--201--
No. 78. [2d Session.
11th Congress.]
CONDITION OF THE NAVAL FORCE, AND THE APPLICATION OF APPROPRIATIONS MADE FOR THE NAVAL SERVICE AND MARINE CORPS.
COMMUNICATED TO CONGRESS, DECEMBER 5, 1809.
To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States:
I now transmit a report of the Secretary of the Navy, containing statements from that Department, referred to in my message of the 29th ultimo.*
JAMES MADISON.
December 4, 1809.
Navy Department, December 1, 1809.
Sir:
I have the honor of transmitting to you, herewith, paper A, which is an exhibit of the vessels of war and gunboats at this time belonging to the Navy of the United States; distinguishing the number in commission prior to the passage of the act, entitled "An act authorizing the employment of an additional naval force," passed January 31, 1809. The number fitted out under that act; the whole number now in commission, and prepared for service, and the number in ordinary, and where.
By this paper it will be seen, that the act of 31st January, 1809, has been fully executed. The number of vessels of war and gun boats, now in commission, and the actual state of those not in commission, will also appear, it is hoped, in a satisfactory form.
Paper No. 1, which is an exhibit of the warrants drawn upon the appropriations made by the act of Congress of 3d March, 1809, for "repairs of vessels;" for contingent expenses; and for clothing of the marine corps, respectively.
Paper No. 2, which is an exhibit of the warrants drawn upon the sum of $150,000, transferred by your order, agreeably to the act of Congress, entitled "An act further to amend the several acts for the establishment and regulation of the treasury, war, and navy departments," passed, March 3, 1809, from the appropriation made by the appropriation act of 3d March, 1809, for "provisions" to that of "repairs of vessels."
Paper No. 3, which is an exhibit of the warrants drawn upon the sum of $25,000, transferred by your order, agreeably to the provisions of the act above recited, from the appropriation made by the appropriation act above recited, for "provisions," to that of "contingent expenses."
Paper No. 4, which is an exhibit of the warrants drawn upon the sum of $2,500, transferred by your order, agreeably to the provisions of the act above recited, from the appropriation made by the act above recited for "quartermasters' and barrack masters' stores for the corps of marines," to that of clothing for that corps.
The sum transferred in aid of the appropriation for "repairs of vessels," may appear large; but pursuing the spirit of the act of 31st January, 1809, it was determined that the repairs made should be thorough and complete. In doing this, the disbursements have certainly been heavy. The price of naval stores, greatly and suddenly enhanced, has greatly contributed to swell them to their present amount. One very consoling circumstance for these heavy disbursements, arises out of the fact, that all the vessels repaired, especially the frigates, have been so much improved in their armament, their other fitments, and their sailing, that the most experienced practical men pronounce them to be, at this time, greatly superior, in all respects, to what they were when first fitted out from the stocks.
The contingent expenses have also been unexpectedly great, arising principally from the very heavy disbursements at New Orleans.
The appropriation for marine clothing was found inadequate to the objects for which it was made, in consequence of the advanced price of cloths and woollens.
I have the honor to be, with great respect, sir, your most obedient,
PAUL HAMILTON.
The President of the United States.
* See Foreign Relations, No. 30, page 76.
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A. | |||||||
Exhibit showing the slate and condition, at this time, of the vessels belonging to the Navy of the United States, and of the Gunboats. |
|||||||
Whole number
|
Rate. |
In
commission |
Fitted out
|
Whole number
|
In Ordinary. |
In Ordinary at |
REMARKS. |
Frigate Constitution, |
44 |
Constitution, |
President, |
Constitution, |
Chesapeake, |
Boston, |
These frigates in ordinary, require repairs |
President, |
44 |
Chesapeake, |
United States, |
President, |
Congress, |
Washington, |
|
United States, |
44 |
Wasp, |
Essex, |
United States, |
Constellation, |
||
Chesapeake, |
36 |
Hornet, |
John Adams, |
Essex, |
New York, |
||
Congress, |
36 |
Argus, |
Syren, |
John Adams, |
Adams, |
||
Constellation, |
36 |
Bombs, Etna, |
Vixen, |
Wasp, |
9 Gunboats, |
||
New York, |
32 |
& Vesuvius. |
Nautilus, |
Hornet, |
13 do. |
Charleston, |
Three of
these Gunboats have been put in |
Essex, |
32 |
22 Gunboats at N. O. |
Enterprise, |
Syren, |
4 do. |
Wilmington, N. C. |
|
Adams, |
32 |
Revenge, |
Argus, |
21 do. |
Norfolk, |
One of these
employed occasionally, |
|
Ship John Adams, |
20 |
Ferret, |
Vixen, |
10 do. |
Baltimore, |
All these Gunboats, in-ordinary, and in a state of preservation. |
|
Wasp, |
18 |
Nautilus, |
20 do. |
Philadelphia, |
|||
Brig Hornet, |
18 |
Enterprise, |
54 do. |
New York, |
|||
Syren, |
16 |
Revenge, |
2 do. |
Westerly, R. I. |
|||
Argus, |
16 |
Ferret, |
2 do. |
Norwich, Con. |
|||
Vixen, |
14 |
Bombs, Etna |
1 do. |
Boston, |
|||
Nautilus, |
14 |
& Vesuvius. |
9 do. |
Portland, |
|||
22 Gunboats at N. ). |
|||||||
Schooner Enterprise, |
12 |
1 do. |
Lake Ontario, (This is Brig Oneida.) |
||||
Revenge, |
12 |
2 do. |
Lake Champlain, |
||||
Cutter Ferret, |
10 |
Bomb, Spitfire, |
Norfolk, |
These bombs require repairs. |
|||
Brig Oneida, classed with Gunboats, |
16 |
Vengeance, |
New York |
||||
Bombs Etna, |
Of the
Gunboats at New Orleans, No. 13 |
||||||
Vesuvius, |
|||||||
Spitfire, |
|||||||
& Vengeance, |
|||||||
170 Gunboats, including Brig Oneida, |
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No. 1. |
|
Application of 445,000 dollars, appropriated for repairs of vessels by the act of the 3d of March, 1809. |
|
Carpenters, sail-makers, blacksmiths, coopers, and including all workmen employed in repairing ships, |
$95,435 93 |
Cordage, purchased at Washington, |
81,179 91 |
Timber, ditto, ditto, |
16,458 49 |
Kentledge, ditto, ditto, |
4,610 53 |
Leather, hides, &c. purchased at Washington, |
2,244 12 |
Oil, purchased at Washington, |
2,150 56 |
Sundries,
composing iron work done out of the yard, tar, pitch, |
12,525 67 |
PAID. |
|
Bills drawn by the navy agent and master commandant at New Orleans, on account of repairs to gun vessels, |
11,880 00 |
Bill drawn by Lieutenant Nicholson, for repairs to gunboats Nos. 5 and 58, at the Havana, |
1,259 47 |
Bill drawn by James Morrison, navy agent Kentucky, for cordage, |
3,255 50 |
Remitted to the following navy agents upon their
requisitions, the expenditure of which |
|
Samuel Storer, navy agent, Portland, Maine, |
1,650 00 |
Francis Johonnot, navy agent Boston, |
17,200 00 |
John Bullus, navy agent, New York, |
33,900 00 |
John Stricker, navy agent, Baltimore, |
86,072 76 |
George Harrison, navy agent, Philadelphia, |
16,384 21 |
Theo. Armistead, navy agent, Norfolk, |
30,500 00 |
N. Ingraham and Son, navy agents, Charleston, S. C. |
28,292 85 |
$445,000 00 |
Navy Department, November 25, 1809.
PAUL HAMILTON, Secretary of the Navy.
Application of 150,000 dollars, appropriated for freight, contingent expenses, &c. by the act of March 3, 1809. |
|
Freight, passage of seamen, &c. |
$5,444 15 |
Officers' travelling expenses and extra allowances, |
2,119 02 |
Cabin furniture for the ships, |
1,303 07 |
Allowance for house rent, |
341 65 |
Stationary, printing pay rolls, &c. for the ships, |
2,419 44 |
Pilotage, |
535 08 |
Expenses of officers attending rendezvous, |
333 57 |
Candles, |
965 99 |
Wood, |
311 21 |
Building a powder house at Washington, |
1,244 37 |
Fire buckets, |
270 00 |
Ballast, |
238 00 |
Armorers, |
325 00 |
Making bags, |
270 50 |
Chopped rye and straw for the oxen at the navy yard, |
91 24 |
Bain and Webster, Providence, Bahama Islands, for saleage, |
244 12 |
Sundries, |
2,828 26 |
B. H. Latrobe, salary as superintendent of buildings, |
500 00 |
Remitted the
following navy agents, whose accounts |
|
Samuel Storer, navy agent, Portland, Maine, |
2,300 00 |
Francis Johonnot, navy agent, Boston, |
4,595 96 |
John Bullus, navy agent,New York, |
11,200 00 |
George Harrison, navy agent, Philadelphia, |
3,000 00 |
Samuel Hanson, of Samuel, Purser, |
1,117 98 |
Theo. Armistead, navy agent, Norfolk, |
12,000 00 |
N. Ingraham and Son, navy agents, Charleston, S. C. |
16,100 00 |
James Morrison, navy agent, Kentucky, for insurance, |
614 12 |
John Stricker, navy agent, Baltimore, |
6,507 00 |
Keith Spence,
navy agent, New Orleans, (bills drawn by him on |
64,736 58 |
Melancthon T. Woolsey, brig, building on Lake Ontario, |
7,700 00 |
Matthew Lyon, for half a barge, purchased of him by Captain Shaw, |
343 69 |
$150,000 00 |
Navy Department, November 25, 1809.
PAUL HAMILTON, Secretary of the Navy.
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Application, in part, of $32,933 80, appropriated for clothing for the marine corps, by act of 3d March, 1809. |
||
George Harrison, |
Navy agent,
Philadelphia, |
$16,000 00 |
Tunis Craven, |
Clothing ditto, |
709 10 |
John Minchin, |
Shoes for the marines, |
782 50 |
Thomas Halliday, per order of Isaac O'Harra, |
Making marine clothing, |
66 00 |
Tunis Craven, |
Materials for ditto, |
8,034 58 |
John Minchin, |
Shoes, |
1,000 00 |
Tunis Craven, |
Materials for marine clothing, |
466 20 |
John Minchin, |
Shoes, |
501 25 |
Ditto, |
Ditto, |
1,000 00 |
James McKim, |
Making clothing, |
1,040 60 |
Nathaniel Ingraham and Son, |
Navy agents, Charleston, S. C. |
200 00 |
George Harrison, |
Navy agent, Philadelphia, |
1,000 00 |
John Minchin, |
Shoes, |
730 00 |
Tunis Craven, |
Materials for marine clothing, |
400 00 |
Ditto, |
Ditto ditto, |
632 50 |
Isaac O'Harra |
Making marine clothing, |
55 00 |
$32,617 73 |
Navy Department, November 25, 1809.
PAUL HAMILTON, Secretary of the Navy.
No. 2. |
|
Exhibit of the application of the sum of 150,000 dollars, transferred by
direction of |
|
Paid to ship carpenters, and other mechanics employed in repairing vessels at the navy Yard, Washington, |
$26,075 92 |
For timber, |
2,500 82 |
For cables, cordage, &c. |
10,312 09 |
For paints, oil, and brushes, |
1,956 03 |
For charcoal, |
164 45 |
For iron work done out of the yard, |
1,711 86 |
For spikes, nails, hoop rivets, fire buckets, &c. |
255 67 |
For kentledge, |
4,283 22 |
For hides and leather hose. |
195 54 |
For repairing signal colors, |
247 46 |
For carpenter's stores, |
157 90 |
For sundries, |
232 33 |
Remitted to the following navy agents, whose accounts have not been adjusted, viz: |
|
Nathaniel Ingraham and Son, Charleston, S. C, |
750 00 |
John Stricker, Baltimore, |
3,006 18 |
George Harrison, Philadelphia, |
1,615 79 |
John Bullus, New York, |
1,040 00 |
Paid bills drawn by Keith Spence, navy agent, New Orleans, for repairs to gunboats, &c. |
33,303 30 |
A bill drawn by James Morrison, navy agent, Kentucky, for cordage sent to New Orleans, |
6,314 50 |
94,153 06 |
|
Balance
remaining unexpended the 25th of November, 1809, of the sum of $150,000,
|
55,846 94 |
$150,000 00 |
Navy Department, November 25, 1809.
PAUL HAMILTON, Secretary of the Navy.
No. 3. |
|
Exhibit of the application of the sum of 25,000 dollars, |
|
Expended for freight, passage of seamen, &c. |
$528 09 |
" officers' travelling expenses, and extra allowances, |
713 66 |
" cabin furniture, |
274 27 |
" house rent, |
154 16 |
" powder house, guard house, and wharf, at Washington, |
4,439 73 |
" hardware, |
104 17 |
" sundries, |
297 21 |
" salaries to armorers, |
257 50 |
Remitted to the following navy agents, whose accounts have not been adjusted, viz: |
|
Samuel Storer, navy agent, Portland, |
250 00 |
John Stricker, navy agent, Baltimore, |
1,050 00 |
John Bullus, navy agent, New York, |
1,800 00 |
Paid Keith Spence, navy agent, New Orleans, bills drawn upon the Department, |
8,064 70 |
17,933 49 |
|
Balance
remaining unexpended this 25th day of November, 1809, of the sum of
$25,000, |
7,066 51 |
S25.000 00 |
Navy Department, November 25, 1809.
PAUL HAMILTON, Secretary of the Navy.
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No. 4. |
|
The balance
remaining on hand the 9th day of November, 1809, |
$316 07 |
To which add
the sum of $2,500, transferred on the 9th day of November, 1809, |
2,500 00 |
2,816 07 |
|
Deduct—paid
to Tunis Craven for materials for marine clothing, |
885 00 |
Balance unexpended, November 25, 1809, |
$1,831 07 |
Navy Department, November 25, 1809.
PAUL HAMILTON, Secretary of the Navy.