The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-07
Treatment OF Petty OGicers I'm the United
States Navy-Letter from a Man-0f- Wars

Treatment OF Petty Omcers I'm the United
States Navy-Letter from a Man-0f- Wars
Man.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
UNITED STATES FRIGATE SAVANNAH
NEW YORK, Nov. a. 1896.
Having lately returned to the land OF the free and
home Of the brave" We Of tarfy hands and sunburnt
faces detre to give you and our readers few items Of
our late cruise and OF naval dongs generally
We design to discuss In this letter the relative advan
tsee ofbtcomng naval .eamon with shat of becoming .
merchant eaior Now, take our own example:
Wethppes in the United States service age
OF sixteen, and the first sao piece Of work which
required to do black oacers boots; the
second was TO rub govty leg and other
mannke jobs; and We firmly believe would have been
retained In The emulatng and highly interesting business
Of boot poshirg and gouy leg rubbing until the end Of
the osuse If We had not strenuousy resisted 1t.
When the youthful aspirsnt seamaaship enters the
naval service he expects become thorough bred
man. but the naval officers and that august body which
handles the rens OF government think Otherwise and in
stead Of making seamen Of the boys In the navy they
convert them into messengers and side boys and teach
them the highly ingenious OF strik ug be running
errands, dofarg their hats TO every gold band which
pops Itself over the esngway-no matter whether on .
white or black head-and 1t is not unfrequent thing
with us in the Savannah to do to wooey heads in the
can't to US Of pro slavery sent ments
And what the Inducements held forth by that
scenhc and very respectable boy Washington DOGGY
boys from tho peaceful quiet and improving influence OF
their homer Why alter sper ding hard life OF nnne
nent OF about twenty two years 10 of war they
VIII become petty officers" And what Is "petv olt-
Ger" on board OF q man Of war; Those who have had
any naval experience the question very read
~ but those who have not will 40 well to inform .hcm
selves toe subject petty onicership' Que fhs
II
officer iulhs the duties OF his office tho ester-whca
he IL s1cty joined by order OF the navyhs
ncuIs tie dipleasufe Of the ships company, aud gets
severely "punched; add he doos not fcdl tn oues
Of bis cice ne incurs the dipeasure OF his executive
and commaI ding officers there he is, iical
phrase, damned between two Winds" not knowing
which way to turn, not knowing whether to perform
neglect his duties and no one Sho regards his life
valuable and irrecoervabe piece OF property will accept
the sttua'i II II ho can possibly avoid It,
In this age OF universal knowledge when sailors uso
tooth orusnes nsead or nasnspkes scented SOAP AM
exTsct oi new mown hny instead OF "slush' and tsrn
,nis age wasn the lowy are as vel informed as tae
lofty. no boy OF common eense will enter the United
states naval service before the as until tnere other
inducements held forth than those of becoming 'petty
oacefs after 50 msny years Of servude. Ho can ener
the merchant service and in far less time he have any
energy at ALL b. come the drt ofcor Of OF dst
class clipper ships Il oquen thing IL this
OF last progress 10 first mata at the age or
ten ard acaptain al twenty-five.
Why cant We do In our service as they do in the
french navy and reward merit where 1t IS duey You
may there behold the bright star OF Admiral gisten
g On he breast o. man who once wore the blue frock
found.
II any Of the you,hs OF our country wish to become
good sespcn let them enter pew merchant ship where
ne new rigging has TO be turned In afesh and set up
anew olocKs to be strapped hawsss TO be pointed ropcs
70 os bpced and in abort every species OF work 10 be
ooge spperainng TO the maritime profession lst him
~ long East India voyage and before the TIP 10 com
petcd he will not only learn those things, but great
many MORE Indispensable TO Thoroughbred sslcr. II
ho goes in Of war, he be not an extraordinary
smart young man, II will lake him ak years 70 become
an orc nary seaman.
Our crciGe, general thing, has been peas
with ole or two exceptions. paInely-not ,nougn lib
During the whole cruise OF the savAnnah-or period Of
three years and four monthswe had but three liberties
Sops sSooss oDsis 10 ess goos sosn
service under The present system To be sure ye
the best ay ard the best vie,uais Of sp, navy ia ths
world which IL plsnly shown by tha c.. puent ,naar
An;e OF some OF the EngshDes We shipped on tho
for Americans ono OF whom sad be was hall
when be came into the ship aa1 he is as fat a.
besieaier In England. b.. good American ,ca,nan ,
- ,.,y .ur navy nulsG they get MOI frequent leave
to 10 on shore -"''''AA'. A0s isss ssi c.her "a
ticn n tSc world, detcs, confinement Born - 'And a.
free te DIR they breathe used 10 liberty Of
hneffy Of ought and liberty Of action they canno and
VIII not they can, submit 10 the Incarceration Of
Tney punsh man mos, severely In this ship for being
druSk-the same unfortunate cause wSi:n brings two
thirds Of the men into navy. Let a be ever
toxaed he gets punished for offence; but e, an ON
board dead drunk-whicn has otep been the
case this cruise and nothing 10 said 10 him. We nave
been told by old satswe do not pretend TO know the
act ourreves-iLat this SHIPS companyis the sobercst
ever known in the United States Navy.
II becomes painful duty 10 the only A.si
dent that happened during the cruise Ca the night OF
the 24lb OF November Major Freelove, boy about
seventeen, native Of Massachusetts while attempting to
clear the log chip under the counter fell overheard The
life buoys cut away, but Il took thirty two minutes
10 lower tho life boat when should have been done IN
Two. The night life ouoys not let 20, because thcy
have not been attended 10 during tho cntlro cruise.
Night life buoys mAdo 10 act with lights, that
man may SEQ them In tho dark We mention this fac,
because commanding officer Ia particular about
trivial matters, and II seems strange he should be 30
peglectul Of this After beloved Commodore S1ter
lett the ship the crew became depressed In spirits and
wsbed 10 return home. Never n mander
beloved than Commodore Salter by this ships
pany The day he lett the ship 70 return home, there
not boy In the ehip who did not shed tears
Al hs DEPARTURE and 70 the last dsy Of the cruise
when The band would play his iavor,e tunc Father.
land every heart beat with JOY and every face became
refugenl with smiles.
We had pleasant OF forty.ave days and arrived
here. In the Empre city, on the 2Ith OF November.
our ships company will be paid Of In eight or ten days
and then we viii all separate for homes.
MARLINsPiKE.