.33. If any officer whatsoever, mariner, marine soldier, or other person, belonging to any ship or vessel of war in the service of the United States, shall give, hold or entertain intelligence, to or with any enemy or rebel, without leave from the government, commander in chief, or in case of a single ship, from his captain, every such person so offending, and being thereof convicted by the sentence of a court martial, shall be punished with death.
Letters or messages from enemies or rebels to be made known.34. If any letter or message from an enemy or a rebel be conveyed to any officer, mariner, marine or other person, belonging to any ship or vessel in the service of the United States, and the person as aforesaid shall not within twelve hours, having opportunity so to do, acquaint his superior or commander in chief with it; or if any superior officer being acquainted therewith, shall not in convenient time reveal the same to the commander in chief, commander of a squadron or other proper officer, appointed to take cognizance of such offence, every such person so offending, and being convicted thereof, by the sentence of a court martial, shall be punished with death, or such other punishment as the nature and degree of the offence shall deserve, and according to the sentence of a court martial.
Spies.35. All spies, and all persons whatsoever who shall come or be found in the nature of spies, to bring or delivery any seducing letter or message, from an enemy or rebel, or endeavour to corrupt any captain, officer, mariner, marine, or other person in the fleet, to betray his trust, being convicted of any such offence by the sentence of a court martial, shall be punished with death, or such other punishment as the nature and degree of the offence shall deserve, and the court martial shall impose.
Supplying enemies or rebels.36. No person in fleet, or in a single ship or vessel, shall supply an enemy or rebel with stores, money, victuals, arms, ammunition, or any kind of stores, directly or indirectly, upon pain of death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of the crime shall deserve.
Running away to the enemy, &c. or yielding cowardly, &c.37. Every person in or belonging to any ship or vessel in the service of the United States, who shall desert or run away with any vessel or boat, to the enemy or otherwise, or with any effects of the United States, ​whatsoever, or yield up the same cowardly or treacherously, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as a court martial shall direct.
Duty as to convoy.38. The officers and seamen, &c., of all ships appointed for convoy and guard of merchantmen, shall diligently attend upon that charge without delay, according to their instructions, and whosoever shall be faulty therein, shall be punished as a court martial shall direct.
Penalty on receiving merchandise on board.39. If any captain, commander or other officer of any ship or vessel in the service of the United States, shall receive or permit on board his vessel any goods or merchandise, other than for the sole use of his vessel, except gold, silver, or jewels, and except the goods and merchandise of vessels which may be in distress or shipwrecked, or in imminent danger of being shipwrecked, in order to preserve them for the proper owner, without legal orders from the naval department, every person so offending being convicted thereof, by the sentence of a court martial, shall be cashiered, and be for ever afterwards rendered incapable to serve in any place or office in the navy service of the United States.
Waste and embezzlement of stores.40. There shall be no wasteful expense of any powder, shot, ammunition, or other stores in the vessels belonging to the United Stats, nor any embezzlement thereof, but the stores and provisions shall be carefully preserved, upon pain of such punishment, to be inflicted upon the offenders, abettors, buyers and receivers, as shall be by a court martial found just in that behalf.
Unlawfully setting fire to public property.41. Every person in the navy who shall unlawfully burn or set fire to any kind of public property, not then appertaining to an enemy, pirate or rebel, being convicted of any such offence by the sentence of a court martial, shall suffer death.
Care to be used in navigating.42. Care shall be taken in steering and conducting every ship belonging to the United States, so that through wilfulness, negligence, or other defaults, no ship be stranded or hazarded, upon pain that such as shall be found guilty therein, be punished as the offence, by a court martial, shall be judged to deserve.
Making a false muster.43. Every officer or other person in the navy, who shall knowingly make or sign a false muster, or procure the making or signing thereof, or shall aid or abet in the same, shall be cashiered and rendered incapable of further employment in the navy service of the United States, and shall forfeit all the pay and subsistence money due to him.
Mutiny, desertion and disobedience on shore.44. Every person guilty of mutiny, desertion or disobedience to his superior officer on shore, acting in the proper line of his duty, shall be tried by a court martial, and suffer the like punishment for every such offence, as if the same had been committed at sea, on board any ship or vessel of war in the service of the United States.
Offences on shore against the inhabitants.45. If any person belonging to any ship or vessel of war in the service of the United States, shall, when on shore, on duty, or otherwise, plunder, abuse, or maltreat any inhabitant, or injure his property in any way, such person shall be punished as a court martial shall direct.
Punishment of misdemeanors not specified.46. All faults, disorders and misdemeanors which shall be committed on board any ship belonging to the United States, and which are not herein mentioned, shall be punished according to the laws and customs in such cases at sea.
How a court martial shall be composed.47. No court martial, to be held or appointed by virtue of this act, shall consist of more than thirteen, nor less than five persons, to be composed of such commanders of squadrons, captains and sea lieutenants, as are then and there present, and as are next in seniority to the officer who presides; but no lieutenant shall sit on a court martial, held on a captain, or a junior lieutenant on that of a senior.
Oaths of the court martial.48. Every member of a court martial shall take the following oath: “I, A. B. do swear, that I will well and truly try and impartially determine the cause of the prisoner now to be tried, according to the rules of the navy of the United States. So help me God.” Which oath shall ​be administered by the president to the other members, and the president himself shall be sworn by the officer next in rank; and as soon as the above oath shall have been administered, the president of the court is required to administer to the judge advocate,Judge advocate, or person officiating as such, an oath in the following words: “I, A. B. do swear, that I will not, upon any account, at any time whatsoever, disclose or discover the vote or opinion of any particular member of this court martial, unless thereto required by an act of Congress. So help me God.” And all witnesses, before theyand witnesses. be admitted to give evidence, shall take the following oath: “I, A. B. do swear, that the evidence I shall give in the cause now hearing, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God.”
Sentences of courts martial in capital cases to be confirmed, &c.49. The sentence of a court martial for any capital offence shall not be put in execution, until it be confirmed by the commander in chief of the fleet. And it shall be the duty of the president of every court martial, to transmit to the commander in chief of the fleet, and to the head of the Navy department, every sentence which shall be given, with a summary of the evidence and proceedings thereon, as soon as may be.
Commander in chief may remit sentences of death.50. The commander in chief of the fleet, for the time being, shall have power to pardon and remit any sentence of death, in consequence of the aforementioned articles.
Misbehaviour of witnesses.Sec. 2. And it is hereby further enacted, That if any person in the navy service, being called upon to give evidence at any court martial, shall refuse to give his evidence upon oath, or shall prevaricate in his evidence, or behave with contempt to the court, it shall and may be lawful for such court martial to punish such offender by imprisonment, at the discretion of the court; such imprisonment, in no case, to continue longer than three months; and that all and every person and persons, who shall commit any wilful perjuryPerjury and subornation thereof. in any evidence or examination upon oath at such court martial, or who shall corruptly procure or suborn any person to commit such wilful perjury, shall and may be prosecuted in any of the courts of the United States, by indictment or information. And all and every person, lawfully convicted upon any such indictment or information, shall be punished with such pains and penalties as are inflicted for the like offences by the laws therein provided.
Authority of the officers to continue after the vessel is lost.Sec. 3. And it is hereby further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That in all cases where the crews of the ships or vessels of the United States shall be separated from their vessels, by the latter being wrecked, lost, or destroyed, all the command, power and authority given to the officers of such ships or vessels, shall remain and be in full force as effectually as if such ship or vessel was not so wrecked, lost or destroyed, until they shall be regularly discharged from the service of the United States, or removed into some otherIn such case court martial is to be held. of its said ships, or until a court martial shall be held, to inquire into such loss of the said ship or vessel; and if upon inquiry it shall appear by the sentence of the court martial, that all or any of the officers, seamen, marines, and others of the said ship or vessel, did their utmost to preserve, get off, or recover the said ship or vessel, and after the loss thereof did behave themselves obediently to their superior officers, according to the discipline of the navy, and the said articles and orders herein before established, then all the pay and wages of the said officers and seamen, or such of them as shall have done their duty as aforesaid, shall continue and go on, and be paid to the time of their discharge or death; and every such officer or seaman, who after the wreck of loss of his said ship or vessel, shall act contrary to the discipline of the navy, or the articles herein before established, or any of them, shall be sentenced by the said court martial, and be punished, as if the ship to which he did belong was not so wrecked or destroyed.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That all the pay and wages of such ​Prisoner’s pay to go on.officers and seamen of any of the ships of the United States as are taken by the enemy, and upon inquiry at a court martial, shall appear by the sentence of the said court, to have done their utmost to defend the ship or ships, and since the taking thereof, to have behaved themselves obediently to their superior officers, according to the discipline of the navy, and the said articles and orders, herein before established, shall continue and go on as aforesaid, until they be exchanged and discharged, or until they shall die, whichever may first happen: Provided always, that persons flying from justice shall be tried and punished for so doing.
To whom prizes shall belong.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all captured national ships or vessels of war shall be the property of the United States—all other ships or vessels, being of superior force to the vessel making the capture, in men or in guns, shall be the sole property of the captors—and all ships or vessels of inferior force shall be divided equally between the United States and the officers and men of the vessel making the capture.
Distribution of prize money and bounty.Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the produce of prizes taken by the ships of the United States, and bounty for taking the ships of the enemy, be proportioned and distributed in the manner following, to wit:—
1. To the captain actually on board at the time of taking any prize, being other than a public or national vessel, or ship of war, three twentieths of that proportion of the proceeds belonging to the captors.
2. If such captain or captains be under the immediate command of a commander in chief, or commander of a squadron, having a captain on board, such commander in chief, or commander of a squadron, to have one of the said twentieth parts, and the captain taking the prize, the other two twentieth parts.
3. To the sea lieutenants and sailing-master, two twentieths.
4. To marine officers, the surgeon, purser, boatswain, gunner, carpenter, master’s mate and chaplain, two twentieths.
5. To midshipmen, surgeon’s mates, captain’s clerk, clergyman or schoolmaster, boatswain’s mates, gunner’s mates, carpenter’s mates, ship’s steward, sail-maker, master at arms, armorer, and cockswain, three twentieths.
6. Gunner’s yeoman, boatswain’s yeoman, quartermasters, quartergunners, cooper, sail-maker’s mates, sergeant of marines, corporal of marines, drummer and fifer and extra petty officers, three twentieths.
7. To seamen, ordinary seamen, marines and boys, seven twentieths.
8. Any officer on board having more posts than one, is only entitled to the share belonging to his superior office, according to the regulations aforesaid.
9. Whenever one or more ships of the United States are in sight, at the time of any one or more other ships as aforesaid are taking a prize or prizes, or being engaged with an enemy, and they shall all be so in sight, when the enemy shall strike and surrender, they shall share equally, according to the number of guns and men on board of each ship so in sight—but no privateer or armed ship, being in sight of a national ship of war, at the taking of any prize, shall be entitled to any share in such prize or prizes.
10. Commanders of ships of war taking any prize, are to transmit, as soon as possible, to the naval department, a true list of the officers and men actually on board at the taking of such prize, inserting therein the quality of every person’s rating; and the department aforesaid is to examine the said list by the ship’s muster book, to see their agreement, and is to grant certificates of the truth of such list transmitted, in order that the agents appointed by the captors, make payment of the shares, agreeably to this act.
11. In order to define the rights and privileges of commanders in ​chief, commanders of squadrons and captains, in relation to captures—No commander in chief, or commander of a squadron, shall be entitled to receive any share of prizes taken by the ships of war of the United States that are not put under his immediate command, nor of such prizes as may have been taken previous to such ships being placed under his command, and until they have acted under his immediate orders; nor shall a commander in chief, or commander of a squadron, returning home from any station where he had the command, have any share in prizes taken by ships left on such station, after he has got out of the limits of his said command.
12. Captains, sailing specially under orders from the navy department, are clearly to be understood as acting separately from any superior officer.
13. The bounty given by the United States on any national ship of war, taken from the enemy and brought into port, shall be for every cannon mounted, carrying a ball of twenty-four pounds, or upwards, two hundred dollars; for every cannon carrying a ball of eighteen pounds, one hundred and fifty dollars; for every cannon carrying a ball of twelve pounds, one hundred dollars; and for every cannon carrying a ball of nine pounds, seventy-five dollars; for every smaller cannon, fifty dollars; and for every officer and man taken on board, forty dollars; which sums are to be divided agreeably to the foregoing articles.
Rates of salvage.Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That for the ships or goods belonging to the citizens of the United States, or to the citizens or subjects of any nation, in amity with the United States, if retaken from the enemy within twenty-four hours, the owners are to allow one eighth part of the whole value for salvage, if after twenty-four hours, and under forty-right, one fifth thereof, if above that and under ninety-six hours, one third part thereof, and if above that, one half, all of which is to be paid without any deduction whatsoever, agreeably to the articles herein before mentioned.
Allowance of half pay to persons disabled in the service.Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That every officer, seaman or mariner disabled in the line of his duty, shall be entitled to receive for his own life, and the life of his wife, if a married man, at the time of receiving the wound, one half his monthly pay.
Prize money belonging to the public to be a fund to discharge the half pay, &c.Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That all the money accruing, or which has already accrued from the sale of prizes, shall be and remain for every a fund for the payment of the half pay to the officers and seamen who may be entitled to receive the same—and if the said fund shall be insufficient for this purpose, the public faith is hereby pledged to make up the deficiency. But if it should be more than sufficient, the surplus shall be applied as Congress may hereafter direct by law, to the making of further provision for the comfort of the disabled officers, seamen and mariners, and for such as may not be disabled, who may merit by their bravery, or their long and faithful services, the gratitude of their country.
Management of the fund.Sec. 10. And be it further enacted, That the said fund shall be under the management and direction of the Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary at War for the time being, who are hereby authorized to receive all such sums as the United States may be entitled to, from the sale of prizes, and to invest the same, and the interest arising therefrom, in such of the six per cent. or other stock of the United States, as a majority of them from time to time shall determine to be most advantageous; and it shall be the duty of the said commissioners to lay before Congress, every year, in the first week of their annual meeting, a minute and correct statement of their proceedings, in relation to the management of said fund.
Private rules to conform with this act and the usages of the sea service.Sec. 11. And be it further enacted, That no rules or regulations made by any commander in chief, or captain, in the service of the ​United States, for the stationing, designating of duty and government of the fleet, or any of the crews of any ship of war, shall be at variance with this act, but shall be strictly conformably thereto; and that every commander in chief and captain, in making private rules and regulations, and designating the duty of his officers, shall keep in view also the custom and usage of the sea service most common to our nation.
Approved, March 2, 1799.