Back to this historical reform piece...part 3 out of 5.
==
Another drawback upon the seaman is, that, when shipping at the rendezvous he receives three months advance, to fit himself out, but there is generally standing by him some evil specimen of a land-shark, who caters for his depraved appetite until he filches from him nearly every cent of the advance, and then sends him on board the receiving-ship, to work out what is termed the dead horse, with hardly a change of dunnage in his bag.
This is not invariably the case, but it often happens, and is beyond the control of the shipping officer.
When a Marine enlists, no money is advanced him, but he is immediately sent to the Marine Barracks, supplied with all necessary clothing, bed, bedding, and furniture for the mess-table, and forthwith put on drill. In three weeks he can be made perfectly an fait with the exercise of small arms ; and it would not require any very great exertion, or longer time, to make him as good a Sea-Artillerist as ever planked the deck of a ship.
In making up the crew of a Steam-Frigate, what can be the objection to sending on board of her a large guard of Marines, to take the place and do the duty of landsmen X In the afterguard, on the quarter-deck, and in the waist of a large ship, the Marines are generally quartered, and every candid, unprejudiced naval officer will readily admit that they are ever ready, able and willing, to perform any duty which may be assigned them. Besides, a Steam-Frigate, or steamer of any class, is not the vessel wherein the landsmen can learn the trade of a seaman ; that is, to hand-reef, steer, heave the lead, strap blocks, &c, &c, inasmuch as very little of such work has to be done on board those vessels. The sails are all light and seldom used, especially in a time of war, when rapid movements are imperatively requisite, and the expense not quite so much of an item., A steamer of the size of the Mississippi can employ, advantageously, a crew of three hundred men. Suppose the number composed of petty-officers, seamen, ordinary seamen, firemen, coal-heavers and Marines—without a landsman or boy on board of her—would not that ship be well manned.
I can point out several officers in the service who will agree with me, unconditionally, as to the fact—and even go farther, in asseverating that if one-third of the whole number was made up of Marines, it would bo preferable far, beyond the present arrangement. Shoveling coal, keeping up the fires, and fighting guns, can be as well done by Marines as seamen. The proposition herein advanced will, undoubtedly, be objected to by a few of our gallant old Commodores. But if, as in the British service, they were complimented with the rank and titles of Major General, Brigadier, and Colonel of Marines, in conjunction with that of their naval rank, beyond peradventure, they would advocate the experiment.
But all must allow that lancemen and apprentices will obtain a superior nautical education, both in theory and practice, on board a square-rigged sailing Cruiser, than a fore-and-aft Steamboat.
" English seamen are not, like soldiers, bound to serve for life ; and it " is notorious that the American Navy is manned with sailors educated u on board the Excellent. The inutility as well as the danger of this establishment cannot be make too public, or be too strongly urged on the * notice of Parliament. It is useless, because a Steam Navy will, ere " many years elapse, be the main Navy of England; and then the bat" teries of our ships of war will be, as in the Turkish Navy, served by " soldiers, whilst a few sailors will suffice for the purpose of navigation.
" Prejudice and professional pride will be slow in acknowledging this ; "but I am not singular in the belief that the sailor's occupation, as a " warrior, will soon be only a matter of history."
The above extract is from the " United Service Journal," a British paper, published exclusively to chronicle all matters of importance transpiring in the Naval and Military Services of Great Britain.
Here we have an article, evidently written by a naval officer, reprobating, in strong terms, the folly of educating seamen in the practice of ]VIarine Gunnery on board the Excellent—a three-decker attached to the Portsmouth station. His object is, to show that those erratic subjects of the British Queen who have adopted the ocean as their home, do not regard her as Queen of the seas; and therefore, after having been taught the art and mystery of fighting a gun to perfection, by her most loyal naval officers, at a home station, betake themselves to whichever country they please ; but most generally prefer the Naval Service of the United States. But it will be seen that this writer's argument runs in favor of a Steam Navy, and Sea-Soldiers—-id est, Marines. He coincides with, and, in laudatory terms adopts, the theory of the Prince de Joinville—which is, that ere the lapse of many years, steamers will entirely supersede sailing vessels for naval purposes.
If Great Britain and France should thus rear up an immense Steam Navy to be manned by Marines, principally, for the defence of their seacoasts, and other service, in naval operations, why should not our Government pursue the same course, or at least attempt the experiment.
We have aa area of sea-cost comprising some thousands of miles— from Passamaquoddy, in Maine, to the Rio Grande, in Texas; and a more defenceless coast is not to be found in the Map of the World. And for our Home Squadron, every vessel should be a steamer. Events are daily portraying that sailing vessels, as cruisers, in the Gulf of Mexico, are not comparable with steamers, for comfort, safety and efficiency, in time of peace or seasons of warfare.
And if England and France should find it advantageous to make up the complement of a steamer's crew with a large proportion of Marines, certainly our Government should not for a moment delay following the example, for the difficulty of obtaining seamen for our vessels of war is rather increasing as the call far them becomes more importunate. The Steam-Frigate Mississippi, with a Commodore's pendant, has a Marine guard of 19 privates, with 4 non-commissioned officers. The steamers Vixen and Spitfire, with Commanders as their Captains, although adverse to sailing without a proper guard, are without any; and the Princeton may have five or six ; and there is not one ship of the Gulf Squadron having more than half a guard of Marines on board her. In boat expeditions, in cutting out vessels, or attacking any fortified place on shore, the British mainly depend upon their Marines; but in taking possession of Tampico, the small squad of Marines of our Squadron Was Hardly Discernible in the arrangements for the attack.
Good and efficient men, who have served in the Army and the Corps, would gladly re-enlist, but they cannot be taken, because an order from \ the Department prohibits the opening of a rendezvous, as there are now S a larger number enlisted than the law allows. • • A rendezvous might be opened at New Orleans, and other ports where steamers resort, and companies of Marines enlisted in a very short time, composed of men who have been in steam vessels the standing part of their lives, on the Mississippi and other rivers, and with musket or Paix han on board a steamer, they would make themselves the principal feature of the war.
A short time prior to the adjournment of the last Session of Congres*, J the Hon. George Bancroft submitted a report on the Re-Organization of the Marine Corps. It wa3 very evident that the Hon. Secretaiy had some idea of a plan, but the mathematical demonstration was not so clearly developed as to satisfy the sagacious wisdom of the concentrated Congress of this great Nation. His proposition was, to establish two principal Depots, at which the Marines, formed in two divisions, should be quartered. , New York and Washington, or Norfolk, were the places recommended J for the Northern and Southern Stations. Now, this was admirably con" ceived ; and herein I will endeavor more fully to illustrate the views of I others—men of military education—on this subject.
In the first place, it will be necessary, to meet the exigencies of the Naval Service, to make an addition of one thousand men to the Corps, and then form i^ as a Brigade, composed of two Regiments.
Secondly—The Brigade to be commanded by a Brigadier-General, and the two Regiments officered precisely according to the Infantry regulations. For each Regiment—1 Col.; 1 Lieutenant-Col.; 1 Mojor; 10 Captains ; 10 1st Lieuts., and 10 2d Lieuts.—and this would involve but a trifling addition to the number of officers attached to the Corps.
Thirdly—The first Regt. should be stationed at Washington, which is, and should be, the Head-Quarters of the Commanding General—where are now erected Officer's Quarters, Barracks, Hospital, and all other buildings for the accommodation of over a thousand men.
The second Regt. might be quartered at Brooklyn, where land can be purchased, for a Parade and the erection of the necessary Buildings, at a very cheap rate. Thus would the U. S. Marines be concentrated in two divisions—a miniature representation of a more gigantic system, to be sure—at two given poirrts, North and South. The first division, at Washington, would furnish Marines for vessels fitting out at the Navy Yards at Philadelphia, Washington, and Norfolk.
The second division, at Brooklyn, might furnish Marines for ships, &c, commissioned at the Naval Stations at New York, Boston, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Fourthly—There should be a battery of about ten 32 pounder guns on carriages such as are used at sea, mounted on a platform, fashioned so as to represent the half deck of a ship, with ports, eye-bolts, ring-bolts, guntackle, and, in short, all the appendages of a Man-of-War's broad-side, at which tha Marines might be daily exercised, after having attained a thorough knowledge of Infantry tactics, &c. The construction pf this platform, for a battery, would be attended with but little expense, 4nd the guns, carriages, rigging, and all other articles requisite, might be/oorrowed from the condemned lots in the Navy Yards, which, for the purpose, would be admirably adapted.
By the adoption of this system of artillery exercise, a well-instructed Company of artillerists would be ever ready to go on board a sea-steamer or sailing vessel, and the officers be relieved from the onerous duty of constantly exercising them at the guns, which constant exercise has a tendency to rack and weaken the ships, from the effects of running the guncarriages with tremendous force against the waterways and bulworks, which, if the ship be rolling in a rough sea, it is impossible to avoid.
Fifthly—A detachment consisting of the rank and file of about a Frigate's guard, commanded by a Captain, with two Lieutenants, should be detailed for duty at each of the several Naval Stations, where their services would be far more efficient, and less expensive, than the present arrangement for guarding the vast amouat of public property deposited within the Naval Depots.
Not only would this Marine Guard perform its duty with the strictest integrity, for which the officers are held accountable, at the Navy Yards, but, as a company of United States troops, the local authorities might avail themselves of their assistance on any emergency—on any sudden outbreak, riot, fire, or execution of piratical offender against the laws of nations. For the accommodation of such detachments, ample quarters are provided at all the Naval Stations in the United States.
==
In a few days I'll have the final pieces up.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Suggested Marine Reform Piece from the 1840s 2/5
O'er every sea our flag is borne—in every clime our merchants trade, and American seamen are naturally inclined to prefer the merchant service, for the reasons that they are better paid and have more freedom— that they have to work harder to earn their wages, is no object with ambitious Yankee sailors, who look forward to the time when, with care and economy, they may secure a small competency to support themselves in old age, independent of the cold charity of a hospital. In no country of the world, perhaps, is this so general as in the United States. No seamen of Europe are as well-informed, shrewd and calculating as those of our own nation, and that is the great reason why we have difficulty in manning our naval vessels.
In looking over an English paper, the " United Service Gazette," of a recent date, I find that the following was the completion of guards of Royal Marines embarked on board Her Majesty's ships forming the experimental squadron:
Trafalgar, complement—1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 4 Sergeants, 4 Corporals, 2 Musicians, and 146 Privates. Total, 160.
St. Vincent, complement—1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 4 Sergeants, 4 Corporals, 2 Musicians, and 146 Privates. Total, 160.
Rodney, complement—1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 3 Sergeants, 3 Corporals, 2 Musicians, and 138 Privates. Total. 150.
At this ratio some nine or ten vessels were furnished with Marines, not one of which vessels carried a heavier battery or varied materially in size from the line-of-battle ship Ohio—which ship, during her last cruise in the Mediterranean, had a complement of 40 Marines.
" But," said an honorable Member of the House of Representatives, in a speech opposing the increase of the Corps"—Marines are not required in our Naval Service, as in that of Great Britain. Seamen are not pressed into our service, and therefore no Marines are necessary to shoot them down like dogs." This honorable gentleman had certainly lost the run of English history for the last past thirty years, or he must have known that at the expiration of England's big war with France, about 1816, the law of impressment was abrogated by the British Parliament; but instead of abolishing the Marine arm of the service, they have gone on steadily to increase it, up to this time.
Great Britain never employed Marines to shoot down seamen, but to maintain order, decorum and subordination, in her powerful Naval Service. British officers invariably speak of the Royal Marines as the most efficient arm of the service, and if they are thus viewed by officers of the experience of those of the Navy of England, why should our own small squad, comparatively, look upon them with indifference if not positive aversion. Now, if England, with a host of resources for fitting out and manning single ships, fleets and squadrons, with as good seamen as the world can produce, still prefers to employ about one-fifth of Marines in making up a crew for a naval vessel, why should our Government hesitate to test the experiment ?
One hundred and fifty Marines are not requisite on board a vessel of any nation, as sentinels merely, but the duties generally, throughout various departments in a large ship, are, with more accuracy, and greater alacrity, performed by Marines than seamen. In saying this, the peculiar occupations of the seamen are not included. I do not mean to insinuate that men uninitiated in the art of splicing, rigging strapping blocks, and a thousand other mechanical operations of sailor-craft, can perform such work even in a degree ; but if the Master-at-Arms, the Ship's Corporals, the Purser's Steward, Yeomans or Captains of the Afterguard require assistance, the Marines are the first called upon.
And if we do not require Marines in our Navy to shoot down seamen, yet are there contingencies which sometimes occur, wherein those guards have nipped in the bud sudden outbreaks which might have resulted in catastrophies endangering the loss of a ship, with the lives of all on board. Even the small guards sent on board our cruizers at present, have ever acted with. the utmost regard for the maintenance of the proper authority of the officers, if any hostile feeling should be displayed towards them by the ship's company. Many occasions might be instanced, yet it would be superfluous, perhaps, to do so ; but I have been too frequently assured that the awful tragedy on board the late Brig Somers would never have taken place if a Corporal's guard of Marines had been among her crew, to relieve the officers in that dreadful emergency, (as avowed by Com. McKenzie in his defence before the Court Martial.)
A man will have to serve at least five years at sea, if not longer, ere he can pass muster as an able seaman, which entitles him to the highest pay of $12 per month! Yet there are more able-bodied men that have been five years following the sea, who ship as ordinary seamen, at $10 per month, than for the full pay of seamen.
Now, there are many very good men, from twenty to thirty years of age, who would like to take a cruise in a Man-of-War, but, on being made acquainted with the above facts, they will not enter the service, as landsmen, to serve an apprenticeship with no fairer prospects in view.
Well, this latter class will cheerfully enlist as Marines, for well they know that, from the date of their enlistment, they are entitled to the full established pay of an Infantry Soldier, $7 per month, with rations, clothing, small stores, &c, included; which is nearly, if not quite, as good as the wages given an able seaman, who has nothing but his rations found him, and not unfrequently, his clothes cost him over $5 per month, which is the difference in the monthly wages of the soldier and sailor.
--
And now for some daily motivation...
In looking over an English paper, the " United Service Gazette," of a recent date, I find that the following was the completion of guards of Royal Marines embarked on board Her Majesty's ships forming the experimental squadron:
Trafalgar, complement—1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 4 Sergeants, 4 Corporals, 2 Musicians, and 146 Privates. Total, 160.
St. Vincent, complement—1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 4 Sergeants, 4 Corporals, 2 Musicians, and 146 Privates. Total, 160.
Rodney, complement—1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 3 Sergeants, 3 Corporals, 2 Musicians, and 138 Privates. Total. 150.
At this ratio some nine or ten vessels were furnished with Marines, not one of which vessels carried a heavier battery or varied materially in size from the line-of-battle ship Ohio—which ship, during her last cruise in the Mediterranean, had a complement of 40 Marines.
" But," said an honorable Member of the House of Representatives, in a speech opposing the increase of the Corps"—Marines are not required in our Naval Service, as in that of Great Britain. Seamen are not pressed into our service, and therefore no Marines are necessary to shoot them down like dogs." This honorable gentleman had certainly lost the run of English history for the last past thirty years, or he must have known that at the expiration of England's big war with France, about 1816, the law of impressment was abrogated by the British Parliament; but instead of abolishing the Marine arm of the service, they have gone on steadily to increase it, up to this time.
Great Britain never employed Marines to shoot down seamen, but to maintain order, decorum and subordination, in her powerful Naval Service. British officers invariably speak of the Royal Marines as the most efficient arm of the service, and if they are thus viewed by officers of the experience of those of the Navy of England, why should our own small squad, comparatively, look upon them with indifference if not positive aversion. Now, if England, with a host of resources for fitting out and manning single ships, fleets and squadrons, with as good seamen as the world can produce, still prefers to employ about one-fifth of Marines in making up a crew for a naval vessel, why should our Government hesitate to test the experiment ?
One hundred and fifty Marines are not requisite on board a vessel of any nation, as sentinels merely, but the duties generally, throughout various departments in a large ship, are, with more accuracy, and greater alacrity, performed by Marines than seamen. In saying this, the peculiar occupations of the seamen are not included. I do not mean to insinuate that men uninitiated in the art of splicing, rigging strapping blocks, and a thousand other mechanical operations of sailor-craft, can perform such work even in a degree ; but if the Master-at-Arms, the Ship's Corporals, the Purser's Steward, Yeomans or Captains of the Afterguard require assistance, the Marines are the first called upon.
And if we do not require Marines in our Navy to shoot down seamen, yet are there contingencies which sometimes occur, wherein those guards have nipped in the bud sudden outbreaks which might have resulted in catastrophies endangering the loss of a ship, with the lives of all on board. Even the small guards sent on board our cruizers at present, have ever acted with. the utmost regard for the maintenance of the proper authority of the officers, if any hostile feeling should be displayed towards them by the ship's company. Many occasions might be instanced, yet it would be superfluous, perhaps, to do so ; but I have been too frequently assured that the awful tragedy on board the late Brig Somers would never have taken place if a Corporal's guard of Marines had been among her crew, to relieve the officers in that dreadful emergency, (as avowed by Com. McKenzie in his defence before the Court Martial.)
A man will have to serve at least five years at sea, if not longer, ere he can pass muster as an able seaman, which entitles him to the highest pay of $12 per month! Yet there are more able-bodied men that have been five years following the sea, who ship as ordinary seamen, at $10 per month, than for the full pay of seamen.
Now, there are many very good men, from twenty to thirty years of age, who would like to take a cruise in a Man-of-War, but, on being made acquainted with the above facts, they will not enter the service, as landsmen, to serve an apprenticeship with no fairer prospects in view.
Well, this latter class will cheerfully enlist as Marines, for well they know that, from the date of their enlistment, they are entitled to the full established pay of an Infantry Soldier, $7 per month, with rations, clothing, small stores, &c, included; which is nearly, if not quite, as good as the wages given an able seaman, who has nothing but his rations found him, and not unfrequently, his clothes cost him over $5 per month, which is the difference in the monthly wages of the soldier and sailor.
--
And now for some daily motivation...
Friday, January 28, 2011
Suggested Marine Reform Piece from the 1840s 1/5
The increase of this twig (branch it cannot be called,) of the regular service, is once more about to be brought forward for the consideration of the National Legislature. Little or no hope is entertained, by its friends, of success ; for the bill has been defeated so often by the machinations of those who are inimical to it, that nothing short of inspiration would lead the writer of this to dream of a successful issue of the present demonstration in its favor. For the last past ten years, the absolute necessity for the increase of this Corps has been fully apparent, and many of our most prominent statesmen in Congress have strenuously advocated the measure ; but others there were, who, not being familiar with the requirements of the Naval Service, had conferred with men who should have been it3 firmest supporters, from their position in the Navy, but from some unaccountable prejudice, those very men had impressed them with an idea that the Corps of Marines was a useless appendage to the Navy, insomuch that several honorable gentlemen became determinedly opposed to it.
"I am credibly informed by naval officers," said one Hon. Member, in his plate in the House of Representatives, " that the Marine Corps is an excrescence upon the Navy." Another observed that he too, had been " informed by distinguished officers in the Navy, that the only use made of Marines on board a ship, was to dress them up as mountebanks to act ^. as waiters, assistants at balls, soirees, &c." This occurred about eight years ago ; since then, the hostile feeling against the Corps has gradually diminished year by year, as the Commodores of the old school, one after "another,"shuffled off his mortal coil."
There are but few officers of the Navy proper, who still cherish the ig:r, noble feeling of absurd prejudice which characterized those of the ancient , regime ; still it is to be regretted that there yet remains a few, and the only reason that can be assigned for their opposition to a measure which many of their compeers have honorably and urgently recommended, is, -~. that they entertain a jealous supposition that if the Corps should be inS~ creased to a brigade, it would not be so immediately under their control as at preset; y.et..d.ou.btiless,. they .were too honorable to give utterance to their ...a large increase of the rank and file would have* been* -voterd during the last session of Congress, but for the very able Hon. George Bancroft, late Secretary of the Navy.
' The Corps,'at present, although more than full, consists of very little over one thousand, all told. During the year 1815, a greater number of vessels were fitted out at the different naval stations, for foreign service, than in any previous year since The war; and frequently the marine depots were stripped almost to a man, to furnish forth the guards of Frigates, Sloops and Brigs, about to depart for some foreign station. This was precisely the dilemma in which the Post at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, was found on the arrival of the Hon. George Bancroft at that station.
No doubt the Hon. Mr. Bancroft was very much astonished to find a Major commanding, a Captain and three Lieutenants, with an extensive paucity of the rank and file; and the only mystery is, why some officer did not make to the Honorable Secretary a correct statement of the disagreeable fact, that the privates of the Corps were sent on board vessels in small detachments, without a marine officer to command them ; consequently the officers remained at the Post anxiously awaiting orders from the Department for duty where their services were actually required, and might be beneficially rendered to the Government.
From the tenor of the Hon. Geo. Bancroft's report—doubtless in the misconception of the facts on the part of that Hon. functionary—Members of Congress were led to believe that it was the fault ©f the officers, and that the Corps of Marines, as a body, was little deserving of their consideration.
Now, if any gentleman should be called upon at present to report upon the subject, and one should be selected well acquainted with it, in all its ramifications, he would say: " On visiting the different naval stations, I have ascertained, from observation and inquiry, that the rank and file of the Corps of Marines is entirely inadequate for the well organization of Naval Service of a Government such as ours."
For Sloops of War and Brigs, only Sergeant's or Corporal's guards can be furnished. Ships of the line, Frigates and Steamers, are likewise very inefficiently supplied with Marine Guards, such as are requisite for a well organized internal arrangement, as a police and safeguard against dissension, riot and insubordination, among a heterogeneous crew composed of reckless seamen of almost every nation of the earth. From one of the oldest and ablest Captains in the Navy, I learn that the Marines are the most orderly, trust-worthy, sober and obedient men on board any vessel, of any class or size in our Navy.
The British Admiralty set a high value upon the services of their Marine forces. They have an army composed of thirty thousand Marines, and their drill is the most perfect of any arm of the Service. Not only are they made proficient in the exercise with musketry, as Infantry Soldiers, but, at two of their principal depots—Chatham and Woolwich—they are regularly trained as Sea-Artillerists ; and their competency has induced the Lords of the Admiralty to recommend that the crews of SteamFrigates shall be made up of nearly one-half Marines, and adduce for reason, that as the light sails of a steamer are only intended to bo used as aa auxiliary power, in pleasant weather, with favorable winds, the employment of seamen can be, to a greater or less extent, dispensed with, and Marines substituted advantageously. If the first maritime Nation of tho world sets the example of maintaining a large and well organized force of Marines, consisting of thirty thousand men, in her Naval Service, certainly the second can judiciously employ over one thousand; for the material of which an American Man-of-War's crew is made up, is far less orderly and well disciplined than that of a British Cruiser; because, foreigners enter our Naval Service, under an impression that liberty and equality prevail on board our national vessels in the same ratio that it does on shore; and, frequently, before they can be undeceived, their riotous conduct has a tendency to subvert the good order and regularity of a majority of the ship's company. And if England ha3 found it judicious and effectual to incorporate Marines so extensively with her Naval forces, how much more necessary it is that our Government should pursue a similar course, for of late we have had the greatest difficulty in obtaining seamen for the Navy. The cause of this is obvious to any nautical observer who has watched the rise and progress of our vast and extended commerce, and the surprising magnitude of our mercantile marine.
=
Tune in for part 2!
"I am credibly informed by naval officers," said one Hon. Member, in his plate in the House of Representatives, " that the Marine Corps is an excrescence upon the Navy." Another observed that he too, had been " informed by distinguished officers in the Navy, that the only use made of Marines on board a ship, was to dress them up as mountebanks to act ^. as waiters, assistants at balls, soirees, &c." This occurred about eight years ago ; since then, the hostile feeling against the Corps has gradually diminished year by year, as the Commodores of the old school, one after "another,"shuffled off his mortal coil."
There are but few officers of the Navy proper, who still cherish the ig:r, noble feeling of absurd prejudice which characterized those of the ancient , regime ; still it is to be regretted that there yet remains a few, and the only reason that can be assigned for their opposition to a measure which many of their compeers have honorably and urgently recommended, is, -~. that they entertain a jealous supposition that if the Corps should be inS~ creased to a brigade, it would not be so immediately under their control as at preset; y.et..d.ou.btiless,. they .were too honorable to give utterance to their ...a large increase of the rank and file would have* been* -voterd during the last session of Congress, but for the very able Hon. George Bancroft, late Secretary of the Navy.
' The Corps,'at present, although more than full, consists of very little over one thousand, all told. During the year 1815, a greater number of vessels were fitted out at the different naval stations, for foreign service, than in any previous year since The war; and frequently the marine depots were stripped almost to a man, to furnish forth the guards of Frigates, Sloops and Brigs, about to depart for some foreign station. This was precisely the dilemma in which the Post at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, was found on the arrival of the Hon. George Bancroft at that station.
No doubt the Hon. Mr. Bancroft was very much astonished to find a Major commanding, a Captain and three Lieutenants, with an extensive paucity of the rank and file; and the only mystery is, why some officer did not make to the Honorable Secretary a correct statement of the disagreeable fact, that the privates of the Corps were sent on board vessels in small detachments, without a marine officer to command them ; consequently the officers remained at the Post anxiously awaiting orders from the Department for duty where their services were actually required, and might be beneficially rendered to the Government.
From the tenor of the Hon. Geo. Bancroft's report—doubtless in the misconception of the facts on the part of that Hon. functionary—Members of Congress were led to believe that it was the fault ©f the officers, and that the Corps of Marines, as a body, was little deserving of their consideration.
Now, if any gentleman should be called upon at present to report upon the subject, and one should be selected well acquainted with it, in all its ramifications, he would say: " On visiting the different naval stations, I have ascertained, from observation and inquiry, that the rank and file of the Corps of Marines is entirely inadequate for the well organization of Naval Service of a Government such as ours."
For Sloops of War and Brigs, only Sergeant's or Corporal's guards can be furnished. Ships of the line, Frigates and Steamers, are likewise very inefficiently supplied with Marine Guards, such as are requisite for a well organized internal arrangement, as a police and safeguard against dissension, riot and insubordination, among a heterogeneous crew composed of reckless seamen of almost every nation of the earth. From one of the oldest and ablest Captains in the Navy, I learn that the Marines are the most orderly, trust-worthy, sober and obedient men on board any vessel, of any class or size in our Navy.
The British Admiralty set a high value upon the services of their Marine forces. They have an army composed of thirty thousand Marines, and their drill is the most perfect of any arm of the Service. Not only are they made proficient in the exercise with musketry, as Infantry Soldiers, but, at two of their principal depots—Chatham and Woolwich—they are regularly trained as Sea-Artillerists ; and their competency has induced the Lords of the Admiralty to recommend that the crews of SteamFrigates shall be made up of nearly one-half Marines, and adduce for reason, that as the light sails of a steamer are only intended to bo used as aa auxiliary power, in pleasant weather, with favorable winds, the employment of seamen can be, to a greater or less extent, dispensed with, and Marines substituted advantageously. If the first maritime Nation of tho world sets the example of maintaining a large and well organized force of Marines, consisting of thirty thousand men, in her Naval Service, certainly the second can judiciously employ over one thousand; for the material of which an American Man-of-War's crew is made up, is far less orderly and well disciplined than that of a British Cruiser; because, foreigners enter our Naval Service, under an impression that liberty and equality prevail on board our national vessels in the same ratio that it does on shore; and, frequently, before they can be undeceived, their riotous conduct has a tendency to subvert the good order and regularity of a majority of the ship's company. And if England ha3 found it judicious and effectual to incorporate Marines so extensively with her Naval forces, how much more necessary it is that our Government should pursue a similar course, for of late we have had the greatest difficulty in obtaining seamen for the Navy. The cause of this is obvious to any nautical observer who has watched the rise and progress of our vast and extended commerce, and the surprising magnitude of our mercantile marine.
=
Tune in for part 2!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Royal Marines Background, Part 2/2
Here is the second part.
==
Part 2 of 2
From the nature of the marine service, at this period, few or no achievements occur which can be peculiarly attached to it as a corps. We find them honourably mentioned in the operations against St. Christopher's, and the successful attack upon Cork, under the aera of 1690. The detail of loss upon the former occasion is thus described, and evinces that their energies also, as soldiers, were called forth when occasion might require them. " In this action we had killed " and wounded upwards of 130 men, and Captain Keigwin, a " sea commander, who was appointed Colonel of the Marine Regiment, " (which consisted of about 230 seamen) was shot through the thigh, " of which wound he died, before he could be carried on board, and " Captain Brifbane, who acted as First Captain to the Marinesy receiving " a shot through the body, expired the next night on board the " Bristol."
Embodied under similar circumstances, they of course partook in the various services of debarkation, which the emergency of those times might have demanded, until the peace of Ryswick, which, for a while, closed the existence of marine forces.
The expences of King William's war, upwards of eight years' duration, are so moderate when contrasted with these of later days, that they merit a place in any retrospect which treats of that period ; and it is to be remarked that 40,000 seamen were maintained during the last years of it.
Total navy estimates allowed . . . £16,303,713 15 0 Total army do. do. , . . £18,487,671 17 10
In all, thirty-four millions seven hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred eighty-five pounds, twelve shillings and ten pence !
I cannot bid adieu to the transactions of this auspicious reign, »vhich has established the happiness and the liberties of my country, without commenting upon two events of it, that must be materially interesting to every military man—I mean the code of laws for the good order and discipline of our armies, and the grant of half-pay bestowed upon disbanded officers.
The first was adopted in an hour of urgent expediency, in order to restrain the uncontrouled outrages of a discontented soldiery, on account of arrears due to them. This act was passed in great haste upon the 12th day of April, 1689, and has progressively experienced these various improvements that arise out of occasions. It undergoes annually a legislative sanction, under the title of the Mutiny Bill.
• Half-pay was a gift decreed upon the 18th of January, 1697, and has subsequently involved many a doubt, whether as having been intended in the light of a retaining fee, or as a reward for past services. Opposite decisions have authorised different constructions, while the lapse of more than one hundred years has not yet explicitly brought the point to an issue.
The manly and independent spirit of our judges, pure as these laws that controul their opinions, has not been able to adjust the question.
In the case of General Ross, which was submitted to their enquiry and determination—they resolved that he could not be amenable, as a half-pay officer, to military jurisdiction ; but the discussion extended no farther.
In 1715 a number of officers, however, who drew this recompence from the public, most ingloriously joined the Pretender. The issue being unfortunate for them, they were all taken prisoners, and afterwards tried and executed by martial law ; although they might have been capitally convicted as rebels, by the common law of the land.
In having adduced these opposite examples, I cannot withhold a remark, that under no one head of the articles of war is this description of men noticed ; and I can readily anticipate the answer of an Englishman, were I to ask him if any laws should affect such an object as I have defined, in which he is not expressly specified ?
In this flourishing country, where industry and enterprize are open to all, it often happens that an officer, when the State no longer wants his services, turns his attention and the little capital he may possess, to commercial pursuits. In this new profession he very probably advances the public interests more essentially than were he recalled to his former duties, upon every fresh emergency.
That patriotism and loyalty, which I am convinced in those days influence every soldier, who, in the smallest portion, tastes of the bread of his King, will enforce through each quarter of Britain a local activity, and when necessary, a military zeal. As volunteer companies in the present, and very probably under the future political circumstances of our country, must form a branch of our force, who are there more capable of animating them than men who have been trained to arms, whose allegiance is undisputed, and whose early sentiments and ideas no change of life can extinguish ? Some legislative assurances of exemption in favour of officers of this description, and who engage to discharge the obligations of general association when required, would be politic and gratifying. Half-pay might also very properly be no longer considered as a retainder of those who have served any marked number of years ; for I would discriminate between the veteran and the stripling, who are alike entitled to the same remuneration ; though, I should humbly conceive, to separate indulgences. Having made this digression, suited, I trust, to the present topic and the present times, I return to the train of my narrative.
==
See you in a few days!
==
Part 2 of 2
From the nature of the marine service, at this period, few or no achievements occur which can be peculiarly attached to it as a corps. We find them honourably mentioned in the operations against St. Christopher's, and the successful attack upon Cork, under the aera of 1690. The detail of loss upon the former occasion is thus described, and evinces that their energies also, as soldiers, were called forth when occasion might require them. " In this action we had killed " and wounded upwards of 130 men, and Captain Keigwin, a " sea commander, who was appointed Colonel of the Marine Regiment, " (which consisted of about 230 seamen) was shot through the thigh, " of which wound he died, before he could be carried on board, and " Captain Brifbane, who acted as First Captain to the Marinesy receiving " a shot through the body, expired the next night on board the " Bristol."
Embodied under similar circumstances, they of course partook in the various services of debarkation, which the emergency of those times might have demanded, until the peace of Ryswick, which, for a while, closed the existence of marine forces.
The expences of King William's war, upwards of eight years' duration, are so moderate when contrasted with these of later days, that they merit a place in any retrospect which treats of that period ; and it is to be remarked that 40,000 seamen were maintained during the last years of it.
Total navy estimates allowed . . . £16,303,713 15 0 Total army do. do. , . . £18,487,671 17 10
In all, thirty-four millions seven hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred eighty-five pounds, twelve shillings and ten pence !
I cannot bid adieu to the transactions of this auspicious reign, »vhich has established the happiness and the liberties of my country, without commenting upon two events of it, that must be materially interesting to every military man—I mean the code of laws for the good order and discipline of our armies, and the grant of half-pay bestowed upon disbanded officers.
The first was adopted in an hour of urgent expediency, in order to restrain the uncontrouled outrages of a discontented soldiery, on account of arrears due to them. This act was passed in great haste upon the 12th day of April, 1689, and has progressively experienced these various improvements that arise out of occasions. It undergoes annually a legislative sanction, under the title of the Mutiny Bill.
• Half-pay was a gift decreed upon the 18th of January, 1697, and has subsequently involved many a doubt, whether as having been intended in the light of a retaining fee, or as a reward for past services. Opposite decisions have authorised different constructions, while the lapse of more than one hundred years has not yet explicitly brought the point to an issue.
The manly and independent spirit of our judges, pure as these laws that controul their opinions, has not been able to adjust the question.
In the case of General Ross, which was submitted to their enquiry and determination—they resolved that he could not be amenable, as a half-pay officer, to military jurisdiction ; but the discussion extended no farther.
In 1715 a number of officers, however, who drew this recompence from the public, most ingloriously joined the Pretender. The issue being unfortunate for them, they were all taken prisoners, and afterwards tried and executed by martial law ; although they might have been capitally convicted as rebels, by the common law of the land.
In having adduced these opposite examples, I cannot withhold a remark, that under no one head of the articles of war is this description of men noticed ; and I can readily anticipate the answer of an Englishman, were I to ask him if any laws should affect such an object as I have defined, in which he is not expressly specified ?
In this flourishing country, where industry and enterprize are open to all, it often happens that an officer, when the State no longer wants his services, turns his attention and the little capital he may possess, to commercial pursuits. In this new profession he very probably advances the public interests more essentially than were he recalled to his former duties, upon every fresh emergency.
That patriotism and loyalty, which I am convinced in those days influence every soldier, who, in the smallest portion, tastes of the bread of his King, will enforce through each quarter of Britain a local activity, and when necessary, a military zeal. As volunteer companies in the present, and very probably under the future political circumstances of our country, must form a branch of our force, who are there more capable of animating them than men who have been trained to arms, whose allegiance is undisputed, and whose early sentiments and ideas no change of life can extinguish ? Some legislative assurances of exemption in favour of officers of this description, and who engage to discharge the obligations of general association when required, would be politic and gratifying. Half-pay might also very properly be no longer considered as a retainder of those who have served any marked number of years ; for I would discriminate between the veteran and the stripling, who are alike entitled to the same remuneration ; though, I should humbly conceive, to separate indulgences. Having made this digression, suited, I trust, to the present topic and the present times, I return to the train of my narrative.
==
See you in a few days!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Some Royal Marine Corps History, Pt 1/2
The Royal Marine Corps also has an interesting history and background. Gillespie provides insights into that institution which can help understand the USMC.
–
Part 1 of 2
At a period when the commerce of this Country bore no proportion to its present state, the supplies of Seamen, under a system of impress, were extremely precarious, and often inadequate to the public emergencies. Experience had alfo shewn, that raw landsmen were most improper substitutes for this want, as the sudden change of life rendered them subject to immediate disease, and sea-sickness, at a time when their active services were required. These united causes originally suggested the expediency of forming an establishment of Marines, who were raised and embodied with the sole view of being a nursery to man our fleets. They were always quartered in the vicinity of our principal sea-ports, where they were regularly trained to the different methods of ship fighting, and to these various manoeuvres of a vessel, in which numbers were necessary. Being thus locally placed, their value was early felt by their exertions in equipping the squadrons fitted out, when but little confidence could be placed in the sailor, perhaps just impressed into the service.
The general principles and regulations that were instituted for the conduct of the Marine regiments, from their formation, to the close of the reign of King William III. evidently shew that they were entirely devoted to naval purposes. As each individual became properly qualified to act on board of ship as a foremast-man, which was uniformly encouraged, he was discharged from his regiment, entered upon the books as such, and levy-money was granted to the officers of his corps, in order to supply the vacancy of him who was thus transferred.
The first authentic instance of any regiment of this description appears in the Army List of 1684, and from the return of the general review on Putney Heath, upon the first day of October in that year. Neither the exact sera of its establishment, or that of the other maritime forces, is clearly ascertained ; and it would be absurd to speculate upon dates which can yield no material result.
The return which I have mentioned runs thus, and is annexed at large : The Lord High Admiral of England, his Royal Highness the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot, commanded by the Honourable Sir Charles Littleton, called also the Admiral Regiment.
State Major, or the Staff Officers of the Admiral Regiment,
Richard Beauvoir, Adjutant.
Tobias Legrofs, Quarter-Mafter.
Samuel Tatham, Chirurgeon.
John Tatham, Chirurgeon's Mate.
This regiment consisted of twelve companies, without any grenadiers, had yellow coats lined with red, and their colours were a red cross, with rays of the sun issuing from each of its angles.. It stood the third in seniority in the line of that day; and it may be presumed, from its subsequent reduction, that a step was obtained in it by the 4th, then the Regiment of Holland, commanded by John, the second Lord Mulgrave, and now entitled The Old Buffs.
Betwixt 1687 and 1698, there were several maritime regiments raised for the purposes, and under the regulations I have stated. They were Colonels Mordaunt, Colt, Seymour, and Brudenell s; also, Sir Cloudesley Shovel's, my Lord Torrington's, and the Marquis of Carmarthen's ; all of which were disbanded during the currency of 1697 and 1698.
The expences incurred by the maintenance of the maritime troops were classed with the estimates of the navy, and money was issued from time to time, by warrant from the Lord High Treasurer to the Treasurer of the Navy, who placed it in the hands of a person especially appointed to receive and pay it. Under this system, the Admiralty and Navy Boards were subjected to much trouble, in forming and directing its different arrangements.
==
Stay tuned with your RSS feed! Part 2 comes tomorrow.
–
Part 1 of 2
At a period when the commerce of this Country bore no proportion to its present state, the supplies of Seamen, under a system of impress, were extremely precarious, and often inadequate to the public emergencies. Experience had alfo shewn, that raw landsmen were most improper substitutes for this want, as the sudden change of life rendered them subject to immediate disease, and sea-sickness, at a time when their active services were required. These united causes originally suggested the expediency of forming an establishment of Marines, who were raised and embodied with the sole view of being a nursery to man our fleets. They were always quartered in the vicinity of our principal sea-ports, where they were regularly trained to the different methods of ship fighting, and to these various manoeuvres of a vessel, in which numbers were necessary. Being thus locally placed, their value was early felt by their exertions in equipping the squadrons fitted out, when but little confidence could be placed in the sailor, perhaps just impressed into the service.
The general principles and regulations that were instituted for the conduct of the Marine regiments, from their formation, to the close of the reign of King William III. evidently shew that they were entirely devoted to naval purposes. As each individual became properly qualified to act on board of ship as a foremast-man, which was uniformly encouraged, he was discharged from his regiment, entered upon the books as such, and levy-money was granted to the officers of his corps, in order to supply the vacancy of him who was thus transferred.
The first authentic instance of any regiment of this description appears in the Army List of 1684, and from the return of the general review on Putney Heath, upon the first day of October in that year. Neither the exact sera of its establishment, or that of the other maritime forces, is clearly ascertained ; and it would be absurd to speculate upon dates which can yield no material result.
The return which I have mentioned runs thus, and is annexed at large : The Lord High Admiral of England, his Royal Highness the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot, commanded by the Honourable Sir Charles Littleton, called also the Admiral Regiment.
State Major, or the Staff Officers of the Admiral Regiment,
Richard Beauvoir, Adjutant.
Tobias Legrofs, Quarter-Mafter.
Samuel Tatham, Chirurgeon.
John Tatham, Chirurgeon's Mate.
This regiment consisted of twelve companies, without any grenadiers, had yellow coats lined with red, and their colours were a red cross, with rays of the sun issuing from each of its angles.. It stood the third in seniority in the line of that day; and it may be presumed, from its subsequent reduction, that a step was obtained in it by the 4th, then the Regiment of Holland, commanded by John, the second Lord Mulgrave, and now entitled The Old Buffs.
Betwixt 1687 and 1698, there were several maritime regiments raised for the purposes, and under the regulations I have stated. They were Colonels Mordaunt, Colt, Seymour, and Brudenell s; also, Sir Cloudesley Shovel's, my Lord Torrington's, and the Marquis of Carmarthen's ; all of which were disbanded during the currency of 1697 and 1698.
The expences incurred by the maintenance of the maritime troops were classed with the estimates of the navy, and money was issued from time to time, by warrant from the Lord High Treasurer to the Treasurer of the Navy, who placed it in the hands of a person especially appointed to receive and pay it. Under this system, the Admiralty and Navy Boards were subjected to much trouble, in forming and directing its different arrangements.
==
Stay tuned with your RSS feed! Part 2 comes tomorrow.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Ancient Marines, Part 3/3
Here is the third chunk.
+++
Part 3 of 3
Happily for us, our seamen have never been driven into mutiny, nor does it seem possible that such a deplorable condition of affairs could ever be brought about as would cause an absolute antagonism between them and the Marines. Still, as the legally established "sharp-shooters " and necessary military element of our sea-forces, our Marine Corps should jealously guard its integrity as a military body "par excellence."
In 1804 an artillery company was attached to each of the three divisions of the Royal Marine Corps, to supply the service of the bomb-vessels, and in time of peace to drill the whole of the Marines in gunnery. But they were soon available for other purposes, and on the outbreak of the war of 1812, a large body of the Marine Artillery, with a field battery and locket equipment, accompanied the battalions of Marines then formed for service in America. Later, Sir Howard Douglass complimented the Marine Artillery as being "either a corps of good infantry, of scientific bombardiers, or expert field artillery-men, well constituted, thoroughly instructed, and ably commanded." After fluctuating in numbers through several years, the Corps was so augmented that in 1859 it numbered three thousand officers and men, and was formed into a separate division, with its headquarters at Fort Cumberland.
The military education of the officers of the Royal Marine Artillery is thorough, and such as could be heartily wished were introduced somewhat into our own Marine Corps. The cadet Marines have to study for two years, more or less, during which they are expected to acquire a competent knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, plane trigonometry, the use of the sextant, fortification, English history, and French. To this may be added a practical course in naval gunnery. If on obtaining his commission, the young Marine officer is selected to qualify for the Artillery, he must be prepared at the end of a year to pass an examination in analytical trigonometry, differential and integral calculus, conic sections, statics and dynamics, hydrostatics and steam, besides being required to have an increased knowledge of fortification. The men are volunteers from the light infantry divisions, possessing certain specified qualifications as to age, height, intelligence and character.
The course of training, which is, with a few exceptions, common to both officers and men, is very comprehensive : it includes the usual infantry drills and musketry instruction; the exercise of field guns and rockets, with such field battery movements as are of real practical importance; the service of heavy ordnance, including heavy guns, howitzers, and sea and land service mortars; the naval great gun exercise; mounting and dismounting ordnance, with and without machines; the various methods of slinging and transporting ordnance; knotting and splicing and fitting gun gear; use of pulleys, etc.; a laboratory course, including use and preparation of tubes, rockets and fuses, making up cartridges, manufacture of port fires, signal lights, rockets, and explosive compounds; a course of practical gunnery, comprising instruction in the nature and uses of the various kind of guns, howitzers and mortars, of projectiles, sighting ordnance, use of red-hot shot, and such matters connected with the theory of projectiles as may have a practical application.*
• "Military Schools and Course of Instruction in the Science and Art of War." Henry Barnard, LL. D. New York, 1872.
The United States Marine Corps has well sustained the high reputation for steadfast courage and loyalty which has been handed down to it from the days of Themistocles. But like their modern prototypes of Great Britain, they have felt the want of proper appreciation. In the resolution of Congress of November 10, 1775, to raise two battalions to be called "first and second battalions of American Marines," it was enjoined that " no person be enlisted into said battalion but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve with advantage by sea:" clearly showing that our legislators of that day, at least, had little conception of the nature of a properly organized Marine Corps. Unfortunately, the erroneous ideas expressed in that act seem more or less to have been transmitted to the present time; for, strange as it may appear, the Corps, while it has its own peculiar organization, is yet without any regimental organization. It would seem to be to the interest of our Marine Corps that it should be brigaded, — the full number allowed by law being three thousand and seventy-four, * though practically reduced by the amount of the annual appropriation, — and companies, or parts of companies, with their proper officers detailed for duty afloat. This course, in connection with the educating of the young Marine officers at West Point, would soon bring our Marine Corps up to that high military standard which it is quite safe to say all naval as well as all Marine officers desire to see it attain.
--
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this great history as much as I do!
+++
Part 3 of 3
Happily for us, our seamen have never been driven into mutiny, nor does it seem possible that such a deplorable condition of affairs could ever be brought about as would cause an absolute antagonism between them and the Marines. Still, as the legally established "sharp-shooters " and necessary military element of our sea-forces, our Marine Corps should jealously guard its integrity as a military body "par excellence."
In 1804 an artillery company was attached to each of the three divisions of the Royal Marine Corps, to supply the service of the bomb-vessels, and in time of peace to drill the whole of the Marines in gunnery. But they were soon available for other purposes, and on the outbreak of the war of 1812, a large body of the Marine Artillery, with a field battery and locket equipment, accompanied the battalions of Marines then formed for service in America. Later, Sir Howard Douglass complimented the Marine Artillery as being "either a corps of good infantry, of scientific bombardiers, or expert field artillery-men, well constituted, thoroughly instructed, and ably commanded." After fluctuating in numbers through several years, the Corps was so augmented that in 1859 it numbered three thousand officers and men, and was formed into a separate division, with its headquarters at Fort Cumberland.
The military education of the officers of the Royal Marine Artillery is thorough, and such as could be heartily wished were introduced somewhat into our own Marine Corps. The cadet Marines have to study for two years, more or less, during which they are expected to acquire a competent knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, plane trigonometry, the use of the sextant, fortification, English history, and French. To this may be added a practical course in naval gunnery. If on obtaining his commission, the young Marine officer is selected to qualify for the Artillery, he must be prepared at the end of a year to pass an examination in analytical trigonometry, differential and integral calculus, conic sections, statics and dynamics, hydrostatics and steam, besides being required to have an increased knowledge of fortification. The men are volunteers from the light infantry divisions, possessing certain specified qualifications as to age, height, intelligence and character.
The course of training, which is, with a few exceptions, common to both officers and men, is very comprehensive : it includes the usual infantry drills and musketry instruction; the exercise of field guns and rockets, with such field battery movements as are of real practical importance; the service of heavy ordnance, including heavy guns, howitzers, and sea and land service mortars; the naval great gun exercise; mounting and dismounting ordnance, with and without machines; the various methods of slinging and transporting ordnance; knotting and splicing and fitting gun gear; use of pulleys, etc.; a laboratory course, including use and preparation of tubes, rockets and fuses, making up cartridges, manufacture of port fires, signal lights, rockets, and explosive compounds; a course of practical gunnery, comprising instruction in the nature and uses of the various kind of guns, howitzers and mortars, of projectiles, sighting ordnance, use of red-hot shot, and such matters connected with the theory of projectiles as may have a practical application.*
• "Military Schools and Course of Instruction in the Science and Art of War." Henry Barnard, LL. D. New York, 1872.
The United States Marine Corps has well sustained the high reputation for steadfast courage and loyalty which has been handed down to it from the days of Themistocles. But like their modern prototypes of Great Britain, they have felt the want of proper appreciation. In the resolution of Congress of November 10, 1775, to raise two battalions to be called "first and second battalions of American Marines," it was enjoined that " no person be enlisted into said battalion but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve with advantage by sea:" clearly showing that our legislators of that day, at least, had little conception of the nature of a properly organized Marine Corps. Unfortunately, the erroneous ideas expressed in that act seem more or less to have been transmitted to the present time; for, strange as it may appear, the Corps, while it has its own peculiar organization, is yet without any regimental organization. It would seem to be to the interest of our Marine Corps that it should be brigaded, — the full number allowed by law being three thousand and seventy-four, * though practically reduced by the amount of the annual appropriation, — and companies, or parts of companies, with their proper officers detailed for duty afloat. This course, in connection with the educating of the young Marine officers at West Point, would soon bring our Marine Corps up to that high military standard which it is quite safe to say all naval as well as all Marine officers desire to see it attain.
--
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this great history as much as I do!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Ancient Marines, Pt 2/3
Part 2 of 3
During the naval supremacy of Rome, the quinquireme only, as a rule, was admitted into the line of battle. Polybius gives the number of rowers in these vessels as three hundred, and that of the Marines (dasiarii militcs) as one hundred and twenty. In regard to the manner of fighting, it may be observed that the Epibata used arrows and darts at a distance, spears and swords in close combat, and as ships increased in size they added balistce, and turres, or turrets (naves turritee), and fought from them as from castles on land.
In the earlier period of naval history, when opposing fleets, drawn up in parallel lines, closed at once and decided the issue of the battle by a hand-to-hand contest, the number of Marines aboard each vessel was as large as could be accommodated. But when, in the process of time, military science became better understood, and its principles came to be applied to the management of fleets, naval tactics grew to be an art in which the Athenians rendered themselves preeminently successful. Skilful manoeuvres and evolutions performed with wonderful celerity and precision took the place of the old style of rushing headlong into battle. To maim and disable an enemy, without receiving any injury in return, was now the evidence of an expert trierarch and a well-drilled crew; this feat once accomplished, and the enemy's vessel reduced to a helpless wreck upon the water, the survivors were easily despatched by the Marines. Hence, with the improved tactics came a reduction of the number of Marines
allowed to a Greek trireme, the precise number being finally settled at ten, as already stated, the entire complement of the trireme being two hundred.
The true functions of the Marine of modern times were little understood, his great value to the Navy to which he belonged little appreciated, till within a recent period. According to their own writers, the Corps of Marines of Great Britain was originally instituted in 1664 ; and, curiously enough, partly with a view to forming a nursery of seamen for the fleet. The privates were encouraged to qualify as able seamen, and were allowed every opportunity of doing so. *
"It having been found necessary on many occasions to embark a number of soldiers on board our ships of war * * it was judged expedient to appoint certain regiments for that service, who were trained to the different modes of sea-fighting, and also made useful in some of those manoeuvres of a ship where a great many hands were required. These, from the nature of their duty, were distinguished as Marine soldiers, or Marines." ("Grose's Military Antiquities of the English Army," Vol. I.) They were expected to be more or less familiar with the duties of seamen, and it is still more curious to observe that this total misapprehension as to the nature of the duties of Marines was transmitted to the colonies in America, and found definite expression in the first act of the Continental Congress establishing a Marine Corps.
In 1740 three additional regiments were raised in America and assembled at New York. All the officers, excepting the captains of companies, who were colonists nominated by the provinces, were appointed by the Crown, and Colonel Spotiswood, of Virginia, was colonel-commandant of the whole, t
• " Royal Marines," by T. Smith, R. M. Colburn's "United Sen-ice Magazine ""for May, and following numbers, 1874.
The history of the Royal Marines is not without its page of romance. One Hannah Snell, of Worcester, England, it appears, fought in the ranks as a Marine. She belonged to the guard of the Swallow, one of the squad.
In 1760, the strength of the Corps being increased to eighteen thousand, three hundred and fifty-five men, application was made for an increase of the number of field officers, etc.
Nicolas, in his history of the Royal Marine forces, gives very full accounts of all the battles in which that Corps participated, but although the British Marine had in many a hardfought action acquitted himself with credit, yet on no occasion had he proved himself of more value to the Navy to which he belonged, or reflected more honor on his Corps, than during the momentous period covering the great mutinies at Spithead, the Nore and Bantry Bay. The seamen of the fleet fully understanding the advantage, in the stand they had taken against the Government, of engaging the Marines as their allies, took care to include them in their demand for redress of abuses. In their answer to the Lords of the Admiralty, dated on board the Queen Charlotte at Spithead, April 19, 1797, they say,— "and as a further proof of our moderation, and that we are actuated by a true spirit of benevolence towards our brethren, the Marines, who are not noticed in your lordship's answer," etc. But neither had they, in their first statement of grievances, beginning, " We, the seamen of His Majesty's Navy," alluded, even remotely, to the Marines, showing that the alliance was an after thought. The Marines were mentioned, however, in the petition to Parliament. But although their " brethren the Marines " doubtless had their own grievances, yet they, as a rule, remained true to their duty, and by their steadfast courage and good discipline suppressed more than one mutiny. One remarkable instance
ron under Admiral Boscawan, was distinguished for bravery, wounded twelve times in various actions; and was finally discharged without her sex being discovered. This brings to mind the story of the lady whose devotion to the fortunes of one William Taylor induced her to follow that hero to sea. She assumed the name of Richard Carr, behaved with great gallantry, and notwithstanding the secret of her sex being revealed, she was actually promoted to be first lieutenant of the Thunder bomb. (See "Universal Songster," London, 1827, Vol. I., page 65.)
among many of a similar character, is related of the crew of the Impetueux, Captain Sir Edward Pellew, afterwards Lord Exmouth. The mutineers had in vain attempted to win over the Marines, and Sir Edward, rinding he had them on his side, at once took such energetic measures that the mutiny was put down. The Marine Guard of the Castor frigate summarily suppressed a mutiny on board that ship December, 1801. In the same year the mutiny in the squadron in Bantry Bay broke out; this also was put down by the aid of the Marines. On each occasion the good conduct of the Marines was recognized in the official report of the affair, and it was probably due to the reputation for loyalty then acquired under the most trying circumstances, rather than their conduct in battle, that gave rise to the complimentary order of the Admiralty, of April 29, 1802, conveying His Majesty's directions "that the Corps shall be styled Royal Marines." The last serious mutiny necessary in this connection to notice, occurred on board the Excellent, 74, in the West Indies.
Lord Hood, in general orders, dated " Blenheim, Barbadoes, December 30, 1802," says: "The commander-in-chief (as well as the members of the Court Martial), are highly sensible of the active exertions of the officers of H. M. ship Excellent, in quelling the late mutiny on board that ship; and also the officers, non-commissioned officers, and private Marines belonging to the said ship: who, by their firmness in resisting the attempt to seduce them from their duty, and in opposing men in actual mutiny, have increased, if possible, the high character the Corps has so justly acquired," etc., etc. It is evident that the worth of the British Marine had begun to be acknowledged, and yet it was not till 1837 that the " iniquitous system " * of rewarding distinguished naval officers by appointing them to the sinecures of generals and colonels of Marines was abolished.
The value of the Royal Marine as exhibited in his loyalty during a series of mutinies of ships' companies, extending over a period of five years, — or from 1797 to 1802, — some of which shook the throne of Great Britain to its very foundation, was found to be in the total absence of sympathy between him and the seaman ; an inimical feeling, perhaps, which the appointment of naval officers, of whatever class, to positions in the Corps, had a decided tendency to break down. Hence it may be assumed as a general proposition, subject to little qualification, that the value of a Marine Corps to a Navy, or of a Marine Guard to a ship, is in direct proportion to the thoroughness of its military training, its esprit de corps, and the strict observance of that line of demarkation which separates the military from the naval element.
===
Part 3 comes tomorrow!
During the naval supremacy of Rome, the quinquireme only, as a rule, was admitted into the line of battle. Polybius gives the number of rowers in these vessels as three hundred, and that of the Marines (dasiarii militcs) as one hundred and twenty. In regard to the manner of fighting, it may be observed that the Epibata used arrows and darts at a distance, spears and swords in close combat, and as ships increased in size they added balistce, and turres, or turrets (naves turritee), and fought from them as from castles on land.
In the earlier period of naval history, when opposing fleets, drawn up in parallel lines, closed at once and decided the issue of the battle by a hand-to-hand contest, the number of Marines aboard each vessel was as large as could be accommodated. But when, in the process of time, military science became better understood, and its principles came to be applied to the management of fleets, naval tactics grew to be an art in which the Athenians rendered themselves preeminently successful. Skilful manoeuvres and evolutions performed with wonderful celerity and precision took the place of the old style of rushing headlong into battle. To maim and disable an enemy, without receiving any injury in return, was now the evidence of an expert trierarch and a well-drilled crew; this feat once accomplished, and the enemy's vessel reduced to a helpless wreck upon the water, the survivors were easily despatched by the Marines. Hence, with the improved tactics came a reduction of the number of Marines
allowed to a Greek trireme, the precise number being finally settled at ten, as already stated, the entire complement of the trireme being two hundred.
The true functions of the Marine of modern times were little understood, his great value to the Navy to which he belonged little appreciated, till within a recent period. According to their own writers, the Corps of Marines of Great Britain was originally instituted in 1664 ; and, curiously enough, partly with a view to forming a nursery of seamen for the fleet. The privates were encouraged to qualify as able seamen, and were allowed every opportunity of doing so. *
"It having been found necessary on many occasions to embark a number of soldiers on board our ships of war * * it was judged expedient to appoint certain regiments for that service, who were trained to the different modes of sea-fighting, and also made useful in some of those manoeuvres of a ship where a great many hands were required. These, from the nature of their duty, were distinguished as Marine soldiers, or Marines." ("Grose's Military Antiquities of the English Army," Vol. I.) They were expected to be more or less familiar with the duties of seamen, and it is still more curious to observe that this total misapprehension as to the nature of the duties of Marines was transmitted to the colonies in America, and found definite expression in the first act of the Continental Congress establishing a Marine Corps.
In 1740 three additional regiments were raised in America and assembled at New York. All the officers, excepting the captains of companies, who were colonists nominated by the provinces, were appointed by the Crown, and Colonel Spotiswood, of Virginia, was colonel-commandant of the whole, t
• " Royal Marines," by T. Smith, R. M. Colburn's "United Sen-ice Magazine ""for May, and following numbers, 1874.
The history of the Royal Marines is not without its page of romance. One Hannah Snell, of Worcester, England, it appears, fought in the ranks as a Marine. She belonged to the guard of the Swallow, one of the squad.
In 1760, the strength of the Corps being increased to eighteen thousand, three hundred and fifty-five men, application was made for an increase of the number of field officers, etc.
Nicolas, in his history of the Royal Marine forces, gives very full accounts of all the battles in which that Corps participated, but although the British Marine had in many a hardfought action acquitted himself with credit, yet on no occasion had he proved himself of more value to the Navy to which he belonged, or reflected more honor on his Corps, than during the momentous period covering the great mutinies at Spithead, the Nore and Bantry Bay. The seamen of the fleet fully understanding the advantage, in the stand they had taken against the Government, of engaging the Marines as their allies, took care to include them in their demand for redress of abuses. In their answer to the Lords of the Admiralty, dated on board the Queen Charlotte at Spithead, April 19, 1797, they say,— "and as a further proof of our moderation, and that we are actuated by a true spirit of benevolence towards our brethren, the Marines, who are not noticed in your lordship's answer," etc. But neither had they, in their first statement of grievances, beginning, " We, the seamen of His Majesty's Navy," alluded, even remotely, to the Marines, showing that the alliance was an after thought. The Marines were mentioned, however, in the petition to Parliament. But although their " brethren the Marines " doubtless had their own grievances, yet they, as a rule, remained true to their duty, and by their steadfast courage and good discipline suppressed more than one mutiny. One remarkable instance
ron under Admiral Boscawan, was distinguished for bravery, wounded twelve times in various actions; and was finally discharged without her sex being discovered. This brings to mind the story of the lady whose devotion to the fortunes of one William Taylor induced her to follow that hero to sea. She assumed the name of Richard Carr, behaved with great gallantry, and notwithstanding the secret of her sex being revealed, she was actually promoted to be first lieutenant of the Thunder bomb. (See "Universal Songster," London, 1827, Vol. I., page 65.)
among many of a similar character, is related of the crew of the Impetueux, Captain Sir Edward Pellew, afterwards Lord Exmouth. The mutineers had in vain attempted to win over the Marines, and Sir Edward, rinding he had them on his side, at once took such energetic measures that the mutiny was put down. The Marine Guard of the Castor frigate summarily suppressed a mutiny on board that ship December, 1801. In the same year the mutiny in the squadron in Bantry Bay broke out; this also was put down by the aid of the Marines. On each occasion the good conduct of the Marines was recognized in the official report of the affair, and it was probably due to the reputation for loyalty then acquired under the most trying circumstances, rather than their conduct in battle, that gave rise to the complimentary order of the Admiralty, of April 29, 1802, conveying His Majesty's directions "that the Corps shall be styled Royal Marines." The last serious mutiny necessary in this connection to notice, occurred on board the Excellent, 74, in the West Indies.
Lord Hood, in general orders, dated " Blenheim, Barbadoes, December 30, 1802," says: "The commander-in-chief (as well as the members of the Court Martial), are highly sensible of the active exertions of the officers of H. M. ship Excellent, in quelling the late mutiny on board that ship; and also the officers, non-commissioned officers, and private Marines belonging to the said ship: who, by their firmness in resisting the attempt to seduce them from their duty, and in opposing men in actual mutiny, have increased, if possible, the high character the Corps has so justly acquired," etc., etc. It is evident that the worth of the British Marine had begun to be acknowledged, and yet it was not till 1837 that the " iniquitous system " * of rewarding distinguished naval officers by appointing them to the sinecures of generals and colonels of Marines was abolished.
The value of the Royal Marine as exhibited in his loyalty during a series of mutinies of ships' companies, extending over a period of five years, — or from 1797 to 1802, — some of which shook the throne of Great Britain to its very foundation, was found to be in the total absence of sympathy between him and the seaman ; an inimical feeling, perhaps, which the appointment of naval officers, of whatever class, to positions in the Corps, had a decided tendency to break down. Hence it may be assumed as a general proposition, subject to little qualification, that the value of a Marine Corps to a Navy, or of a Marine Guard to a ship, is in direct proportion to the thoroughness of its military training, its esprit de corps, and the strict observance of that line of demarkation which separates the military from the naval element.
===
Part 3 comes tomorrow!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Another Cool Marine Corps Video
I couldn't help but share this great video. I do hope you like it as much as I do.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ancient Marines
In this section, Aldrich provides ancient references to the importance of Marines.
–
Part 1 of 3
THE ANTIQUITY OF THE MARINE SERVICE. — PHOENICIAN AND GREEK MARINES.—THE FORCE UNDER XERXES.—THE ROYAL MARINES OF GREAT BRITAIN.—A WELL-MERITED TRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN MARINES, BY A PROMINENT OFFICER OF THE NAVY.
CAPTAIN S. B. LUCE, of the United States Navy, has kindly furnished the following chapter in relation to the antiquity of the Marine Service, etc., with a tribute to the value of the United States Corps, which will be appreciated alike by the student of history and by the officers and men of the Corps:
The employment of infantry as part of the regular complement of vessels of war was common to the Phoenicians and to all the maritime States of Greece at least five centuries before the commencement of the Christian era. In the earlier period of history it was not so. When vessels were no larger than pentekonters, — open boats pulling fifty oars, — perhaps up to the time of biremes, the warriors were the oarsmen. But as naval science progressed, and the size of vessels increased, there gradually sprang up distinct classes, which together made up the personnel of the Navies about 500 B. C.: the rowers, the seamen proper, who had the general management of the vessel and sails, and the Marines, or fighting men. Marines are specially mentioned in the account of the battle of Lade", in the time of Darius, king of Persia, about 497 B. C. The Ionian Greeks, being in a state of revolt, had their fleet drawn up at Lide*, a small island lying off Miletus, where it was discovered by the Persians. In the battle which ensued, the Samian and Lesbian squadrons deserted the cause, the people of those isles having been won over by Persian emissaries, and were followed by others. "Of those who remained and fought," says Herodotus, "none were so rudely handled as the Chians. They had furnished to the common fleet over one hundred ships, having each of them forty armed citizens on board, and those picked men. Scorning to follow the base examples of the traitors, they fought desperately, till, overcome by numbers, they were obliged to seek safety in flight." The same author, in estimating the strength of the Persian naval force which accompanied the army of Xerxes to Greece, observes that each vessel had on board, besides native soldiers, thirty fighting men, who were either Persians, Medes, or Sacans.
At the dawning of the day of the battle of Salamis, the men-atarms of the Greek fleet were assembled on shore, and speeches were made to them. "The best of all was that of Themistocles, who, throughout, contrasted what was noble with what was base, and bade them in all that came within the range of man's nature always to make choice of the nobler part." These men-at-arms or soldiers, which formed part of the complement of the Greek trireme, were called Epibata, a word all authorities agree in rendering into English by the word Marines. The largest number of Marines found aboard each of the " swift ships" — that is, the regular men of war, as distinguished from transports — at this period was forty. Plutarch gives the number on board each Greek trireme at the battle of Salamis as eighteen, four of whom were archers and the rest heavy-armed. During the Peloponnesian War, the average number on board the Athenian trireme was ten. It may not be out of place to give here one of the many incidents of the battle of Salamis, as an illustration of the valor and mode of fighting of the Epibatce: " A Samothracian vessel bore down on an Athenian and sunk it, but was attacked and crippled immediately after by one of the Eginetan squadron. Now the Samothracians were expert with the javelin, and aimed their weapons so well that they cleared the deck of the vessel which had disabled their own, after which they sprang on board and took it." (Herodotus viii. 90.)
In the account of the battle of Platea, where Mardonius, the great military leader of the Persians, was slain, and the choice of the Persian troops routed, there is an instance related where the military and naval training are curiously blended in the person of the Athenian Sophanes. "He wore," says Herodotus, "an iron anchor, fastened to the belt which secured his breastplate by a brazen chain; and this, when he came near the enemy, he threw out, to the intent that when they made their charge it might be impossible for him to be driven from his post. As soon, however, as the enemy fled, his wont was to take up his anchor and join the pursuit."" Another account states that the anchor was simply a device upon his shield. But in either event the anchor would indicate that he had served afloat. Thucydides makes frequent mention of Epibata. When the Athenian strategus Demosthenes was operating near Leucas with thirty ships, he landed his forces, and had, besides the army, "the three hundred Epibata from his own ships," making ten for each trireme. Ra'wlinson, in translating the word Epibata, explains that it means "the armed portion of the crew, corresponding to our (English) Marines." So also Dr. Dale, in his translation of " Thucydides," renders the word Epibata as " the heavy-armed soldiers who served on board ship, answering to our Marines." The eminent Greek scholar. Dr. Arnold, takes the same view. The learned historian of Greece, Mr. Grote, speaks of Epibatce as Marines, and observes that "though not forming a corps permanently distinct, they correspond in function to the English Marines." In the statement that they did not form a distinct corps, Mr. Grote seems to differ from other authorities.
Boeckh, probably one of the very best authorities on the antiquities of Athens, who is so freely quoted by Mr. Grote in his history of Greece and referred to by Dr. William Smith and Rich in their dictionaries of Roman and Greek antiquities, in speaking of matters concerning the Athenian Navy, remarks that "The crews of the swift triremes consisted of two descriptions of men: of the soldiers or Marines appointed to defend the vessels, who were also called Epibata; and of the sailors. These Epibata were entirely distinct from the land soldiers, such as the hoplita,pcltasta and cavalry, and belonged to the vessel.'' (" Boeckh's Economy of Athens," Vol. I, page 373.) They had, moreover, their own officers, called trierarchoi.
--
Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3!
–
Part 1 of 3
THE ANTIQUITY OF THE MARINE SERVICE. — PHOENICIAN AND GREEK MARINES.—THE FORCE UNDER XERXES.—THE ROYAL MARINES OF GREAT BRITAIN.—A WELL-MERITED TRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN MARINES, BY A PROMINENT OFFICER OF THE NAVY.
CAPTAIN S. B. LUCE, of the United States Navy, has kindly furnished the following chapter in relation to the antiquity of the Marine Service, etc., with a tribute to the value of the United States Corps, which will be appreciated alike by the student of history and by the officers and men of the Corps:
The employment of infantry as part of the regular complement of vessels of war was common to the Phoenicians and to all the maritime States of Greece at least five centuries before the commencement of the Christian era. In the earlier period of history it was not so. When vessels were no larger than pentekonters, — open boats pulling fifty oars, — perhaps up to the time of biremes, the warriors were the oarsmen. But as naval science progressed, and the size of vessels increased, there gradually sprang up distinct classes, which together made up the personnel of the Navies about 500 B. C.: the rowers, the seamen proper, who had the general management of the vessel and sails, and the Marines, or fighting men. Marines are specially mentioned in the account of the battle of Lade", in the time of Darius, king of Persia, about 497 B. C. The Ionian Greeks, being in a state of revolt, had their fleet drawn up at Lide*, a small island lying off Miletus, where it was discovered by the Persians. In the battle which ensued, the Samian and Lesbian squadrons deserted the cause, the people of those isles having been won over by Persian emissaries, and were followed by others. "Of those who remained and fought," says Herodotus, "none were so rudely handled as the Chians. They had furnished to the common fleet over one hundred ships, having each of them forty armed citizens on board, and those picked men. Scorning to follow the base examples of the traitors, they fought desperately, till, overcome by numbers, they were obliged to seek safety in flight." The same author, in estimating the strength of the Persian naval force which accompanied the army of Xerxes to Greece, observes that each vessel had on board, besides native soldiers, thirty fighting men, who were either Persians, Medes, or Sacans.
At the dawning of the day of the battle of Salamis, the men-atarms of the Greek fleet were assembled on shore, and speeches were made to them. "The best of all was that of Themistocles, who, throughout, contrasted what was noble with what was base, and bade them in all that came within the range of man's nature always to make choice of the nobler part." These men-at-arms or soldiers, which formed part of the complement of the Greek trireme, were called Epibata, a word all authorities agree in rendering into English by the word Marines. The largest number of Marines found aboard each of the " swift ships" — that is, the regular men of war, as distinguished from transports — at this period was forty. Plutarch gives the number on board each Greek trireme at the battle of Salamis as eighteen, four of whom were archers and the rest heavy-armed. During the Peloponnesian War, the average number on board the Athenian trireme was ten. It may not be out of place to give here one of the many incidents of the battle of Salamis, as an illustration of the valor and mode of fighting of the Epibatce: " A Samothracian vessel bore down on an Athenian and sunk it, but was attacked and crippled immediately after by one of the Eginetan squadron. Now the Samothracians were expert with the javelin, and aimed their weapons so well that they cleared the deck of the vessel which had disabled their own, after which they sprang on board and took it." (Herodotus viii. 90.)
In the account of the battle of Platea, where Mardonius, the great military leader of the Persians, was slain, and the choice of the Persian troops routed, there is an instance related where the military and naval training are curiously blended in the person of the Athenian Sophanes. "He wore," says Herodotus, "an iron anchor, fastened to the belt which secured his breastplate by a brazen chain; and this, when he came near the enemy, he threw out, to the intent that when they made their charge it might be impossible for him to be driven from his post. As soon, however, as the enemy fled, his wont was to take up his anchor and join the pursuit."" Another account states that the anchor was simply a device upon his shield. But in either event the anchor would indicate that he had served afloat. Thucydides makes frequent mention of Epibata. When the Athenian strategus Demosthenes was operating near Leucas with thirty ships, he landed his forces, and had, besides the army, "the three hundred Epibata from his own ships," making ten for each trireme. Ra'wlinson, in translating the word Epibata, explains that it means "the armed portion of the crew, corresponding to our (English) Marines." So also Dr. Dale, in his translation of " Thucydides," renders the word Epibata as " the heavy-armed soldiers who served on board ship, answering to our Marines." The eminent Greek scholar. Dr. Arnold, takes the same view. The learned historian of Greece, Mr. Grote, speaks of Epibatce as Marines, and observes that "though not forming a corps permanently distinct, they correspond in function to the English Marines." In the statement that they did not form a distinct corps, Mr. Grote seems to differ from other authorities.
Boeckh, probably one of the very best authorities on the antiquities of Athens, who is so freely quoted by Mr. Grote in his history of Greece and referred to by Dr. William Smith and Rich in their dictionaries of Roman and Greek antiquities, in speaking of matters concerning the Athenian Navy, remarks that "The crews of the swift triremes consisted of two descriptions of men: of the soldiers or Marines appointed to defend the vessels, who were also called Epibata; and of the sailors. These Epibata were entirely distinct from the land soldiers, such as the hoplita,pcltasta and cavalry, and belonged to the vessel.'' (" Boeckh's Economy of Athens," Vol. I, page 373.) They had, moreover, their own officers, called trierarchoi.
--
Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Aldrich's Historical Backdrop, Pt 2
Part 2 of 2
In spite of all this, the popular idea of the duties of the Marine Corps is exceedingly vague. On those occasions, which have not been infrequent, when the propriety of abolishing the organization has been urged by certain members of Congress, the most ardent defenders of the Corps, while fully convinced of the necessity of its existence, have sometimes found themselves at a loss to describe its duties. Considering the peculiar circumstances of the case, such a lack of information is not surprising, for only those familiar with the value of the services of the Marines can well be acquainted with the details of the arduous and responsible duties performed by the officers and men attached to the Corps. In 1866, the National House of Representatives instructed the Committee on Naval Affairs "to consider the expediency of abolishing the Marine Corps, and transferring it to the Army, and of making provision for supplying such military force as may at any time be needed in the Navy, by detail from the Army." The Committee unanimously decided in opposition to the project, and, in their report, made use of the following language in describing the duties of the Marines: "The Marines are strictly infantry soldiers trained for service afloat. Their discipline, equipment, character, and esprit de corps being that of the soldier, they necessarily give to a ship-of-war its military character. As sentinels, they watch over the magazines, store-rooms, gangways, galleys, and all lights and fires required for the use of the ship; they guard all the public property and all prisoners of war, which at times may outnumber the crew; and at all times sustain and protect the discipline of a man-of-war by their organization, distinctive character, and peculiar training. In the ordinary duties of a ship at sea, they pull and haul in common with the rest of the crew ; and although not required to go aloft, they keep regular watch, and are most to be relied upon to man the ropes in sudden squalls, a duty the prompt discharge of which is as necessary to the safety of a ship as reefing or furling. Marines are also trained at the great gun exercise, so that in time of action they are ready to assist in manning guns or to act as a reserve force to meet the casualties of battles. These duties being natural to, and part and parcel of, the service to which they belong, their absence from the deck would have to be supplied by an equal amount of physical force; and, as some part of the crew must be kept on deck to perform these important duties, it will be readily seen why a body of well-trained men, familiar with sea life and its duties, should be preferred to soldiers drawn from the Army unaccustomed to these duties. As soldiers, they guard the ship from troubles within and from surprise without; and as part of the ship's complement, take part in most of the duties necessary to her efficiency as a man-of-war. While ashore, undergoing training as soldiers, they are not otherwise idle, but guard and protect the Navy Yards with the immense amount of public property within them, and are always ready for emergencies in adjacent cities."
In an article descriptive of the nature and value of the services of the Marines, the New York Times says: "In times of peace this Corps has saved millions of dollars to our national treasury by its faithfulness in guarding the public property in our Navy Yards and magazines. It is worthy of attention that no large fire has ever occurred at any of our Navy Yards where a guard of Marines was on duty. Had the New Ironsides been in charge of even a corporal's guard of Marines, instead of a number of irresponsible watchmen, the fire never would have occurred, and the government would not have been a loser thereby of a sum equal to the amount appropriated for the support of the entire Corps. It has been estimated that the pay of the watchmen for one year who are employed in our Navy Yards, added to the property lost through their inefficiency, would support a Marine Corps of more than double the present number of men. The difference between a well-drilled, responsible soldier as a guard and sentinel, and an irresponsible civilian, ought to be evident to all, and especially to those who have our national property under control."
--
I hope you enjoyed this!
In spite of all this, the popular idea of the duties of the Marine Corps is exceedingly vague. On those occasions, which have not been infrequent, when the propriety of abolishing the organization has been urged by certain members of Congress, the most ardent defenders of the Corps, while fully convinced of the necessity of its existence, have sometimes found themselves at a loss to describe its duties. Considering the peculiar circumstances of the case, such a lack of information is not surprising, for only those familiar with the value of the services of the Marines can well be acquainted with the details of the arduous and responsible duties performed by the officers and men attached to the Corps. In 1866, the National House of Representatives instructed the Committee on Naval Affairs "to consider the expediency of abolishing the Marine Corps, and transferring it to the Army, and of making provision for supplying such military force as may at any time be needed in the Navy, by detail from the Army." The Committee unanimously decided in opposition to the project, and, in their report, made use of the following language in describing the duties of the Marines: "The Marines are strictly infantry soldiers trained for service afloat. Their discipline, equipment, character, and esprit de corps being that of the soldier, they necessarily give to a ship-of-war its military character. As sentinels, they watch over the magazines, store-rooms, gangways, galleys, and all lights and fires required for the use of the ship; they guard all the public property and all prisoners of war, which at times may outnumber the crew; and at all times sustain and protect the discipline of a man-of-war by their organization, distinctive character, and peculiar training. In the ordinary duties of a ship at sea, they pull and haul in common with the rest of the crew ; and although not required to go aloft, they keep regular watch, and are most to be relied upon to man the ropes in sudden squalls, a duty the prompt discharge of which is as necessary to the safety of a ship as reefing or furling. Marines are also trained at the great gun exercise, so that in time of action they are ready to assist in manning guns or to act as a reserve force to meet the casualties of battles. These duties being natural to, and part and parcel of, the service to which they belong, their absence from the deck would have to be supplied by an equal amount of physical force; and, as some part of the crew must be kept on deck to perform these important duties, it will be readily seen why a body of well-trained men, familiar with sea life and its duties, should be preferred to soldiers drawn from the Army unaccustomed to these duties. As soldiers, they guard the ship from troubles within and from surprise without; and as part of the ship's complement, take part in most of the duties necessary to her efficiency as a man-of-war. While ashore, undergoing training as soldiers, they are not otherwise idle, but guard and protect the Navy Yards with the immense amount of public property within them, and are always ready for emergencies in adjacent cities."
In an article descriptive of the nature and value of the services of the Marines, the New York Times says: "In times of peace this Corps has saved millions of dollars to our national treasury by its faithfulness in guarding the public property in our Navy Yards and magazines. It is worthy of attention that no large fire has ever occurred at any of our Navy Yards where a guard of Marines was on duty. Had the New Ironsides been in charge of even a corporal's guard of Marines, instead of a number of irresponsible watchmen, the fire never would have occurred, and the government would not have been a loser thereby of a sum equal to the amount appropriated for the support of the entire Corps. It has been estimated that the pay of the watchmen for one year who are employed in our Navy Yards, added to the property lost through their inefficiency, would support a Marine Corps of more than double the present number of men. The difference between a well-drilled, responsible soldier as a guard and sentinel, and an irresponsible civilian, ought to be evident to all, and especially to those who have our national property under control."
--
I hope you enjoyed this!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Aldrich's Historical Backdrop for Marines
Aldrich provides an interesting backdrop to the historical purpose of Marines.
-
Part 1 of 2
NATURE AND VALUE OF THE SERVICES OF THE MARINES.— BRIEF SKETCH OF THE MARINE FORCES CONNECTED WITH SOME OF THE EUROPEAN NAVIES, ETC.
THE value of a well-organized, efficient Marine Corps is recognized by all the leading governments of the present day. When united Germany, at the close of the Franco-Prussian war, set about availing herself of all the naval and military strength of the empire, for any future emergencies, one of the first steps taken was to organize a Marine Corps; it was made up of picked men from the Army, and is now one of the most efficient forces in Europe. The Royal Marines of Great Britain, which number 27,000 men in time of war and 15,000 in time of peace, are not excelled in discipline or efficiency by any equal numbers of men in the English Regular Army. The formation of the British Marine Corps dates back to the latter part of the seventeenth century. Lieutenant Nicolas, in his "Historical Record of the Royal Marine Forces," says: "Until the year 1664, the British Navy was manned by means of the system of impress, or by enlisting landsmen; but the commerce of England at that period was so limited that those measures were found inadequate to procure sufficient seamen for the public service, and this difficulty suggested the formation of an establishment of Marines. The men were raised with the object of forming a nursery to man the fleet, and being quartered in or near the principal sea-ports, their great utility in the equipment of squadrons soon made it desirable to augment their strength." In 1664, the order was issued for raising a regiment of Royal Marines. Although the force has witnessed many changes in its system of organization, and was at one time, in 1748, in consequence of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, temporarily disbanded, it has ever, by bravery and efficiency, proved the wisdom of the original plan for its formation. It was a favorite remark with the immortal Nelson, who fully appreciated the services of the Marines, that when he should become First Lord of the Admiralty, "every fleet should have a perfect battalion of Marines, and, commanded by experienced officers, they would be prepared to make a serious impression on the enemy's coast." Nelson maintained his belief in the efficiency of the Marines till death, and it was a strange yet fitting sequel that when struck by the fatal missile at the bloody fight at Trafalgar, he was borne from the deck by a sergeant and two privates of the Marine Corps into whose arms he fell. In all the principal contests in which Great Britain has engaged during the last century, on land or sea, the Marines have borne a brave, an honorable part. This is especially true of those conflicts carried on in distant countries. In the Ashantee war, no laurels were more honorably or bravely won than those which crowned the record of the Royal Marines.
What has been said of the appreciation of the value of the Marine Corps by the German government is equally true in the case of Italy. When Victor Emanuel established his government at Rome and took the necessary steps to strengthen himself in the enlarged sphere over which his power was extended, one of the first means adopted was to bring the Marine Corps to a high degree of efficiency. The result is, that the Italian Marines are as finely disciplined and organized a body of men as can be found in the service of any nation. Spain, with all the changes in her government, and with all her national weakness, keeps up the high standard of her Marines, and that body of men alone would prove a powerful force for offence or defence in case of a foreign war. France, too, has for many years, in spite of the comparative weakness of her Navy, maintained an excellent Corps of Marines. Sir John Jervis, Earl of St. Vincent, the famous English admiral, who died in 1823, when urging, as necessary to add efficiency to the British Navy, an increase in the number of Marines, pointed to the French Navy and said: "The French, from the era of Louis XIV., have always equipped their fleet sooner than we have, and their bureau de dassc continues in full vigor. Without a large body of Marines, we shall be long, very long, before an efficient fleet can be sent to sea."
Trained, as they are, for duty both on shipboard and on land, the Marines combine the discipline of soldiers and sailors in such a manner as to render their services indispensable in connection with the properly organized Navy of any country. Accustomed by the very nature of their training to the dangers of sea and land, the value of their services cannot be easily estimated. The United States Marine Corps, although composed, comparatively, of a small force of men, has played a most important part in all the struggles through which the nation has passed. Acting as an integral part of the Navy, the Marines have won the highest praise from the naval officers themselves. It is not necessary, in proving the value of the services of the Marines, to bring forward credentials or testimonials to their valor. Yet it is a pleasure, in this connection, to note the opinions of some of the officers whose names have added lustre to our naval records. The men of our Navy have ever justly been a source of pride to the nation, and no small part of the honors which they have won should be shared with the Marines. This fact is willingly acknowledged, by the officers of the Navy. The brave Admiral Farragut thus bore his testimony: "I have always deemed the Marine Guard one of the great essentials of a man-of-war, for the preservation of order and maintenance of discipline. They work and fight their guns well. It is next to impossible to maintain the efficiency of the ship and proper discipline without the restraints of the soldiers over the sailors." And Farragut's successor, Admiral Porter, says : "The Marines are as necessary to the well-being of a ship as the officers. I hope for the good of the service that no attempt will be made to interfere with the Corps in any way, unless to increase it. The Navy would truly feel the blow. I am sure you will not find any advocate for touching the Marine Corps amongst any officers of experience in the Navy." Commodore Rodgers says: "I do not think that soldiers temporarily detailed from the Army to serve in the Navy could do the work of Marines themselves, since the latter have chosen their service and are accustomed to its confinement, as well as habituated to the sea." Commander Roe says: "It is impossible to substitute soldiers of the Army for Marines. The Marines are sea soldiers; they are half-sailors, and have a special training which the land soldiers cannot have."
-
Part 1 of 2
NATURE AND VALUE OF THE SERVICES OF THE MARINES.— BRIEF SKETCH OF THE MARINE FORCES CONNECTED WITH SOME OF THE EUROPEAN NAVIES, ETC.
THE value of a well-organized, efficient Marine Corps is recognized by all the leading governments of the present day. When united Germany, at the close of the Franco-Prussian war, set about availing herself of all the naval and military strength of the empire, for any future emergencies, one of the first steps taken was to organize a Marine Corps; it was made up of picked men from the Army, and is now one of the most efficient forces in Europe. The Royal Marines of Great Britain, which number 27,000 men in time of war and 15,000 in time of peace, are not excelled in discipline or efficiency by any equal numbers of men in the English Regular Army. The formation of the British Marine Corps dates back to the latter part of the seventeenth century. Lieutenant Nicolas, in his "Historical Record of the Royal Marine Forces," says: "Until the year 1664, the British Navy was manned by means of the system of impress, or by enlisting landsmen; but the commerce of England at that period was so limited that those measures were found inadequate to procure sufficient seamen for the public service, and this difficulty suggested the formation of an establishment of Marines. The men were raised with the object of forming a nursery to man the fleet, and being quartered in or near the principal sea-ports, their great utility in the equipment of squadrons soon made it desirable to augment their strength." In 1664, the order was issued for raising a regiment of Royal Marines. Although the force has witnessed many changes in its system of organization, and was at one time, in 1748, in consequence of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, temporarily disbanded, it has ever, by bravery and efficiency, proved the wisdom of the original plan for its formation. It was a favorite remark with the immortal Nelson, who fully appreciated the services of the Marines, that when he should become First Lord of the Admiralty, "every fleet should have a perfect battalion of Marines, and, commanded by experienced officers, they would be prepared to make a serious impression on the enemy's coast." Nelson maintained his belief in the efficiency of the Marines till death, and it was a strange yet fitting sequel that when struck by the fatal missile at the bloody fight at Trafalgar, he was borne from the deck by a sergeant and two privates of the Marine Corps into whose arms he fell. In all the principal contests in which Great Britain has engaged during the last century, on land or sea, the Marines have borne a brave, an honorable part. This is especially true of those conflicts carried on in distant countries. In the Ashantee war, no laurels were more honorably or bravely won than those which crowned the record of the Royal Marines.
What has been said of the appreciation of the value of the Marine Corps by the German government is equally true in the case of Italy. When Victor Emanuel established his government at Rome and took the necessary steps to strengthen himself in the enlarged sphere over which his power was extended, one of the first means adopted was to bring the Marine Corps to a high degree of efficiency. The result is, that the Italian Marines are as finely disciplined and organized a body of men as can be found in the service of any nation. Spain, with all the changes in her government, and with all her national weakness, keeps up the high standard of her Marines, and that body of men alone would prove a powerful force for offence or defence in case of a foreign war. France, too, has for many years, in spite of the comparative weakness of her Navy, maintained an excellent Corps of Marines. Sir John Jervis, Earl of St. Vincent, the famous English admiral, who died in 1823, when urging, as necessary to add efficiency to the British Navy, an increase in the number of Marines, pointed to the French Navy and said: "The French, from the era of Louis XIV., have always equipped their fleet sooner than we have, and their bureau de dassc continues in full vigor. Without a large body of Marines, we shall be long, very long, before an efficient fleet can be sent to sea."
Trained, as they are, for duty both on shipboard and on land, the Marines combine the discipline of soldiers and sailors in such a manner as to render their services indispensable in connection with the properly organized Navy of any country. Accustomed by the very nature of their training to the dangers of sea and land, the value of their services cannot be easily estimated. The United States Marine Corps, although composed, comparatively, of a small force of men, has played a most important part in all the struggles through which the nation has passed. Acting as an integral part of the Navy, the Marines have won the highest praise from the naval officers themselves. It is not necessary, in proving the value of the services of the Marines, to bring forward credentials or testimonials to their valor. Yet it is a pleasure, in this connection, to note the opinions of some of the officers whose names have added lustre to our naval records. The men of our Navy have ever justly been a source of pride to the nation, and no small part of the honors which they have won should be shared with the Marines. This fact is willingly acknowledged, by the officers of the Navy. The brave Admiral Farragut thus bore his testimony: "I have always deemed the Marine Guard one of the great essentials of a man-of-war, for the preservation of order and maintenance of discipline. They work and fight their guns well. It is next to impossible to maintain the efficiency of the ship and proper discipline without the restraints of the soldiers over the sailors." And Farragut's successor, Admiral Porter, says : "The Marines are as necessary to the well-being of a ship as the officers. I hope for the good of the service that no attempt will be made to interfere with the Corps in any way, unless to increase it. The Navy would truly feel the blow. I am sure you will not find any advocate for touching the Marine Corps amongst any officers of experience in the Navy." Commodore Rodgers says: "I do not think that soldiers temporarily detailed from the Army to serve in the Navy could do the work of Marines themselves, since the latter have chosen their service and are accustomed to its confinement, as well as habituated to the sea." Commander Roe says: "It is impossible to substitute soldiers of the Army for Marines. The Marines are sea soldiers; they are half-sailors, and have a special training which the land soldiers cannot have."
Welcome!
This blog collects interesting historical anecdotes and factoids related to the US Marine Corps.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)