The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-27

mington rioring last November. The
first Is the report OF the commanding
officer OF the naval battalion.
Hdq'rs. n. C. Naval Battalion,
L.. S. s. Hornet,
Wilmington, y. c., December, /, 1898.
Sir: ! have the honor TO submit
herewith my annual report as COM
mande of the naval battalion.
The present force is:
Commander and IL
Ielty stan Il
Division officers Is
Enlisted men 264
Total .............sos
The above are divided into FIVE divi-
sions located respectively at Whining
ton, Southport, Kinston, New Bern
and Elizabeth City, and they are a
thoroughly capable and efficient force,
| and a credit n honor TO North Caro-
lima There are naval ~battalions in
tw~enty-four states of the union and
none of them ave a better record for
efficiency than the North Carolina ma
val battalion; and in recognition of
this record, n especially the n dur
ing the late war, l have been elected
unanimously as the head of the en-
tire Naval Reserve Association of the
United States. an M for which I am
deeply grateful to our brother organi-
cations n prouder still of my own.
The North Carolina naval battalion
is comparatively a young organization
and but little is really known about il
by the masses in our state. 1t has
had a struggle for existence, owing to
the fac hat it has not had it's propor-
ton of state aid. The individual men,
bers have to buy their own uniforms,
! which are furnished fo the infantry
companies free by the state. This has
been a great burden, and We think an
unjust one, especially as under the
regulations ZACH enlisted man is sup
posed to have three, and the officers
eight, different uniforms. The Ia
department furnishes arms and ammu-
milton and ends us ships and boats,
but the expense of maintaining the
ship is considerable, and no state aid
is given us, and until within the past
two or three years no appropriation
was given the different divisions cor
responding to the companies of in
fantry.
The burden of keeping up the organi-
zation and the ship has fallen on a few
of us until now the individual members
have so much interest in it that the
expense is divided, but ever this
should not be. The members give their
time n make numerous personal sac
1llCGS LIN tIc al olIOulu SCl tdiIlly
bear the expense.
When the war with Spain was de-
clared the navy department wanted to
know what force I could furnish. 1 cor
responded with the various divisions
and they all volunteered solidly for
service anywhere their country might
need them. In the the gov
ernor had authorized me to represent
the state officially in all matters be-
fore the navy department, and so as
fast as they wanted men I made the
details.
On May 22nd I placed a signal crew
from the Elizabeth City division al
Cape Hatteras, one from the New Berr
division at Cape Lookout, and one
from the Wilmington division at Cape
F Fear.
/ . On May 4th I placed an entire crew
of 10 officers and men on the United
: States steamship Nantucket from thu
Wilmington, Southport and Kinstor
=, divisions, which crew served with dis
L tinction throughout the war and sue
5 cessfully handled and n~avigated thu
+, ship in all departments, and would
, have as successfully met the enemy
: had opportunity offered. I also fur
: nished one officer to m tn
United States steamship Waban, am
was myself appointed assistant to tn
chief of the United States auxiliary
naval lOTce III dSS1SICu "
l of the Sixth district, which extended
l from New River inlet, North Carolina
to Jupiter inlet, Florida, my flagship
being the United States steamship
Nantucket, of which I was in immedi
ate command. The number of ships
under my command varied. AT no tim
was there less than four, while tn
greatest was twenty-three.
I regret thai IT was impossible to ge
a the entire battalion into service as the
were all so anxious-some of the com
miSSioned officers volunteering to &c a
q petty officers if they could get in, blu
A.. the department had no ships availabl
, for a larger force.
L After the naval reserves were mus
: tered out of service the department
retained the United States steamship
Nantucket, which has been our prac
tice ship, thinking they would send he
to Cuba to guard some Of the ports
but we have succeeded in getting tn
q United States steamship Hornet, whic
n was one of the auxiliary vessels an
formerly the private yacht of Mr.. II
e NJ. F1agler and much better suited t
our needs than the Nantucket. The de
partment after giving us the ship coul
not spare a crew to bring her to us
> so I took a crew of forty men from thi
battalion and went to Norfolk nav
yard for her, and brought her to thi
city at our own expense. L tnlnk IN
state should appropriate money to pa
- for the minor repairs and to furnis
- coal for this ship so as to give us fire
quent practice trips and increase tn
III efficiency of the battalion.
I beg to also report that the Wi
y mington division and the Kinston WEI
- called into service of the state frol
~ November 10th to the 18th in quellin
y, the negro riots at Wilmington. The
both responded promptly, armed wit
ID Lee magazine rifles, he Wilmingto
IN division with it's Hotchkiss rapid-fl
IN gun and the Kinston division with i
TO Colts rapid-fire gun, and. in conjun'
a. ton with three infantry compani'
Id preserved the peace and restored qui
a and order and no CUB saved hume
= Gus lives; a full report Of which h;
been forwarded you through Colon
Walker Taylor, post commander.
/ beg to further state that a full TO
ter of the officers and men of this ba
e. talon who served in the late war wi
8, Spain has also been forwarded to yo'
- headquarters. which you can publ:
u u-;&I %L;. ~aDarf - wy, d0or1 II daCir