Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/19

Rh master John DeBree, chief of provisions and clothing; Surg. W. K. W. Spottswood, bureau of medicine and surgery; Edward M. Tidball, chief clerk. The Confed- erate government conferred commissions and warrants upon officers in accordance with their relative rank in the United States navy, and a more regular and satisfactory course of administration was entered upon.

By act of Congress, April 21, 1862, the navy was to consist of 4 admirals, 10 captains, 31 commanders, 100 first lieutenants, 25 second lieutenants, 20 masters in line of promotion, 12 paymasters, 40 assistant paymasters, 22 surgeons, 15 passed assistant surgeons, 30 assistant surgeons, i engineer-in-chief, and 12 engineers. But the Confederate navy register attached (see Appendix) gives the personnel of the navy on January i, 1864.

Commodore Lawrence Rousseau was put in command of the naval forces at New Orleans; Commodore Josiah Tattnall, at Savannah; Commodore French Forrest, at Norfolk; Commodore Duncan N. Ingraham, at Charleston, and Capt. Victor Randolph, at Mobile. Commodores Rousseau, Forrest and Tattnall were veterans of the war of 1812, and the last two had served with much distinction in the war with Mexico. The name of Tattnall is a household word among all English-speaking people on account of his chivalry in Eastern waters while commanding the East India squadron. Commodore Forrest, who had in 1856-58 commanded the Brazil squadron, threw up his commission when his native State (Virginia), seceded, and joined the South with the enthusiasm of a boy. His reward was small.

The secretary of the navy, Mr. Mallory, immediately turned his attention to the building of a navy. He entered into innumerable contracts, and gunboats were built on the Pamunkey, York, Tombigbee, Pedee and other rivers; but as these boats were mostly burned before completion, it is not necessary to enumerate them.