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Regulations for the Navy of the Confederate States, 1862

ARTICLE 1.
Constant attention to duty enjoined on all.

All persons in the navy are to be constant in their attention to their duties, never absenting themselves therefrom without the consent of their immediate commanding officer, nor remaining out of the vessels to which they may belong during the night, after the watch is set, without express permission to that effect from the commander of the vessel, or from the commander-in-chief of the fleet or squadron.

ARTICLE 2.
Officers to conduct themselves with respect to their superiors.

All persons of the navy shall conduct themselves with respect to their superiors, and show every proper attention to those under their orders, having due regard to their situation; and all officers are required to set an example of morality, subordination, and attention to duty.

ARTICLE 3.
If an inferior feels himself aggrieved.

If an officer shall consider himself oppressed by his superior, or observe any misconduct in him, he is not, on that account, to fail in his respect to him; but he is to represent, through the proper channel, such oppression or misconduct to the captain of the vessel, or commander of the yard, to the commander-in-chief of the fleet or squadron, or to the Secretary of the Navy, in the manner prescribed for official correspondence.

ARTICLE 4.
If any person knows of any fraud.

If any person belonging to the navy shall know of any fraud, collusion, or improper conduct in any agent, contractor, or other person employed in matters connected with the naval service, he shall report the same in writing, through the prescribed channel, to the proper officer, or to the Navy Department.   But he must in all cases specify the particular acts of misconduct or collusion, and state the means of proving the same; and he will be held strictly accountable for any frivolous or vexatious charges he may exhibit. 

ARTICLE 5.
If an officer shall receive an order contrary to his instructions.

If an officer shall receive an order from his superior contrary to any particular order of any other superior, or to the instructions or general orders from the department, he shall respectfully represent (in writing when practicable) such contrariety to the superior officer from whom he shall have received the last order; and if, after such representation, the superior officer shall still insist upon the execution of his order, the officer is to obey him, and report the circumstances to the officer from whom he received the original order, if practicable.

ARTICLE 6.
If an officer is diverted from any duty.

Every officer who shall divert another from any service upon which he may be ordered by a common superior, or require him to act contrary to the orders of such common superior, or interfere with those under his command, must show to the department, or to the officer under whose order he may be acting, that the public interests required it.

ARTICLE 7.
Orders countermanding other orders to be given in writing.

All orders countermanding a written order from a common superior shall be given in writing, when practicable.

ARTICLE 8.
No person to exchange with another for the performance of any duty.

No person in the navy shall, without having obtained authority from his superior or commanding officer, exchange with another for the performance of a duty with which he is charged.

ARTICLE 9.
When a commander of a fleet or single vessel meets with his superior.

When any officer in command of a fleet, squadron, or single ship shall meet with his superior or senior officer, also in command, he shall wait on him, show him his orders or instructions, and consider himself under his  command while he is in his presence.   But if the superior shall give him an order at all at variance with his intended course, and if he shall have sealed or secret orders, he shall at once make it known to such superior officer, who will not then interfere with his command, unless it be absolutely necessary for the public service; and in that case his original instructions are to be fulfilled as soon thereafter as practicable, and a full report made to the authority by which they were issued.

ARTICLE 10.
No deviation allowed in armament or equipment.

No deviation is to be made from the directions which the Navy Department may issue in relation to the construction, repair, arrangement, armament, and equipment of vessels, without its previous sanction, except in cases of absolute necessity occurring out of the Confederate States; and in such cases the alteration, and the effects produced by it, and the expense attending it, are to be reported to the department as soon thereafter as practicable.

ARTICLE 11.
To avoid unnecessary expenditures.

Every officer is strictly enjoined to avoid all unnecessary expenditures of public moneys or stores; and, as far as may be in his power, to prevent the same in others, and to encourage the strictest economy that may be consistent with the interests of the service; and all persons in the navy will be answerable for any wasteful or improper expense which they may direct or authorize.

ARTICLE 12.
No public stores to be appropriated to private use.

No article of public stores is ever to be appropriated to the private use of any person not in distress, without the consent of the Navy Department, or by order of the senior officer present in command, who shall give the earliest information to the department of the circumstances, and shall be careful to take the best security which the nature of the case will admit, so that the articles or their value may be refunded to the Confederate States.

ARTICLE 13.
Mechanics on board ships on foreign stations allowed to repair merchant vessels.

Mechanics on board ships on foreign stations may be allowed to repair vessels belonging to the merchant service of the Confederate States in cases where a refusal to do so would of necessity impose injurious delays, or greatly increase the expenses upon the merchant vessel.   In such cases the mechanics may receive such compensation as the owner, consignee, or master of such merchant vessel shall chose to give, and their commander shall consider fair and proper.

ARTICLE 14.
No officer to receive compensation.

No officer in the navy, in like cases, shall either claim or receive any compensation whatever.

ARTICLE 15.
Gratuitous assistance to be given, when.

In all cases of distress gratuitous assistance is to be given, as heretofore, to the fullest extent practicable.

ARTICLE 16.
No person in the navy to be interested in procuring supplies.

All persons employed in the navy, or for naval purposes, are strictly prohibited from having any interest in purchases or contracts for supplies of any kind for the navy, or in any works appertaining to it; neither shall they receive any emolument or gratuity of any kind from any contractor or other person furnishing supplies, either directly or indirectly, nor act as agent or attorney for any contractor on account of purchases, contracts, or works for the navy or for naval purposes.

ARTICLE 17.
Tattoos to be beaten and colors to be hoisted, when.

When the sun sets at or after six o’clock, the tattoo shall be beat at nine o’clock in the evening, and the colors be hoisted at eight o’clock in the morning; and when it sets before six o’clock, the tattoo shall be beat at eight o’clock in the evening, and the colors shall be hoisted at nine o’clock in the morning.

ARTICLE 18.
Lights and fires to be extinguished, when.

All fires and lights, except those necessary for the service of the vessel, or especially allowed by the commanding officer, shall be extinguished at tattoo, excepting the lights used by the commission officers, which shall be extinguished at ten p.m., and those used by warrant officers, which shall be extinguished at nine p.m., unless otherwise directed or allowed in special cases by the commanding officer of the vessel.

ARTICLE 19.
When criminal process is issued by civil authority.

In the execution of criminal process issued by civil authorities, officers are to furnish active assistance within their commands when legally required.

ARTICLE 20.
No person to be discharged without order, from whom.

No commander of a vessel of the navy whilst absent from the Confederate States is ever to discharge from the naval service any petty officer, seaman, ordinary seaman, landsman, marine, fireman, coal heaver, or boy, except by order of the Secretary of the Navy, or the sentence of a court martial, or as provided for in Article 21 and whenever men are so discharged a report of all the circumstances attending the same must be made to the department, and information at once given to the nearest consul of the Confederate States, that he may regulate his conduct towards the person discharged with a full knowledge of the facts.

ARTICLE 21.
Enlisted men whose terms of service have expired while on a foreign station may be discharged.

Petty officers, seamen, ordinary seamen, landsmen, marines, firemen, coal heavers, and boys, whose terms of service may expire on a foreign station, may be discharged by order of the senior officer present, at their request, if the interests of the public service will admit of it.

ARTICLE 22.
When persons are found unfit for service.

Whenever, in the opinion of the commander of a vessel of the navy, any person of her crew is unfit for service, he shall report the same to the senior officer in command, whose duty it shall be to order a survey to be held upon such person by one or more medical officers, three if practicable, who shall examine the person and report upon his condition, and, if found “unfit for service,” shall state as far as practicable the nature and origin of his disability; the report of the survey to be transmitted in duplicate to the Secretary of the Navy, or to the commander-in-chief of the fleet or squadron for decision.

ARTICLE 23.
Enlisted persons may be discharged, when.

Persons enlisted for the naval service, and serving on board vessels within the Confederate States, may be discharged from service by order of the commander of the vessel or of the station, for either of the following reasons: expiration of service, or unfitness for service from causes ascertained by survey to have existed prior to enlistment.

ARTICLE 24.
No person to be transferred from one vessel to another in the Confederate States, unless.

No commander of a vessel of the navy, when in the Confederate States, is ever to transfer any person belonging to his vessel to any other vessel or station, unless by authority of the Secretary of the Navy; nor shall transfers of officers from one vessel to another vessel of the same squadron be made on foreign service, unless the interests of the public service imperatively require it.

ARTICLE 25.
Accounts of persons transferred.

When any person shall be transferred from one vessel, navy yard, or station, to any other vessel, navy yard, or station, or to any prize, the commander of the vessel, navy yard, or station, from which such person may be sent shall take care that he is accompanied by a correct statement of his account duly signed by the paymaster and himself 

ARTICLE 26.
Gambling and drunkenness prohibited.

Gambling and drunkenness is strictly prohibited on board the vessels of the navy and in the navy yards.

ARTICLE 27.
Officers incurring debts upon a foreign station.

Should any officer of the navy so far forget what is due to his own honor, and to the honor of the service of which he is a member, as to incur debts upon a foreign station which the pay then due to him, or his other immediate resources will not enable him to discharge; or if he should leave any foreign port without first paying every debt which he may have incurred, and it should come to the knowledge of the captain or commander of the vessel, it shall be the duty of such captain or commanding officer to make report of the facts and circumstances to the commander of the squadron if on a foreign station, or to the Secretary of the Navy if within the Confederate States, that a court martial may be ordered, or such other course adopted as the circumstances of the case and the honor of the service may require.

ARTICLE 28.
Officers to advise the department of their address.

Officers of the navy not on duty will keep the department at all times advised of their address.

ARTICLE 29.
On being detached, to advise the department of address and change of residence.

Officers on being detached from duty, will immediately inform the department of their intended place of residence; and notice must be given of any contemplated change before such change shall have been made.

ARTICLE 30.
To acknowledge receipt of orders.

Officers will promptly acknowledge the receipt of orders, and inform the department immediately on their having reported in obedience to them.

ARTICLE 31.
Officers traveling, &c., to communicate useful information to the government.

Officers on foreign service, or traveling in foreign countries, shall communicate to the commander-in-chief of the squadron, or to the Secretary of the Navy, any information they may acquire that will be useful to the government of the Confederate States.

ARTICLE 32.
When two or more vessels meet.

When two or more vessels, whether belonging to the same squadron or not, shall meet, the motions of the ship commanded by the senior officer shall be followed by the others.

ARTICLE 33.
Boats to carry national flag.

In foreign ports, and in communicating with foreign vessels, every boat will carry the national ensign, unless otherwise ordered by the commanding officer.

ARTICLE 34.
All important orders to officer of the deck at night to be given in writing.

All important orders to the officer of the deck, for the duties of the vessel during the night, whether given by the captain or by the executive officer must be in writing.

ARTICLE 35.
Every officer of the navy is enjoined to discourage dueling.

Every officer of the navy is enjoined to discourage dueling, and should he have reason to believe that a duel is likely to occur, in which naval officers are to be participants, it shall be his duty, all other means failing, to report it to his commanding officer.

ARTICLE 36.
If an officer is promoted while in command.

If any officer shall, while in command of a vessel on foreign service, be promoted to a higher rank, he is not on that account to be removed from his command or position, until instructions shall be received from the Secretary of the Navy.

ARTICLE 37.
Money, plate, jewels, or other treasure, may be.

Money, plate, jewels, or other treasure, may be, and if the property of citizens of the Confederate States, if in jeopardy, shall, on demand, be received on board any vessel of the Confederate Navy, on freight or for safe keeping, but no per centage shall be received from the shippers, or owners of said treasure.

ARTICLE 38.
Combinations of officers or others prohibited.

Combinations of officers or others for the purposes of remonstrating against the orders of a superior, or complaining of the details of duty or of service, are strictly forbidden.   If an individual believes that he has cause to complain or remonstrate, he may do so either in writing or personally; but any combination of two or more in such complaint or remonstrance is to be considered insubordinate and factious, and may be punished at the discretion of a court martial.   No person is to delay obedience to an order for the purpose of remonstrating or complaining.

ARTICLE 39.
Demand for the delivery of a deserter.

If a deserter from any vessel of the Confederate States shall take refuge on board a foreign vessel of war, the senior officer present shall make a formal demand for his delivery; but if the demand shall be refused, he shall not resort to force whatever may be his strength, but shall report the circumstances to his government.

ARTICLE 40.
Parties of twenty or upwards to be commanded by a lieutenant or master.

Every party detailed for duty out of the ship, or shore, or elsewhere, shall, when the party consists of twenty men or more, be commanded by an officer not below the rank of lieutenant or master.

ARTICLE 41.
Officers’ duties are not limited to those prescribed in these regulations, but are promptly to obey all orders.

Notwithstanding there are particular duties prescribed for different officers by these regulations, yet it is not intended to limit their duties to those specified, but they are promptly to obey all orders which they may receive from their commanding officers, who are required to take care that every officer performs his duties and obeys all legal orders in a proper manner.

ARTICLE 42.
Offenders to be reported.

Any officer who may witness or be cognizant of any crime or misdemeanor on the part of any person in the navy, is to report the same to the proper authority, not secretly, but informing the person reported of his having done so in obedience to the law.

ARTICLE 43.
Sheath-knives forbidden.

The use of sheath-knives on board ship is strictly forbidden.   Jack-knives shall be worn with lanyards and in fobs.


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