the entrance with floating lightwood fires, and directing the motion of the Drummond lights whenever the alarm of the boats are coming" might be signalled.

The States which provided the personnel of the navy, also, under the resolution of the Confederate Congress of March 15, 1861, in reference to property captured from the United States, turned over the ships seized by them at the time of their secession. This bare nucleus of a navy, Congress, on March 15, 1861, authorized the President to increase by construction or purchase of ten steam gunboats for coast defences, whereof five were to be of a tonnage not exceeding seven hundred and fifty tons, and five of one thousand tons. In consequence of the resolution of the same date, the States turned over to the Confederate government the forts, arsenals, navy-yards, dock-yards and other property formerly belonging to the United States. This transfer placed at the disposal of the Navy Department the navy yard at Pensacola, Florida, which having been a yard mainly for shelter and repairs, was but indifferently adapted to building purposes, and, lying in an exposed position, was of no immediate aid to the Navy Department.

The efforts of the Confederate Navy Department in organizing the naval stations were directed in March, 1861, to New Orleans, whither a commission, composed of Commander L. Rousseau, Commander E. Farrand and Lieut. Robert T. Chapman, was sent on the 17th of that month to purchase or contract for constructing the new gunboats authorized by Congress. Under their administration at New Orleans, the Sumter, the first Confederate cruiser, was dispatched to sea from that city on April 18, 1861.

Commander L. Rousseau, thus appointed to the command of the New Orleans naval station, was chiefly engaged in the examination of river craft for conversion into gunboats, and collecting such material as the city and adjacent country afforded suitable to naval purposes. He continued in command until July 31st, when he was relieved by Capt. George N. Hollins.

Capt. Duncan N. Ingraham, C. S. navy, in charge of naval affairs in the waters of Alabama, was ordered, May 20, 1861, to ascertain the practicability of obtaining wrought-iron plates of from two to three inches in thickness; and whether, if such plates could be furnished according to a given form, dimension and weight, what would be the price per pound, together with the best means of forwarding them to New Orleans. Capt. Ingraham reported that neither the Tennessee Iron Works nor the Messrs. Hillman & Co., on the Cumberland River, in Kentucky, would undertake work for the Confederate States in the then condition of the country in which their works were located, and that Messrs. Wood & Co. were not prepared to roll heavy work under any circumstances. He also ascertained that the mills at Atlanta, Georgia, could not

roll such iron as was needed, as it would involve an entire change in their mill, which they declined to make at that time; but afterwards, in November, 1861, the Atlanta mills were changed and became a mill for rolling iron plates for vesselsof-war.

On November 16, 1861, Capt. Ingraham was assigned to duty in Charleston harbor, and ordered to superintend the preparation and armament of the batteries for its defence, assign to duty the naval officers at his disposal as ordnance officers at the batteries, and to execute all orders relating to the naval operations in the harbor which he might receive from Flag-officer Tatnall.

Capt. Victor M. Randolph, late of the United States navy, was appointed by the State of Florida to the command of the navy-yard at Pensacola, and assisted Colonel Wm. H. Chase, then in command of the State forces around Pensacola, in the reduction of that navy-yard; Commander Ebenezer Farrand and Lieut. Francis B. Renshaw were also officers of the United States navy, and on duty at the Pensacola navy-yard. Capt. Farrand continued to command the navy-yard until its evacuation and destruction by order of Gen. Braxton Bragg, March 11, 1862. The Navy Department entered into contracts with Ollinger & Bruce, November 4, 1861, and with F. G. Howard, October 29, 1861, for the construction of two gunboats at the head of Pensacola Bay, thirty-five miles from Fort Pickens; which, under the supervision of Commander Farrand, were well and strongly built, and their destruction was condemned by Commander Farrand as unnecessary. sidered that they could have been removed up Escambia River, out of reach of the enemy's gunboats, and there completed, where they would have rendered important service in any attack by the enemy on Pensacola. It was the action of the commander, General Samuel Jones, under positive orders of General Bragg, and not the Navy Department, or its executive officer, Commander Farrand, that thus destroyed two valuable. gunboats. It is not true, as Admiral Porter says, that "Pensacola was evacuated by the Confederates

on a scare,

they thinking that Farragut's fleet was on its way to take it --but the evacuation was rendered necessary, in General Bragg's opinion, because "our fate may depend on two weeks in the valley of the Mississippi." The letter from which we extract that remark was written March 1, 1862, and ordered the troops from Pensacola to the valley of the Mississippi after all the guns and other military and naval stores had been removed. Among the troops defending Pensacola was Capt. Thom's company of marines, which were transferred to Virginia November 29th, at which date General Bragg renewed a request made "as early as last spring, and frequently since, for some young naval officers, but without success," notwithstanding he had "two steam gunboats commanded by landsmen."

Commander Tatnall resigned his commission in the United States navy on February 21, 1861, and was appointed senior flag-officer in the navy at Georgia, February 28th, and commissioned a captain in the Confederate Navy in March, 1861. The Navy Department immediately assigned Capt. Tatnall to the command of the naval defence of the waters of Georgia and South Carolina, with directions to improvise as best he could a squadron, to be composed of such light steamers and river craft as he might be able to secure. Contracts for the building of four gunboats at Savannah, Ga., and of two at Saffold, in that State, were made by the Navy Department during the first year of the war.

The Proclamation of President Lincoln, April 15, 1861, calling upon Virginia and the other States for 75,000 troops to enable the United States authorities to repossess and hold the forts, etc., seized by the seceded States, had no uncertain signification in Virginia. There it was understood and accepted as the declaration of war on the part of the United States. Virginia could be no neutral in that war and had no desire to occupy any such position. It was apparent that her territory would become the Flanders of the war, and that between her northern and southern boundaries would be fought those great battles upon the results of which would depend the fate and fortune of the Confederate States.

Among the first acts of the State Convention after the adoption of the Ordinance of Secession, on April 17, 1861, was Ordinance No. 9, passed on the same day, by which the Governor of the State, after being authorized and required to call for volunteers, was also directed to "immediately invite all efficient and worthy Virginians and residents of Virginia in the army and navy of the United States to retire therefrom, and to enter the service of Virginia, assigning them to such rank as will not reverse the relative rank held by them in the United States service, and will at least be equivalent thereto."

By the same Ordinance the Governor was ordered to "repel invasion and see that in all things the commonwealth take no detriment," and to that end an appropriation of $100,000 was made.

An invitation was also extended by the Convention to all Virginia officers in the Revenue service and Coast Survey of the United States to enter the service of the State, and the Governor was authorized to make proper provision for them.

A commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces of the State, with the rank of Major General, was authorized by Ordinance of April 19, 1861, who should, when appointed, take rank over all other military and naval officers of the State without regard to date of commission.

The oath to support the Constitution of the United States, which had been taken by citizens of Virginia while the State

was a member of that confederacy, was declared inoperative and void, and of no effect, and the statutory provisions of the State which heretofore gave efficacy to that oath were repealed.

Having thus disrobed herself of the constitution and union of the United States, Virginia prepared as best she could to meet the responsibilities of her acts. A provisional army was created, and on April 27th an Ordinance establishing the navy of Virginia was passed, to consist of 2,000 seamen and marines, with their proper officers. The officers were to be those of the U. S. navy who had or who might thereafter avail themselves of the invitation extended by Ordinance No. 9, of April 17th. The Governor was directed to prescribe the pay, rations, and allowances, which were to be the same in all respects as those then in the U. S. navy; Virginians on the retired list of the U. S. navy were to be provided for by the Governor, and to perform such duties as they were able to discharge; the rules for the government of the U. S. navy were directed to be revised by a Board of officers to be ordered by the Governor, and made applicable to the navy of Virginia; the term of enlistment for seamen was fixed at three years, and for marines at five years; a medical department was directed to be organized by the Governor, to which none but surgeons and assistant surgeons late of the U. S. navy were to be appointed.

An Auditing Board for all claims and expenditures for the army and navy was appointed, consisting of George W. Munford, John R. Tucker, and Jonathan M. Bennett.

On the 22d of April, 1861, Robert E. Lee, late a colonel in the U. S. cavalry, was appointed by Governor Letcher and confirmed by the convention to be Commander-in-chief of the army and navy of Virginia, and immediately entered upor the duties of his position.

Two days after that appointment, on April 24th, a convention between Virginia and the Confederate States of America was entered into, which provided that: Until the union between the State and the Confederacy was fully completed the whole military and naval operations, offensive and defensive, of the State, in the impending conflict with the United States, shall be under the chief control and direction of the President of the Confederate States, and that, after the completion of said union, the State would turn over to the Confederate States all the public property, naval stores and munitions of war then in her possession. acquired from the United States, and that whatever expenditures of money the State might incur would be met and provided for by the Confederate States. The Constitution of the Confederate States was ratified and ordained, and proclaimed binding on the people of Virginia by Ordnance No. 56, adopted June 19, 1861.

In the interval between April 17th and June 19th the States seized the Gosport navy-yard, Harper's Ferry, two

steamers at Richmond, and began to fortify the Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James Rivers with batteries, under the command and direction of her naval officers.

Commodore French Forrest, having resigned his commission in the U. S. navy, was appointed in the Virginia navy, and assigned to duty as flag-officer at the Norfolk navy-yard immediately upon its evacuation by the United States authorities; at the same time Capt. Arthur Sinclair, also of the old navy, was appointed to the same rank in the navy of Virginia, and assigned to the command of Fort Norfolk; Robert B. Pegram and Catesby Ap R. Jones were appointed on April 18, 1861, captains in the Virginia navy, and James H. Rochelle, a lieutenant. These officers were immediately ordered to Norfolk, under the following order addressed to Capt. Pegram : "You will immediately proceed to Norfolk and there assume command of the naval station, with authority to organize naval defences, enroll and enlist seamen and marines, and temporarily to appoint war officers, and do and perform whatever may be necessary to preserve and protect the property of the Commonwealth and the citizens of Virginia." This order was of date April 18th, but was superseded in a few days by that assigning Flag-officer Forrest to the command of the naval station at Norfolk.

Lieut. John M. Brooke, of the C. S. navy, was assigned to duty, as aide-de-camp, at the headquarters of Major Gen. Robert E. Lee, then commanding the army of Virginia, and Commander M. F. Maury was attached to the Advisory Council of the State of Virginia; Wm. L. Maury and Wm. Taylor Smith, lieutenants in the Virginia navy, were assigned to duty under Gen. Philip St. George Cocke, commanding on the line of the Potomac, and were engaged in erecting batteries of that river; Capt. William C. Whittle, of the navy, was assigned to duty at Gloucester Point. Capt. Thos. J. Page while in the Virginia navy was aide-de-camp to Governor Letcher. Capt. Wm. F. Lynch was assigned to duty on the Potomac River. Commander A. B. Fairfax was ordnance officer at the Norfolk navy-yard, and Lieut. H. H. Lewis was on duty on the Rappahannock. Capt. J. Wilkinson was assigned to the duty of constructing Fort Powhatan on the James River.

The naval school established by Secretary Mallory at Richmond, under the superintendence of Lieut. Wm. H. Parker, proved of great benefit to the service. The exigencies of defence required not only trained officers, but men capable of training others. The naval academy educated and trained a large number of the younger officers of the service, some of whom subsequently acquired great distinction.

The number of experienced seamen in the Southern States prior to the war was very limited, and these were entirely absorbed by the Conscript Law of February 17, 1864, placing