Historical and Otherwise.
A brief review of the Naval Militia movement will show how it has grown out of an endeavor to create a national naval reserve of men and ships for war purposes, and how the original intention has been more or less modified in favor of local or State organizations of citizens of aquatic tastes rather than those of the strictly sea-faring class.
Historically, the first step may be said to have been taken by the introduction by Senator Whitthorne of Senate Bill 3320, on February 17th, 1887: "To create a Naval Reserve of auxiliary cruisers, officers, and men from the mercantile marine of the United States." This measure did not become a law, but as a result the Navy Department in 1887 prepared a plan of organization for a Naval Militia force based on a battery of 80 petty officers and men as a unit. On January 4th, 1888, Mr. Whitthorne introduced a bill (H. R. 1847) or which, on June 26th of the same year, he substituted H. R. 10,622, "To provide for the enrollment of a Naval Militia and the organization of naval forces." It made it lawful in States and Territories bordering on the sea and lake coasts or navigable rivers to enroll and designate as the Naval Militia, all sea-faring men of whatever calling or occupation, and all men engaged in the navigation of the rivers, lakes and other waters, all persons engaged in the construction and management of ships and crafts, or any part thereof, upon such waters, together with ship owners and their employees, yacht owners, members of yacht clubs, and all other associations for aquatic pursuits, and all ex-officers and former enlisted men of the navy. The limits of age were between eighteen and forty-five. The bill contemplated a naval reserve artillery and a naval reserve torpedo corps, the battery to consist of not less than four officers and eighty petty officers and men as the unit of the naval reserve artillery, and the crew to consist of not less than one officer and sixteen petty officers and men as the unit of the naval reserve torpedo corps. This measure did not become a law, but was the basis of State action in several States.
The Legislature of Massachusetts passed an act which was approved May 17th, 1888, establishing "A Naval Battalion to be attached to the Volunteer Militia." This was really the pioneer measure in the United States, but the organization under it was not completed till March 25th, 1890. The State of Pennsylvania, under an act approved April 26th, 1889, made provision for the establishment of not less than four companies "to constitute a Battalion to be known as the Naval Battalion of the National Guard of Pennsylvania." On the same day the Legislature of Rhode Island "established a Naval Battalion to be attached to the Rhode Island Militia." The Legislature of New York passed an act, approved June 14, 1889, to establish a State Naval Militia of. three battalions of Naval Reserve Artillery and a Naval Reserve Torpedo Corps to consist of not less than four companies to a battalion.
In 1890 little was done except in the way of perfecting the organizations in States which had passed laws. The Massachusetts Naval Battalion drilled on board the receiving ship Wabash and the New York Battalion on board the receiving ship Minnesota. The year 1891 was, however, a most important one. On March 2, 1891, Congress appropriated $25,000 for arms and equipments for the Naval Militia, and in June the Department issued regulations governing the disbursement of the fund pro rata, one allotment being paid on July 1st and a reserve allotted on October 1st. On March 31, 1891, an act was approved in California for a naval battalion. The Governor of North Carolina granted permission (September 23d) for the formation of a battalion of naval artillery, to consist of not less than two batteries, as a part of the National Guard. No law was passed directly authorizing the establishment of a naval militia. In the same way the Galveston Artillery Company was ordered by the Governor of Texas enrolled as a "battery for sea-coast defense," and was recognized by the Department as a naval militia force in Texas.
On October 1st, 1891, the total militia strength was (officers and men) as follows:
California, 371
New York, 342
Massachusetts, 238
North Carolina, 101
Rhode Island, 54
Texas, 43
Total, 1149
On August 25, 1 891, the oyster police force of Maryland reorganized as a Naval Reserve Battalion of three companies, but it was not recognized by the Department till the next year. Pennsylvania organized as a civic organization in September, 1891, but was not mustered in till the following year.
During July, 1891, the naval battalions of Massachusetts and New York, with the Rhode Island naval militia distributed amongst them as volunteers, were drilled on board the vessels of the Squadron of Evolution under the command of Rear Admiral J.G. Walker, U.S. Navy.
The acts of Congress annually appropriating $25,000 for "arms and equipment" for the Naval Militia leave the disbursement of this sum "under such regulations as the Secretary of the Navy may prescribe." The regulations issued by the Department, August 23, 1892, contained a proviso to the effect that $20,000 should be allotted on October 1st and the remaining $5000 on December 1, 1892, "to be apportioned among those States whose Naval Militia (or a detachment thereof) have actually drilled on board a vessel-of-war for a period of not less than four consecutive days at some time between June 1st and December 1, 1892, to be distributed in the proportion which the detachment so drilled from each State bears to the whole number so drilled from all the States," etc.
During 1892 the legislatures of Maryland, Vermont and South Carolina passed acts relating to the Naval Militia, approved respectively April 7th, November 21st and December 15th. The Lafayette Artillery of Charleston, S. C, and the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery of the same State transferred to the Naval Militia, and the Galveston Artillery dropped out. On May 18th the Pennsylvania organization made application to the Governor of that State to be enrolled, but owing to the troubles at Homestead, Pa., this was not done till October 29th, too late to share in the annual appropriation for that year.
The returns of officers and men for October, 1892, were as follows:
Rhode Island, 58
Maryland, 124
South Carolina, 208
North Carolina, 296
Massachusetts, 331
California, 376
New York, 401
Total, 1794
During the summer of 1892 the Naval Militia organizations were drilled as follows:
Forty officers and men of the North Carolina Naval Militia paid their own expenses to Norfolk, Va., there being no appropriation by the State, and were quartered on the Franklin from June 13th to 18th and drilled on board the Newark. The Massachusetts Naval Militia were drilled on board of the Wabash, Chicago and Atlanta from July 5th to 9th, and the New York divisions on board the New Hampshire, Chicago and Atlanta, July 11th to 23d. The California Naval Militia drilled at various times in August and early in October on board the Charleston.
In 1893 the following States passed laws relating to the Naval Militia, which were approved on the dates named: North Carolina, March 6; Michigan, May 31; Illinois, June 21; Connecticut, July 1; and Georgia, December 19. In the regulations of the Department governing the distribution of the annual appropriation for 1893, "only uniformed petty officers and enlisted men" were hereafter to be considered in making the apportionment, one-half of the allotment due any State to be withheld until the Governor shall inform the Department officially "that a proper naval uniform has been adopted and issued to its Naval Militia." Notice was also given that all arms and equipment issued by the Department should remain the property of the United States and should be receipted for and annually accounted for on blank forms furnished by the Department.
By a joint resolution of Congress, approved November 3, 1893 the model battle-ship Illinois at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago was transferred to the State of Illinois as a naval armory for the use of the Naval Militia of that State.
The annual return of the strength of the Naval Militia (petty officers and enlisted men) in the various States for 1893 was as follows:
Massachusetts, 589
Rhode Island, 119
New York, 410
Pennsylvania, 150
Maryland, 130
North Carolina, 262
South Carolina, 204
California, 301
Illinois, 211
Total, 2376
During the summer of 1893 the following facilities were afforded the Naval Militia for drill and instruction on naval vessels: The Naval Militia of Massachusetts were embarked on the San Francisco and Miantonomoh from July 18th to 21st, a sufficient number of their regular crews having been temporarily transferred to the Wabash to make room for them. The Bristol Division of the Rhode Island Naval Militia were embarked on board the Miantonomoh for four days' drill. A part of the Philadelphia divisions of the Pennsylvania Naval Militia and the two separate Rochester divisions of the New York Naval Militia received four days' instruction at sea on the flagship San Francisco, a sufficient number of the regular crew of the ship being transferred to the Vermont to make room for them. The 1st battalion of the New York Naval Militia spent a week on board of the old line-of-battle ship New Hampshire at anchor in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. The North Carolina Naval Militia received four days' instruction in drill and target practice on the Kearsarge. After their tour of duty the monitor Nantucket was turned over to the Governor of North Carolina for the use of the Naval Militia of that State. Owing to a disastrous storm on the coast the Naval Militia of South Carolina did not go to sea on the Kearsarge as intended, and owing to the fact that no man-of-war was available on the Pacific Coast the Naval Militia of California did not get a cruise.
In 1894 New Jersey and Virginia passed laws authorizing the formation of Naval Militia battalions, and Michigan and Connecticut organized divisions at Detroit and New Haven respectively. A bill was introduced in Congress authorizing the formation of a battalion in the District of Columbia, but it did not become a law. An act was passed by Congress and approved August 3, 1894, authorizing and empowering the Secretary of the Navy to loan temporarily to any State vessels of the Navy not suitable or required for general service, together with such of her apparel, charts, books and instruments of navigation as he may deem proper, said vessel to be used only by the regularly organized Naval Militia of the State for the purposes of drill and instruction."
The annual return of petty officers and enlisted men in the Naval Militia organizations of the various States for 1894 was as follows:
Massachusetts, 448
North Carolina, 168
Rhode Island, 113
South Carolina, 208
Connecticut, 65
California, 320
New York, 432
Illinois, 367
Pennsylvania, 217
Michigan, 73
Maryland, 128
Total, 2539
During the summer of 1894 the Naval Militia organizations received instruction on board naval vessels as follows: Massachusetts encamped her brigade on Lovell's Island, Boston Harbor. During the encampment the monitor Passaic was loaned to this State, and drills and target practice were had on board the Miantonomoh and Atlanta. The two divisions of Rhode Island drilled on board the Miantonomoh. Connecticut's force received instruction on the Atlanta in Long Island Sound. New York's battalion and the two separate divisions from Rochester spent a week on board the New York and San Francisco in Gardiner's Bay, Long Island. The Pennsylvania contingent from Philadelphia and Pittsburg were embarked on the New York and incidentally had target practice at sea. The Montgomery co-operated with the Nantucket at Smithport, N. C, in instructing the battalion of North Carolina. Maryland and South Carolina did not avail themselves of an offer to embark for instruction. No ship was available for the forces of California, Illinois or Michigan.
Suggestions as to Organization.
In most of the States the naval militia laws and regulations are practically those of the general military code of the State with a few additional sections or chapters devoted to their peculiar needs. For this reason it is impossible to more than suggest a few leading features which will tend to make the organizations more uniform.
Provision should be made for the performance of the annual tour of duty outside of the limits of the State whenever in the judgment of the commander-in-chief of the State forces it shall be expedient to do so, especially where a scheme of joint instruction shall be proposed by the Navy Department at some important strategic point in an adjacent State.
The rank and designation of commissioned and petty officers of the naval militia should be the same as the corresponding ranks in the navy. The commissioned officers should be designated in the law, but the number and rank of petty officers should be such as the commander-in-chief of the State forces may from time to time prescribe. This will enable changes to be made to correspond with any new or changed ratings in the navy without the necessity for appealing to the legislature from time to time to amend the law.
The pay should be the same as that of commissioned officers, petty officers, and seamen of the navy of corresponding grades or classes. Where four days of the annual tour of duty shall be spent in boat reconnaissance work or cruising, or where one or more vessels of the navy shall co-operate with the organization during said period for purposes of instruction, the duty shall count as "sea duty," and the pay shall be "sea pay" for the tour. Where the organization is called out by the State for local purposes in time of riot or domestic violence, or for other causes, the duty shall be regarded as "shore or other duty," unless performed afloat, and the pay shall be "shore pay."
What are known as "companies" in infantry or "batteries" in artillery should, in the naval militia organizations, be designated as divisions. From two to four divisions should constitute a battalion, and from two to four battalions a brigade, designated as a naval brigade. The naval battalions should be treated as battalions, and not as part of a regiment of the national guard or land militia of the State. The maximum number of petty officers and men in a division should be one hundred. The minimum may vary in each State according to discretion, but a certain group unit should be recognized. Sixteen men and one petty officer is the minimum subdivision or group unit. This is a boat's crew, a section of artillery (field), a torpedo crew, or an engineer's section. It will also be a unit or multiple in the new infantry tactics. To each division there may therefore be attached groups of the artificer or special classes as additional to the small divisions in some of the States. The number and ratings of the petty officers should be regulated, as before stated, from State headquarters.
The officers of the naval brigade should consist of a captain as chief of brigade, and a staff consisting of one commander as chief of staff and executive officer; one lieutenant as brigade adjutant and chief navigating officer; one lieutenant as chief signal, ordnance and equipment officer; one paymaster, one surgeon, and one chief engineer of the relative rank of lieutenant; one ensign as signal officer, and one ensign as aide to chief of brigade. These officers should be chosen and commissioned as soon as two battalions are completely organized.
Where the maximum organization allowed in a State by law is a battalion, the commanding officer should be a commander and the executive officer a lieutenant-commander. To each battalion in a brigade organization, however, there should be one lieutenant-commander to command the same; and a staff officer to consist of one lieutenant as battalion adjutant and executive officer, one lieutenant as navigating, ordnance and equipment officer, one ensign as signal officer and assistant to navigating, ordnance and equipment officer; one surgeon and one paymaster of the relative rank of lieutenant (junior grade), and one assistant surgeon of the relative rank of ensign. To each division there should be one lieutenant to command the same, one lieutenant (junior grade), and one ensign. Each separate part of a battalion not in the same county of the State as the battalion headquarters should have one assistant surgeon of the relative rank of ensign, and one additional ensign for each division.
A very good regulation obtains in Connecticut by which seamen are divided into three classes, 1st, 2d, and 3d, although the pay is the same. The power to rate or disrate should be lodged with the commanding officer, to thus give him power to discipline or reward men, and to discriminate between recruits and those who have served some time and are efficient.
The necessary outfit to completely equip a brigade, battalion, or division of the naval militia is outlined in the annual report for this year.
The uniform of both officers and men should be of a naval pattern, but the State coat-of-arms should be worn in conjunction with rank devices.