, 1864-12-07
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 7, 1864.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY
OF THE NAVY.
THE TRANSACTIONS OFTHE
NAVY DEPARTMENT DU.
RING TEE YEAR 1864.
The Observation-Disclosures Battle In
Mobile Bay---0perctions In James River
Tic Alabama aud the kears1rge---
Capture Of the Pirate FIofiaa---
Tie Mississippi FlotlIls--De-
struttl0s OF The Rebel
Ram Altenar4e,
etc, etc, etc.
General Exhibit Of the Strength Of
the Nasy, and Recommendations
for It's 1mProvement-Nav
Estimates for the Ensulng
Year, etc.. etc., etc.


only added to our naval renown but greatly pro-
nseIsd on national integrity and strength:
When The ,ssI change Of qdlnistratian took Place
begun-the forta, and assenals, and custom-hoNses,
and mfnts, and navy yards, and national property
oe rePs nad Ssaa
and ita dissemination to indicate the national
II au4 s 70 e9s
measures for the Tremendous conyu1siea which
threatening our existence as nation j
In Fix weeks after hnd entered upon tho admin
ietratton Of THIS department, bloekade, extend.
miles Of our coaet. was ordered; and for this stu
pcndous work, pronounced to be impracticabla by
The highest foreign authorities, We had feeble
navy. reduced to tie lowest peace establishment,
composed largely Of sailing vessels, most Of which
were dismlniled or dispersed abroad. OF the
limited number Of scamen authorized BY law, only
about tTo hundred were avallable ut all our naval
became demorplized and deserted. In this en-
feebled condition. without men, Or ships. Or ord
partneut was called npon to establish and enforce
the most extensive blockade that was ever unler-
10 make available every naval vessel, to recall
our foreign EQuadruna, to Increase oar force BY
building new vesseIs, aud by procuring foz nayas
purposes, from thc merchant service, every steam
Il Which could be made fighting vessel, to en-
large at the capacity Of the navy yards to put
In regulation the fornlries and workshops Of the
chfrcry. to auenirnt the number ofseamcp, and to
supply the deficiency Of officers bS selecting expe
rieaced and able shfpmsstcrs and others from the
and responsible dulits which were precipitated
upon The Department ut that exciting and interest
Ing period.
cd cansed in tmmense navy to spring into exist
enee, not to carry maritime ua1, for the rebels
had no navy to stimulate our sailors to glorious
deeds, nor commerce to reward their activity; bat
men, and ships, and ordnance, and supplies were
speedily collected for the oncro1a naval duties
needfnl 70 sustain our national unity aud preserve
Besides institutine the extensive blockade Of the
coast. nsvai expeditions werr organized at the
licss possible to assert and restore the na-
tionrl authority at important points within the In
Eurrccuonary region. The drst Of these c1pedi-
aons w2s organized and sailed from Hampton
Roads tn August. under the command Of Rear Adj
miral Strfnghan1, and resulted In the capture Of
nattcras, and Has the first rc-conQ est Of strong
position which was effected our coast This was
followed few weeks later by The yistos5 Of Rear
comnodious harbor for the ships Of the South
Atlantic squadron. The achievements on the
lower mississippi, where Re1E Admiral Far
New Orleans, md restored to the Union the COM
rurrcial metropolis OF the South, were accomplish
ed the following spring. Ihoae three important
feet than had ever been fitted ont on this cont.
| nent, md Two Of them seldom surpassed In naval
II Se 1n 1Sd n
! TO an immense blockade, which was ut the same
time 70 vigiantlJ and vigorously enforced that the
haustiDg severity. Other harbors and placcs have
Last being The bay Of Mobile and the fortiaeations
Officer Who had thrown open the Lower Missis.
| sippi to uninterrupted navigation two years be-
| fore. Nor have the prowess and skill Of our navy
the Union md our nntional supremacy, been felt
Ipon The scaboard alone. On our inland waters At
Fort Henry. at Donelson, at Shiloh, At Island No:
y, It Memphis, at Arkansas Post at Weksourg. At
Port Hudson, and at almost every important place
on the Mississippi, the Cumberland, the Tennes-
see and other MYERS Of the Southwest, the navy
shorty. 4 dect 0f mure than one hundred vessels
has been put alloat On those waters, and most ot
them ore now patrolfns those risers in the na'
1t has been the policy Of This department. rigidly
adhered to under all c.rcutnstanacs. aad froEa
or to permit The efficiency Of the blockade to be
| impaired during these domestic troubles. Hence
| nolargc equadrous have bcen maintained on for-
eiEn ttaticns. Cruisers Or iA:D-ofwar iafe ht.a
cent oIt ordered to important points to protect
American Interests, and cnptarc or destroy the
hnrc ycntrred abroad to deprcda.c Oh our com
| mcrCe.
| THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Tie Blockade Of coast line 0: three thousand
five Hundred and forty nine mites In length great
| er in extent than the WAtIv coast OF Europe from
Cape Trafalgar to Cape North, is an undertaking
without precedent In Aistory. Daring orr last Wi
with Great Britain, when that power had eight
hundred navel vessels in co mmission7 not single
port Of The United States WAS thropghly closed
The most sct1org attempts of the maritime pow
crs hare consisted Of cndcavors to iatcrlict trade
at few Of the principal ports Of bcnigerent In
1nedlately alter closing the ports OF the States IN
rebellion, and giving tlat act the character Of .
reeted I @ seca.inc &c several ha1sors At CON-
laratycly equidissant points, as bases OF opera
tioEa for the several sqnadrons, where our aaval
themselves at 1leir stations and on thelr cruisng
gre, I'd, without returning to northern ports ioi
repairs and reatments: To have done this would moi
only have endangered the efficiency, but In eomg
instances might have involved the abandonment
Of the blockade. To this end there were set on
foot various coaet expeditions which hare resulted
excepting Wilmington. From various causes,
Cape Fear River Is more dia5c1lt to blockade tha1
any port On the coast Of the United Ssatcs. Tht
these two are subdiridel into several otdera, each
Of which nfforris an entrance to vssscls- The
Mnter shoals gradually ard reEsnarly e to the shoEs
along the coaEt, 20 that blockade runner Of Hgh1
druusht is not under The necessity of ualsfng d.
os The pas by ths te1a
and pass IN over the bar at leisure. When coming
out, etearner will select her oTn time, thus Sc
sg ns az III
she may proceed etraight ont 10 sea, Trusting fo
her escape to the night and faroring darkness AM
Wilt Wilt aS tbe 81 Steamers @ biocEadpg must haye low
| EtcAE1.
Almost every vessel employed. in violating II.
sreat SKIN, regardless Of cost and With sole refer
ence to engaging In this Illicit trade, the profits
which arc almost rs remnr,erahre as those atteed
cliristcndom discountenances. and the most pow
erfnl maritime nations have combined In rain +
suppress yet The slave trade is carried On syithil
ed % hIoeEade. % % The cupidsty Of English merchants
aided hy their yaEt resources, together with tn
advantages derived from those triangu1aI depot
ports Of Halifax, Bermuda and Nassau, ports Ehicl
1Rill always be In sympathy with the enemies 3 g
hs I1, tndnsea theT e. to IN tn
making var upon onr Government, belongs to tha
/ code Of commercial morals which prompted th
smuggling of opium into China; and The rule e,
eehiSs:sc eehhias and n y 1melissns. not q Ensshnen t
Many who have failcd to make themselves nc
| unaintcd with the facts connected with the VII
nirEton blockade havc been severe IN thett cen
cd. The intelligent officers Of the nasa1 md mer
chant service Who have lnborca with qntirinS gen
ai as!tdnity and watched Titn elsspss. M v1grams nc
in all Weathe1s, stimulated BY the hope Of benef
Ing their country and receiving its thanks as We
AZ By every fndncemeut to fx1nc and rccunlary r
ward, II successful, do not concnr fl the opinio
that The port of Wilmington csn be entirely close
/ hTNrkAnR-
Convinced, rs this Department always has bee,
that ID necessary 10 take possession Of the entsa.
ces 80 az 10 Permit armed vessels Of light draugl
nha ant sas md a1
= operations for that purpose. Tha navy has Dec
st III times ready to perform its part in such an e:
Il @ eonjotns ' movement. @ Neither branch Of i
service can expect to be gueceesfn IN q attack a
d On this position independent OF the othez WGl
leune, Mobile. and Port Aoysi, either Of those 2
/ fat By reason d thc ehoalncss q Tie water,
ClnsiScly naval operation cannot be relied upon
WESTERN GCLP sQrApRoS-BATTLE N HoBu
uARnoR,
EAn object earnestly cherished By the navy, b
. the possession Of the bay Of Mobile In anticip
lion thai It would receive early attention, Rer
Admiral Fasragut 1ejoned hts squadron in Janu
: IS military demonstrations in Texas aud On B
The Bay Of Mobile, gnaroed at It's entrance
Two Imrosfng lorti8cahons, constructed ny Il
Fcderal Government In former years, was dff1cG
he 70 b!eekade. and Naa g one & Of the principal POI
o c a %h y h's 1nG to oae ct pesn
: sissippi would permit the detaehment Of d su
no
I'd I'd inE this purpose In view were commenced a
e then atandoned for army operations elseMhe!
Of tllis delay and OF the advantages. Of this 20
eT ticn, proceeded to the collection and contract
y y Of formidable navy. with ricw Of raising
,et 1he Information received was Of such char
ter that the Department deemed II lmpott3nt u
Of Rear Admiral Farragut should resume his co
arrived oG Mobile i was no part 9t the plans
= intentions Of that officer OF Of The Department
await the offensive movements Of the rebel GO
1nandcf. To attack, not to defend. Was his polit
and Il 7see With some fmpstience that he avail