The New York herald., 1864-12-08
Tho Pirates and Piratical
Cruisers.
10 the Tallahassee Still Registered In
Livsrpssl ~ . British Shipl
Two Hundred and Three Vessels Built for the
Navy Since the War Began.
Recommendation to Create the
Grade Of Vice Admiral for
Admiral Farragut,

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NAVY DEPARTMENT, Dec. s, 1854.
Sin I'm submttingIthe annual report Of the trans
actions Of department and Of the navy with those OF
the several for the year, 1t affords pleasure
TO assure you the condition Of Affairs Is satisfactory
and the discipline and efficiency OF the service
tinue to be faithfully maintained After many years Of
peace comparative Inactivity the officers and sailors
navy suddenly called to the performance Of
aordsuary and exactng duties, and during nearly
10 ycsrs OF exhausting civil war they have manifested
their attachment the Union and their fidelity tho
n.iona nag BY rigidy enforcing gigantic blockade OF
coast BY viganty parong the great national rivers
o. the interior and BY succession Of and coast
wise expeditions achievements which have not only
added 70 our naval rsnown, but greatly promoted
nationa integrity snd strength.
whsn the change Of administration took place March,
1854, Tho had already been virtually beaun--the
forts, and arseuas, and custom houses mints and
yards and national property within the rebel States
had boon seized without resistance The retiring admin
stration manested ,ss nabityt assert the national
authority and h dsincnation to vindioate the nat iona
supremacy, and CLOSED term, and that Of the Thirty
sixth Congress- Without any preparatory for
the Gsmesdsus 6onyulsiea which even then shaking
the uasn ~ insssrs threatening our existence q
nation. !.
In six weeks aftsr he'd estered spen the admnistsa.
tou q shls department. blockade extesdine over more
than hree thoand i've hundred miles OF our osast was
ordsssl and Tor ths stupsadous work. pronounced 20
10 upssctabh ~ the highest foreign auhoritIcs We
had fesb navy reduced 70 lowest peace establish
msss oenVessd largely u sailing vessels most Of which
wsss dssantlsd or dssperssd abroad. OF tSS limited
nsnsse q sssnsa sase:iEss By law, only about two
hunArsA wss Sys.as.s ~ al our naval stations and
rsosne s6ps. Many Of the oncsrs became demoralzsd
dsssrtsA In ths snsesbsd condition, without men,
Alps, ordnance, resources placed at s dsposa
The department called upon 10 establish and enforce
the extensive blockade thai undertaken
bs sdsosuaily maintained by any nasios.
70 nsks available every naval vessel, 70 recall
foreign squadrons TO force BY building
vessels and By procuring for naval purposes from the
merchant servics every steamer which could be made
fighting vessel ITO enlarge at the capacyf the navy
yars 70 put requssion the foupdriss and workshops
Of the country for supplies Of ordnance and steam
chnery to augment the number OF and to sup
ply the deficiency Of officers BY selecting experienced
and able shipmasters and others from the commercial
marne The important and responsible duties
which prec pitAted upon the department at that
exciting and Interesting period
the measures promptly and eucrecticaily adopted
caused immense navy 70 spring into existence not TO
stimulate our sailors 10 glorious deeds nor commerce to
reward their activity but men, and ships and ordnance,
and supplies speedily collected for the naval
duties nesdfu to sustain national unity and preserve
our national rights,
besides insIitutug the extensive blockade OF the
coast naval expeditions organized al the earliest
possibe period 10 assert and restore the national
authority at important points within the usurrectiooary
region The first OF these expeditions was ganzed and
sailed from Hampton Roads in august under the
msnd OF Rear Admiral striusham, and resulted the
capture OF Hattefas and was the first reconqusst OF
strong osition which effected coast. Tbs
was iooweda few weeks later by the victory OF Rear
Admiral Dupont at Port Royal, which secured commo
dous harbor for the shTs OF the South squadron
The achievements the lower Mississippi, where Rear
Admiral Farrae dashed open the gates OF the passage
20 New Orleans restored TO the Onion the CONNER.
cia metropolis OF the SOUTH were accomplished the fol-
pr.ins = each case larger 3es than had ever been
ntsd out this continent, and two o. them
saused ana carried INTO execution in the nrst year
The IN addition 70 an immense blockade. which was
the vigilantly AID vigorously enforced
that the rebels even fell blamed of
bausng severity Other harbors and places have from
time lime been seized spd occupied the last being the
Bay OF Mobile and the forti1cstions Its entrance,
enected by the distinguished officer who had thrown
Two years before Nor have the prowsss and skill Of
navy In this unhappy contest involving the integrity
the ssaboard alone ON our inland waters at Fort Henry
at Donesop, at sh on al sisnd No TO- al Memphis, at
ns. every imp mant place On The Missssippi the Cum
berfand, the Tenpeesee and other rivers OF the south
useo, 's suascs,y fe., Os msre shau ono huudrsd
vessels has put hoat those waters, and
thsp now pssrolins those rivers in tho national
has been The policy Of this department. rlsdly ad
pos ,uelf 20 be divsr,sd never 70 perm the
efficiency Of the blockade to be impaired during these
domestic troubles Hence no large squadrcps have been
msintaiucd foreign citations Crusers nd men orws
have been sent out or ordered 70 prant POINTS TO pro
tsct american interests and capture destroy the few
predatory royers which from time 10 time have vsutured
abroad 70 deprcds,e on our commerce.
80 ktfel
The blockade o. cosst line sf thYoe Thousand ave hun
dred and forty pne miles 10 length greater 10 extent
than the whole coast OF Europe Cape trafalgar 20
CAPE North, h an undertaking without precedent IN his
tory During last with Great Britain when that
Power had c}sh huudrcd naval vessels ssicn,
not single port OF the United thoroughly
cosed Tne most serious attempts OF the great maritime
Powers have consisted In eudeavors TO ioterdic ade 1T
after closing The rts of the states IN rebeion giv
Jog that OF block de the Efforts OF this
Department directed towards securing bar
bors At comparatively equ distant poius as b1ees Of
sesel could receive their supplies nrd nsnfain them
seves their stations aud on their cruising ground with
uretoruny 20 Northern rors for repairs and rentents
10 have done ths would not cniy hsve endangered the
efficiency, bet lD INST fnkht have involved
kbapdonm o. the blockade To this eud there were
oct various coast expeditions when have resulted 10 our
sskna possession OF or closing AL the porte excepting W.T.
nlnstcn Prom various csuses Osle fesr river more
dmeut 70 eocksde than any port on tue eoast or the
Lnlted states. The two maid entrances ere forty
mlw spart ana these two suo divided nto
70 vesseh lbe water sboais stsousi,y end regus
unV 70 tne lthore Hne,t aud numerous fsoihtsd
bsuerscs are erected along the coast 40 hat blockade
ruSer % IN saasht " not utder the pecesswy or
run under hard Soteced Nv ,se nd
psss 70 over tse bar at lesere. wren coming oit n
steamer YIN ss,ss. n owu time, thus s,cariss every
ss,a,s ne sns e. pass either up o. down ths coast
L. o. ,rusf fr bsr escape % bs uIsht ana rsyo,suc
esxbtss ana inssss taq hss ns, sse uudsv mi
tpssd, vhi'ssshs sssmeSs blsctsdur mus, hsvs low
Auost everv vessai s,rnior.s Ia xto,..t.. -. -,