On account of the emergency created by the great rebellion of 1861, a large increase in the number of officers of the navy became absolutely necessary. The number of vessels in the navy, of all kinds, on March 4, 1861, was 76; the number purchased during that year was 136, and the number constructed 52, making the total number of vessels in the navy in December, 1861, 264, or 188 more than March 4, 1861; and the number of enlisted men was increased during the same period from 7600 to 22,000. This great increase of vessels and men required more officers than the navy at that period, weakened by the withdrawal of many officers of all grades to engage in the rebellion, could furnish; hence the Secretary of the Navy, early in 1861, determined to appoint acting officers, or, as they were called, to distinguish them from regulars, volunteer officers. There were several sources from which this required supply of officers could be obtained: 1st, the officers who had, during time of peace, resigned; 2d, acting midshipmen who had resigned, before graduation from the naval school; 3d, those persons who had formerly served in the navy as petty officers and enlisted men; 4th, pilots and men employed in the western rivers; and, 5th, and by far the most prolific, the commercial marine. Those appointed from the commercial marine, while being good seamen, were not proficient in gunnery, and, besides, they lacked the advantages of naval training; therefore, they were generally ordered first for ordnance instruction and the requisite and proper training. Notwithstanding the stringent regulations for discipline peculiar to the navy, the military bearing and address required, and the disadvantages before referred to, the good services and record of these officers are attested, not only by the large number of promotions after examination, but by many promotions for gallantry in battle and for faithful service, and by the fact that after the close of the rebellion 4500 were honorably discharged with the thanks of the department, and many were admitted, after examination, to the regular navy and to the marine corps. During the year 1861 there were appointed 23 acting lieutenants, 29 acting volunteer lieutenants, 562 acting masters, about 300 masters' mates, 88 acting assistant surgeons, 93 acting assistant paymasters, 240 engineers, and 340 officers of all grades in the Mississippi squadron (those in the Mississippi squadron were mostly appointed early in the year 1862), a total of about 1700. The acting lieutenants were officers who had formerly served in the navy; the acting volunteer lieutenants had not previously served in the navy—at least, not as commissioned officers. Masters' mates having been in many cases appointed by commanding officers of navy yards, squadrons and vessels, under general authority from the Secretary of the Navy, considerable trouble is experienced in arriving at the precise number in that grade, but 300 is doubtless a fair approximation.
Between March 4, 1861, and July 24 of that year, all acting appointments were made as a "military necessity," without direct authorization of law, but the act of July 24 provided that the "temporary appointments made, or which may be made, by the Secretary of the Navy of acting lieutenants, acting paymasters, acting assistant surgeons, acting masters and masters' mates are ratified and confirmed as temporary acting appointments until the return of the vessels in which they are respectively employed, or until the suppression of the present insurrection, as may be deemed necessary." In July, 1862, the Secretary of the Navy began appointing acting ensigns, and the act of March 3, 1863, legalized the appointments.
As the rank of all the acting officers (except masters' mates) corresponded with that of regular officers of like grade, their pay was made the same. By the act of May 17, 1864, the appointments of acting commanders and acting lieut. commanders were authorized, and by the act of March 3, 1865, the appointments of acting passed assistant surgeons; and the same act directed that masters' mates (or acting masters' mates) should be styled mates, and also provided that mates could be rated from seamen and ordinary seamen, such rating not to discharge them from their enlistment. The rating of enlisted men as mates had, however, been previously authorized by the Secretary of the Navy under the department circular of October 7, 1863.
It is entirely impracticable to give anything like a fair and correct history of the individual services of these officers of the volunteer navy; indeed, such history would necessarily be incomplete, and there would, doubtless, be "invidious distinctions." Many acts of personal prowess were not specially reported, and, in the hurry and confusion incident to the times, the gallantry and meritorious services of not a few were unintentionally overlooked, or not properly recognized and rewarded. In the second year of the war (July 16, 1862), it was enacted that any person who shall have received, or shall hereafter receive, a temporary appointment as acting volunteer lieutenant, or acting master in the navy from civil life, may be confirmed in said appointment in the navy, and placed in line of promotion from the date of said confirmation if, upon the recommendation of the President, he receives the thanks of Congress for highly meritorious conduct in conflict with the enemy. Although no promotions were specially made under this act, there were many made for gallant and meritorious conduct, and at the close of the war a board was organized (act of July 25, 1866) for the examination of candidates from the volunteer for admission to the regular naval service. Any line officer who had served two or more years in the volunteer service was allowed to appear before the board. The number of candidates summoned to appear before the board was 426, the number appearing was 305, and the number found physically, mentally and professionally qualified was 64.
It should not be presumed that those admitted into the regular service were the only ones qualified therefore. A large majority entered the volunteer navy for the single and heroic purpose of giving their services, and, if need be, their lives, for the preservation of the Union. That object attained, and the authority of the government re-established on land and sea, resignations in large numbers immediately followed, the volunteer deeming his work and duty done, and the object for which he entered accomplished.
On May 1, 1865, the rebellion being then practically ended, the work of reducing the volunteer navy was commenced. The Secretary of the Navy ordered that, in mustering out volunteer officers, all in the service on that date should be allowed one month's leave of absence for each year of service. On the 1st of January, 1865, there were 5278 volunteer officers of all grades in the navy, while on the 1st of January, 1869, there were but 170, and on the 1st of January of the year following only 111.
It was not, however, until July 15, 1870, that all acts or parts of acts authorizing the appointment of temporary acting officers of the navy, except as to assistant surgeons, were repealed. The authority of the Secretary of the Navy to retain any volunteer officers after the close of the rebellion was given by the act of July 25, 1866, and the exercise of that authority was by the act made conditional upon its being required by the exigencies of the service.
Of the 64 officers mentioned above, the ex-volunteer line officers living at this date are Rear Admirals Ch. O'Neil and O. W. Farenholt, Captains G. R. Durand. J. K. Winn, W. H. Webb and C. A. Schetky; it is believed the latter is the oldest living officer in our service.
(The above information is from a clipping and data furnished by Admiral Farenholt.)