The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-05
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.,
Mp 80, 1850

NAVY DEPARTMENT.
.NoU. 80, 1850.
SIR: In anticipation of the session of Con-
press, | respectfully submit the annual report of
This department of the public service.
The vessels in commission during the past
year exclusive of the steamer Michigan, under
The command of Commodore Bullus, which has
been cruising on the lakes above Niagara, Civ
ing protection to our commerce, and rendering
assistance to our distressed merchantmen on
those island seas, have been employed in six diff
icrent squadrons
The home squadron Commodore Parker
commanding, whose field of operations extends
from the Banks of Newfoundland to the mouth
Of the Amazon river, has comprised the frigate
Raritan, Captain Page, the sloop-ot-war Albany,
Commander Randolph, the soop- ot.war Ger
mantOwn, Commander Lowndes, the steamer
Vixen, Lieutenant Commanding Smith, the
steamer Waterwitch, Lieutenant Commanding
Totten, and the schooner Flirt, Lieutenant Com,
mandng Turner, and has been chiefly occupied
in the West Indies and the Gulf of Mexico
The valuable services Of the vessels Of this
squadron, together with the trigate Congress
and the steamer Saranac, in preventing viola
ton of our national obligations in an attempted
invasion of the Island of Cuba from the United
States, and the mission OF Commodore Morris,
to intercede with the Spanish authorities oftllat
island, for the lives and liberation Of our mis-
guided fellow-citizens who had joined in that
expedition and had been captured, were made
known to Congress in Il communication from
the late President, in the month Of June last
The frigate Raritan, being required for more
distant service, was withdrawn from this squad
ron in the month of May, and, after being retit-
ted, WAS despatched, under the command of
Captain Gauntt, 10 the South Pacific Ocean,
The steamers Waterwitch and Vixen standing
in need of repairs, were brought for that pur-
pose to the Navy Yard at Washington, and are
expected soon to be again ready for sen. The
sloop Germantown having been infected with
yellow fever during her cruise in the West In
dies, was taken early in the present autumn t.
the port Of New York. and being now thor
oughly ceansed and rcfitted, is preparing to jo
the squadron on the coast Of Africa. tn
steamer Saranac, Captain Tatnall, has been nd
ded to this squadron, and bears the broad pen
nant of Commodore Parker.
The Pacific squadron continued under tn,
command of Commodore Il. Ap G. Jones unit
the month of June last, when he was relieved
and succeeded by Commodore McCaulev. Il
consists of the frigate Savannah, Captain Page
bearing the broad pennant of the commander OF
the squadron; the frigate Rartan, Captain
Gauntt, the sloops Vandalia, Commander Gard
ner, Nincennes, Commander Hudson, Falmouth
Commander Pearson, st. Mary's, Commander
Magruder Warren, (unseaworthy and used as
storeship) Lieutenant Pickering, the steamer
Massachusetts, Lieutenant knox, and the store
ship Supply, Lieutenant Kennedy. The slooI
Preble, Commander Glynn, and the storeship
Frcdonia, Lieutenant Neville, are now on thc
homeward voyage from this station, and the
ship of the line Ohio, Commander Stribling, re.
thnr A md
ordinary at the navy yard in Charleston. 1t is
intended that the frigate Raritan, and soop st
Mary's, which have been recently despatched to
this squadron, together with third vessel, to b.,
designated by the Commodore, shall cruise be
tween Cape Horn and Panama, and westward
to the lS0th degree of longitude, visiting the
Marquesas and Friendly Islands, and making
their depot of supplies at Valparaiso, while tn,
residue of the squadron will be generally en-
ployed in that ocean north Of the equator. Tn,
advantage, indeed the necessity of IN ctlicien
fleet in the Pacific for the protection Of an eX
tended territory, and sudden and wonderful
commerce in that hitherto unoccuped region o
the world, cannot be too highly estimated, an'
will be again adverted to in the sequel of thi
communication
The squadron on the coast Of Brazil, Comma
dorc Mckeevcr commanding, is composed o
the frigatc Congress, Captain Mcintosh, bearing
the broad pcnnant Of the Commodore the slool
ST. Louis Commander Cooke, the brig Balm
bridge, Lieut.. Manning, and the storeship Relief
Lieut.. Totten. The frigate Brandywine, Captain
Boarman, the flag ship of Commodore Storer
who was recently relieved from the command o
this station, is expected soon to arrive at tn
port Of New York. The cruise of this squad
ron, extending from the mouth of the river Anna
ION to Cape Horn, and occasionally eastward +
Al. = A 4
cially directed to the suppression, by leyilnat,
nterposition, of the African slave trade. still
carried on to considerable extent between Bra
I'll and the coast Of Africa to the protection OF
our neutral rights in the state Of hostility lately
existing between the Argentine Republic and
the Banda Oriental of Uruguay, and the cultivl.
ton of relations of commerce and amity with
the governments and people Of the several ma.
tons along the coast Of its cruzing ground
The Mediterranean squadron under the COM
mand Of Commodore Morgan, consists of his
flagship, the Race Independence, Capt. jameson,
the frigate Cumberland, Captain Latimer the
steamer Mississippi, Captain Long, and the store
ship Lexington, Lieutenant Mitchell The curse
Of political events in Europe not appearing to
require the continuance of the large force which
had been assembled in that sea, in consequence
Of the unsettled aspect of affairs at the date of
frigate st. Lawrence, Captain Paulding, attached
to this squadron, was ordered to proceed to the
Baltic, on Il short cruise, and thence to return to
the United States. She arrived at New York
in the present month The frgate Constitution
Captain Conover, also of this squadron has been
ordered home, and may be expected daily
Under orders from the Department, Commodore
Morgan, with his flag ship independence and the
steamer Mississippi, visited Lisbon in the month
of June, and received on board our Charge
dAfiaires on the occasion of his retirement from
that court, and conveyed him to Naples. This
squadron has been actively engaged in visiting
the various ports of the Mediterranean, the Adri.
attic, and the Archipelago, and has maintained
discipline and efficiency highly commendable
The squadron on the coast Of Africa, unde,
the command of Commodore Gregory, EN-
braces his flagship the sloop- of-war Portsmouth
Commander Peck the sloop-of-war John Adams
Commander Powell the sloop- of-war Dale, Com.
mander Pearson, the brig Porpoise, Lieutenant
Lardner, and the brig Perry, Lieutenant Foote
Orders were issued for the return Of the sloop-
of-war Yorktown, Commander Marston, lately
Id - l.,. l