New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-08
REPORTS.
Report Of the Secretary Of the Navy,
NAVY DEPARTMENT Dec. 5. l96t


SIR: In submitting the annual report Of the
transactions Of this department and OF toe navy VITA
hose Of the several burceus for the year affords me
,e@ue to assure you that the condition Of affairs IS
.,.facorv and that The discipline and efficiency o.
the service continues TO lie faithfully maintained Aief
mary years Of peace als comparative inactivity Inc
officers and sailors Of or navy were suGoeh! V@u ~
the performance OF extraordinary and exae's uu'eS'
and during nearly four years Of exhausiing clrI' war
sv have manifested ther attachment 10 tie Mon ana
,,er fidelity 10 the national flag by Iieidy enforcing
gigantic blockade Of our coast by vigi'anty patrolng
s great national rivers OF the interior and by sue
.ss,on Of ocean end co7s,wise expeditions, achieve
rsais which have not only added to our naval rehown
hit greatly promoted nation integrity and strength
When the change Of administration took piece IL
March 1901 the war had already been virtually begun
Le forts and arseuals and cSiop.louses, anu hints,
and navy.vards and national property within The Eehe
States hnd been seized without resistance. The rcif
mo ADMINISTRATION manifested lis inability to assert Ire
stio,al authority and IFS disinchnation 20 vinl.cac
The national supremacy, and closed It's term, and iat
OF the thirty-sxth Cor-icss, without auy preparatory
treasures ,r the tr9ll cuCous COMMISSION which was
even then shaking the noa TO It's center ana threaten
jnq or existence as "a nation.
In SIX weeks after ii entered upon ihsulmiustTa-
.;on Of this department, blockade. extending NNef
wore Than three thols. I'd five hundred miles OF on
coast was ordered; end for S stupeudons work Pro
pounced TO be impra, ca ie by thc highest foreign
authorities we had icJo avy rednced 10 the lowest
pssce ablishwont, Composed largely OF SahnE yes
ELLA most of which Nife diSmaAtled or dispersed
abroad o. the limited nu-hor Of seamcn anihO' /ed by
law only about two hundred were dvaar!e ~ al our
naval stations and rcccNug ships. Many OF the officers
became demOrali1cd aud deserted. In tins cniecJleG
condition without men or ships ordnance, Or re-
sources placed AZ rs disposal, the cepai lmert was
called uo0n to establish enforce the mos. extensive
blockade that was ever undertaken % be o.tceiuGly
maintained by any nation.
foreign squadrOns, to increase our force by bmdins
new vessels ana by procuring for naval purposes from
The merchant service every steamer WhicA eoad oc
made fighting vessel 10 enlarge Il once the capacity
ofthe navy Yards to put in rrqnsti0n the ondfIles
and workshops of the country Tor 80 pies Of ordnance
and steam machinery to augment the number OF seauen
and TO supply the deficiency OF oiceS b! stttlig eN-
IericnI and able slpmastcIs and Others rom TIE
commercial marine. were among tie lnp rs@nt ana
responsible duties which preoipitatCd upon the
department at tina: exciting and interesting pfilCa
The measures promptly ana cncrscntdt uu"P'eu
caused immense navy 20 spilnS mo eAstthtc ho'
20 carry maritime WaT ioT the Isebels lad NO navy
,Os.inuae our sailors 10 Glorious deeds hJ commerce
10 reward their activity blt men Glo s..3 ana ord
nance and supplies speedily collected Tor the
onerous naval duties need ni so sustain oar national
B:sidcs instituiin- lie cz-ensiye blockade Of the
coast naval expeditions were organized az the earliest
possible period 10 auC restore tie netioaal an.
ih0rty at important points within The lnSLlrfcuonaIy
region. Tie first OF aesc expeditions vas oGganIzed
and sailed from Hampton bOscs IN August under TIE
command Of Rear AcEi. al ciTio CHAM ana resulted IL
the capture OF Uateras. the first re CCufGes
OF strong position which was effected Oh orr coast
Tbs as followed Few weeks later by The victory u
Ee.r-A dm raj DUPONT 81 Iott Royal. When secured 8
cOnmOdOus ha rbOr Ter TIE SHIPS OF the Scum Atiatc
s1radr0l The achievements on the lower hisslsspp,
where Rear Admiral ~ agut dashed open ihe gates G!
The passage 10 NewOrcaus and restored 70 the Union
the ccmncrcln metropolis OF the South, were accom-.
pisbed the following spring. Those t.'ee important
eIpeitons comprising ia each case, larger hcct ihan
bad ever been fitted Out on this continent anu
two OF them seldom surpassed IN LAfAl ensAS were
planned organized aud carried into execution in The
Irst wear OF the war IN addition 70 an inmt1be BOOK
ade which was at the time 50 vigianty and rigol
ously niorccd that the Rebels even then felt aud com
pained Of its eyhsusiYg severity Other h2rbois ana
places hlye from time time been seized ana occupied
The last being the bay 81 Mobile ana inc ioibc lions al
its entrance effected by lie same distinguished ocer
ThO had thrown open tic .Owcr Mississippi 70 uEinef
Tnpted navigation two years Before. Nor have the
proves ard skill Of our navy in this unhappy contest
Involving the int gritty Of tho Union and onr national
Gnpremacv been felt upon the seabcard alone ON on:
inland waters at Fort Henry, a. Donclscn, at Shiloh
O. Island No. 10, az Memphis, az Arkensas Post, at
NicksrIrg al Port Huds ana n almost every icr
place the hissis ppi, the CunoeTl1rd me Ten
ressee other rivers o. the the navy has
been active in reesablishing The national authority
feet Of more than hundred vessels has been put
sfoat on those waters. and most OF them are
now partoling those rivers in tho national cause.
II has been the policy OF tins department, rifiay al
lered under al eli stauoes, and NON which u las
not allowed itself be diverted, never 70 permit the
efficiency of the blockade 10 he impaired during these
domesiise troubles. Hence 10 large sqgadrons have
been maintained on foreign stations. Cruisers and
nen-owar have been sent out ordered 10 important
points to protect American interests end capture or
destroy tive few predatory loveTs which from time TO
tine have ventlTed abroad 10 depredate on our com
uerce
THE BLOCKADE.
The blockade OF coast line OF three thousand FIVE
hundred and fOrtynine rcs IN length greater N ex-
tent than the whole coast Of Europe from Cape Troal
earto Cape North, CndeT lking without eGcri
IN history During our last war win Great Britain,
when tat power had eight hlJdfed naval vessels IN
commission not a single port OF ts United States was
thOrO.gi closed. Tie most serious attempts OF the
great maritime power have consisted In enoeavos 70
interd trade az few o. tie pinep. ports Of bel
hgereaf. Immediately ter closing the poris OF the
States Rebellion. and giving that act the character
Ola blockade, The efforts Of ts department were d.
r.c.ed toward securing several harbOrs at compare
lively oqGicistant points bases operations for the
several squadrons, where our naval ycsse1 could re
ceive their supplies and naintain themselves at their
station and thor cruising ground without returning
tlportLern ports for repairs 0nd rentMentt 10 nave
done this would not Oy have endangered tho efficiency
bit in instances might rave involved an aOand0n'
Inen 0. The blockade To this end there were set on
tot ysIiols coast expeditions which have resulted IN
our taking pcscs 81 OF closing al the ports except
ig Wilmington. From various causes, Cape Fear
ryes more difficult to blockade than any port on the
coast v! the United States. Tie tWo main entrances
are forty miles apart arc these two Subayded into
ssgera others, each OF which affords entrance 20
Vessels. The water shoals gradually ard regularly to
erected along the coast SO that blockade runner Of
light draGgh not under .bc necessity Of making d.
recty COR the entrance, but can BY The lead run cose
under the land protected BY the batteries, and pass in
over the bar OF leisure Wien coming out, steamer
viii select her own TINE thus securing every adyar-
age aud bic can pass either Up down the coast before
making ofhlg, or She nay proceed streyht ont TO
sea trusting FOR her escape TO the night and fvoring
darkness and msts and the fact that she is under full
speed while the steamers bocEading must have low
steam.
Almost every vessel employed in yolating the block
ace has been rcten n Innllnl witt