New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-05-27
The Confederate Navy.
,vrrrE FROM THE ANCIENT MARtNER.'

C.s, A. REcErr's SS SIM, ns s. ,ss PWI1F'}
Ed. Crescent-Seeng that you have welcomed
to your columns descriptions OF camp life from
members of various military companies, have
concluded to intlict on you few lines, beheVing
that an account of naval afiacs over here would
not be unnterestng to the readers OF your widely
circulated journal, There Sre atpresent l75 souls
aboard the St. Philip. Of this number, as are sea-
men, u ordinary seamen, IS landsmen, 10 boys,
SIS marines and 6 commissioned officers. Her OIL
GERS are: Lieut.. Washington Gwathmey, OF Flr-
giuia and Mfdshipmaa VIM. Y. Comstock, OF Lou
isiana: The last named gentleman has, until rev
DAYS past been the commanding officer OF the ST.
Philip and has shown himself to be III every re-
spect worthy of the position, being very gentle
manly, asfabe and courteous-an ornamenb 10 Tue
service and an honor to our glorious nttle reIlcah
State. The St. Philip is well adapted for re-
ceiying ship, being large, airy, and furnishing com,
Portable sleeping quarters at night for at least Aooo
men,-to say nothing about her excellent lounglng
quarters during the day; for the men have very
little to do except to keep the ship in trim and
tidy condition. and the chief occupation OF the ON
GERS is to have care that no one under tneir
charge gets too big for his breeches. All are IN
/ the enjoyment of excellent health; but TINS IS not
matter of surprise, when it is borne in mind that
we have on board such a skillful medical prac-
toner as Dr. Ralph Darby, who thoroughly un-
derstands the treatment OF every Ill 10 winch hesh
is heir.
| The repairs on the Sumter are hurried forward
| with great rapidly. In few days she VIII pc
hauled out into the stream she VIII mmeu1alely
| thereafter go into commission, ana Will Jake on
| board her crew, Stores etc., and then, WIN lle
tri-colored flag of our Contederacy at her peak,
will be prepared to pay her respects to any Kan
| kee vessel that she may come in contact with. 10
what station she will be ordered is more than l
can tell 1t is whispered, though, that she will be
sent around the Horn through the Straits OF Ma
gellan into the Pacific. Others confidently assert
that when she trips her anchor her Prov Will
be turned in the direction of the Western Islands,
where she will keep sharp lookout for several
Yankee homeward-bound lndiamen, now almost
due there, whose valuable cargoes OF silks, SATIN,
ETC., will richly repay the cost OF her onth, pc
sides leaving quite pile to be distributed to her
crew as prize money. l do not vouch for the truth
of either of these reports. merely tell the tale
as twas told to me. The following is list Of her
commissioned officers: Commander, Raphael
Semmes of Maryland Lieutenants-First, John L.
Kell of Georgia; Second, Robert I. Chapman OF
Alabama; Third, John NJ. Stribling of South
Carolina Fourth, VIM. E. Evans of South Carolina.
Paymaster, Henry Myers OF Georgia Surgeon
F. L. Gait of Virginia. Lieutenant of Marines,
William Howell of Louisiana Midshlpmen-Wms
A. Hicks of Missssippi; R. F. Armstrong of Georgia;
A. G. Hudgns Of Virginia; j. D. Wilson of Florida
The Sumter will carry four thirtytwoes and one
Long Top1--a sixty-eight FOUNDER.
The McRae formerly the Marquis of Havana)
will also soon be ready to go into commission. She
will be barkrigged, and rated as sloop-ot-War,
carrying the same armament as tle sumter. que
is an excellent sea boat, and is being thoroughly
averhauled and strengthened in every part and
will doubtless, under the command of her very eff
ficient officers, prove no mean acquisition to
little navy. The following is list of the names other
officers as far as have been able to learn them:
T. B. Huger of South Carolina, Commander.
Lieutenants-First, A. F. Marley of South Carolina;
Second, j. R. Eggleston of Mississippi; Third, ].
W. Huntington Of Kentucky. Mdshpmen-C. W.
Read of Mississippi; S. G. Stone of Alabama; J.
H. Comstock of Louisiana.
The following are the names of the officers of
the station Commodore, Lawrence Rousseau of
Louisiana (who has served faithfully for fifty-two
years in the United States Navy Commander,
W. W. Hunter of Louisiana. Lieutenants-Joseph
Fry OF Florida, and w. L. Bradford of Alabama.
Paymester, John W. Nixon of Louisiana. Engi-
neer-in- Chief, John Lopez. .
THE ANCIENT MARINER.