Special Duties of Officers-Duties of Admiral, etc.

ARTICLE III.

Special Duties of Officers.

DUTIES OF ADMIRAL.

19..The special duty of the Admiral is to command fleets of the United States, when acting together, in time of war.

20..He is to exercise supervision over fleets preparing for sea during war, and will see that they are fully equipped before sailing.

21.. When a fleet comes into a port, after an encounter with an enemy, the Admiral is to ascertain the extent of damages, and as soon as possible put the Department in possession of such information as will enable it to make good the injuries received at the earliest practicable moment.

22..It will be the duty of the Admiral to keep a record of the naval forces of all foreign powers, their strength on different stations, including number of guns and men, size of vessels, names of Commanding Officers, &c.; so that the Department can at any moment be supplied with this information.

23.. The Admiral will supply himself with information in regard to all foreign ports where vessels in time of war are liable to congregate, their facilities for supplies, friendliness or hostility of their governments to us, and all other information necessary to enable the Department to select the right class of vessels to send abroad. The Admiral is to make such suggestions to the Secretary of the Navy from time to time as will improve the discipline and efficiency of the service, and will draw his attention to imperfections, which, if allowed to exist, might prove of serious injury to the service.

24.. During the absence of the Admiral abroad, or during his illness, or other inability, the above duties shall be performed by the Vice-Admiral.

- DUTIES OF VICE-ADMIRAL.

25.. The Vice-Admiral may command a foreign station where a Rear-Admiral has immediate command of the squadron.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.

26.. The Commander-in-Chief of a fleet or a squadron shall enjoy

Duties of Commander-in-Chief.

the rights, honors, and prerogatives which pertain to his rank, from the day on which he hoists his flag to the day on which he hauls it down on his return to the United States. On assuming his command, he will make known the officers who are to compose his staff, in a general order.

27..If the fleet or squadron is to be equipped under his direction he will use every exertion to forward the work.

28..Should deficiencies or defects be discovered in any vessel assigned to his command, that may render her unfit for the service which is to be performed, he will represent them to the Secretary of the Navy.

29..Just before sailing for foreign service, and quarterly thereafter, he will notify the proper bureaus of the length of time for which the fleet or squadron is supplied with provisions and stores.

30..While in a port of the United States he will not allow any passengers to be received on board the vessels under his command, without the authority of the Secretary of the Navy.

31..Should he find it necessary to assume the immediate command of the ship which bears his flag, he will have the fact stated in the log-book.

32..He is to satisfy himself that the laws and regulations of the navy are maintained on board every vessel under his command, and also that all the special orders through the different bureaus of the Navy Department are strictly observed.

33..He may remove his flag to any vessel under his command. 34..He will report to the Secretary of the Navy his reasons for so changing his flag-ship.

35..He may designate the officer to command the vessel to which he removes his flag.

36..He will see that all vessels under his command are frequently practiced in exercising together in port, and in performing maneuvers at sea. The time taken by each vessel will be duly noted.

37..He will also frequently exercise the vessels under his command in making night and day signals, so as to insure accuracy in thus transmitting orders.

38.. When his fleet or squadron is ready for sea he will place it in the proper order of sailing.

Duties of Commander-in-Chief.

39..He will direct the course to be steered by the fleet or squadron when at sea.

40..He will direct whether the batteries shall be loaded on proceeding to sea.

41..He will investigate, particularly, the circumstances under which any of the vessels of his command may get out of line, or may separate from his company.

42..He will make himself well acquainted with the sailing and steaming qualities of the vessels under his command, and will also inform himself of the quantity of coal each vessel can carry, the amount used in average and in full steaming, during twenty-four hours.

43.. When he is about to anchor in a roadstead, or off a coast, he will signalize beforehand to the vessels under his command the position they are to take, how many anchors to let go, and how many fathoms of chain to veer out.

44..On arriving in a foreign port he is immediately to put himself in communication with the consular or diplomatic agent of the United States.

45..He will call in person, and pay the first visit to diplomatic functionaries of the United States whose rank is of and above that of chargé d'affaires.

46..He will inform himself, through the minister or consul, of the salutes and ceremonies usually observed, and govern himself accordingly.

47..He will pay all proper respect to the civil and naval authorities of the place, and he will make them the first visit, if the usual offer of civilities has been extended to him.

48..In the absence of a consular or diplomatic functionary, he will send an officer of his staff to call upon the local authorities to ascertain the custom of the place as to interchange of courtesies. 49..In saluting a place he will hoist its national ensign at the fore, and will be assured that gun for gun will be given in return. 50..In countries having treaty stipulations with the United States in regard to salutes, he will conform strictly thereto.

51.. When he shall absent himself from his command in a foreign port, to remain away more than twenty-four hours, his flag shall be kept flying on board the flag-ship, if either her Captain or the Chief

Duties of Commander-in-Chief.

of-Staff be next in rank; but if otherwise, it shall be hoisted, for the time being, on board the ship whose Commanding Officer is next in rank to himself.

52..He will preserve, so far as in him lies, the best feeling and the most cordial relations with the ministers and consuls of the United States on foreign stations, and will extend to them every official courtesy. He will also duly consider such information as they may have to give him relating to the interests of the United States, but he will not receive orders from such sources, and he will be responsible to the Secretary of the Navy, in the first place, for his acts.

53..He will not take upon himself the power of inflicting punishment upon the people of any civilized nation with whom we have treaties, for any violation, alleged or otherwise, of such treaties or of international law.

54..In the absence of a diplomatic representative of the United States, he will enter into correspondence on matters of this kind with the authorities of the nation which may be supposed to have been the aggressor, and will take the earliest opportunity to communicate all the information in his possession to the government of the United States.

55..He will do his utmost on all occasions to protect the commerce of the United States.

56..He may draw up such regulations as he may deem necessary for the preservation of health and of good order, on board the vessels under his command. He will forward a copy of these regulations to the Secretary of the Navy, by the earliest opportunity.

57..He will not retain either officers or crews upon a foreign station longer than the limit of a cruise, if it can possibly be avoided.

58..He will require the strictest economy to be observed in the expenditure and consumption of stores of all kinds, and he will avoid purchasing stores in foreign countries, unless it may be indispensably necessary to do so.

59..He will make every effort to support the fleet or squadron under his command on the supplies furnished by the government, and he will require the proper officers in the different departments to keep him informed in regard to stores on hand, in due season, so

Duties of Commander-in-Chief.

that he may take measures to procure supplies at points where government stores can be obtained.

60..He will not allow any stores to be disposed of, except by proper survey, nor will he permit any stores or munitions of war to be sent home, unless by his own order.

61..He will require the utmost economy in the consumption of fuel in steaming, by the vessels under his command, and he will not permit any duty to be performed under steam which can be accomplished under sail alone.

62..If he finds it necessary to charter a vessel to take home sick persons, or to carry provisions, or for other purposes, he will have a charter-party drawn up, which shall contain all the agreements between the contracting parties. He will retain one copy thereof, one copy will go to the master of the chartered vessel, and the third will be forwarded to the Navy Department.

63..When sick or disabled officers or men are to be sent home in a store-ship, or in a vessel chartered for the purpose, he shall order a board of medical officers to examine the vessel, to ascertain if everything necessary for the comfort of the invalids has been provided, and to report in writing, stating deficiencies, if any, and whence arising.

64..He shall not permit such vessel to sail until every possible provision for the comfort of the invalids has been made, and if necessary shall detail additional medical officers from the vessels of his fleet or squadron to accompany them.

65..All requisitions must receive his approval before purchases are made, unless in the case of vessels separated from him, so as to render this rule impracticable; in such cases, the requisitions must be approved by the senior officer present, and copies forwarded to the Commander-in-Chief by the first opportunity, accompanied with a statement of the reasons for the purchases so made.

66..In his presence, in ports where there is no regular agent of the United States, he will direct the paymaster of the fleet to make all necessary purchases on the most advantageous terms. The articles shall be selected by the officer in charge of the department for which they are required, who shall furnish to his Commanding Officer a certificate of the market value of each article by the quantity, or in detail, as the case may be.