Commodore Arent S. Crowninshield, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, to Commodore George C. Remey, Commandant, Key West Naval Base
WASHINGTON, D.C.,
June 10th, 1898.
S i r ,
Under the provisions of the Auxiliary, Naval Force Bill,1 and the instructions sent out by the Secretary of the Navy to the Governors of States,2 Rear Admiral Henry Erben, U.S.N., 39 WhitehallSt., New York, has been placed in charge of Auxiliary Force for the inner defense of the Atlantic coast, and Rear Admiral Joseph N Miller,3 U.S.N., U.S.S. ALBATROSS, San Francisco, Calif., has been placed in charge of the same Forces on the Pacific coast.
2. They have been instructed to arrange with the Adjutant Generals of the different states wherein there are organizations of naval reserves, for holding examinations and making enlistments of such officers and men of these organizations who may volunteer to enter the U. S. Navy under certain conditions. The officers appointed, and men enlisted, will be sent to the nearest receiving ship or station, from which regular details can be drawn by those officers in charge as required, which details will, as far as practicable, be made of men from the same State and organization.
3. When these men are sent to the Station under your command, you will be pleased to quarter them on board the receiving ship, and where possible, on board vessels already detailed for the use of naval reserves, filling those latter first; and in order to do this, you will have to get the consent of officers in command of those vessels, through the State authorities.
4. These men’s records will have to be kept separate from thosefor the general or special service of the Navy, and their enlistment records must be marked “Auxiliary Naval Force”, and if not, they must be returned to the enlisting officers for such marks. They cannot be detailed for service on board any vessels unless requisitioned for by the Admirals mentioned, or by a special order from the Bureau. They will be amenable to all the regulations under the law for the government of the Navy, and to all the rules in force on the receiving ships.
Respectfully,
A.S.Crowninshield
Chief of Bureau.
JHM
Source Note: TDS, DNA, RG 313, Entry 72. Addressed below close: “Commandant,/Naval Base,/Key West, Fla.” Document reference: “115109-JRC.” U.S. Navy stationery contains the following at the top of each page: “address bureau of Navigation,/navy department,/and refer to no./washington, d.c.” Docketed: “Bureau of Navigation/Navy Department/June 10, 1898./Crowninshield, A.S./Chief of Bureau/Aux Naval Force/Regarding enlist/ment and dispo/sition of men./Naval Base Key West/U.S.F.S. Lancaster/June 14 1898/Respectfully referred to/the Commanding Officer/of the Lancaster for/information and com-/pliance./To be returned./Geo C. Remey/Commodor Commandg/U.S.F.S.”Lancaster”/Key West. Fla, Jun 15, 1898./Copied and respectfully/returned./Thomas Perry./Commander. U.S.N./Com’d’g.”
Footnote 1: For the Joint Resolution Providing For the Organization and Enrollment of the United States Auxiliary Naval Force, see, Annual Report of the Navy Department, 1898, 105-06.
Footnote 2: These instructions have not been located.
Footnote 3: RAdm. Joseph N. Miller, Commander, Pacific Station
