The first officers selected for the new navy were six captains, whose appointments were announced June 5, 1794.1 They were John Barry, Samuel Nicholson, Silas Talbot, Joshua Barney, Richard Dale, and Thomas Truxtun, who were to take rank in the order given. The first two had served the country well as captains in the Revolutionary navy, Barry having commanded the Alliance late in the war. Talbot had been to sea in early life, and at the outbreak of the Revolution had entered the army as captain, being later promoted to lieutenantcolonel. He then received a captain's commission in the navy, and, although no suitable command could be provided for him, he did good service on small vessels. Barney was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary navy. Dale was Paul Jones's first lieutenant in the Bon Homme Richard. Truxtun was a Revolutionary privateersman. Barney declined to serve as junior to Talbot, whom he considered a landsman on account of his army career. In his place James Sever was appointed, to take rank below Truxtun.

Each of the six captains was detailed to superintend the construction of one of the new frigates. This arrangement subsequently raised a question of rank, which may be referred to here. When in 1796 work on three of the frigates was suspended, the officers detailed to those vessels, Talbot, Dale, and Sever, were notified that their services were 1 Nav. Chron. p. 58.

no longer needed, and that their pay must be stopped; but they were not discharged from the service. In 1798 President Adams reappointed them and sent their names a second time to the Senate for confirmation, which appears to have been unnecessary. Thereupon Truxtun claimed rank over Talbot and Dale. His claim was disallowed and he resigned, but his resignation was not accepted, and he was prevailed upon to remain in the service.1 1

Although the President was authorized by the act of March 27, 1794, to appoint twenty-two lieutenants, six lieutenants of marines, and other commissioned officers to the number of fifty-four in all, no others than the captains were appointed until need for them arose, which was not until 1798. With the rapid expansion of the navy in that year many officers were needed at short notice, and they were not always selected with discriminating care. As a rule they were taken from the merchant marine, and many were veterans of the national or privateer sea service of the Revolution. Before 1801 more than two hundred commissioned officers were appointed, including thirty or more captains. In order to give the best men the highest rank, it was sometimes necessary to date their commissions back so that they might take precedence over others who had entered

1 Nav. Chron. ch. xv; Talbot, ch. vii; Adams, vol. viii, pp. 663, 664, 669–675, vol. ix, p. 12; Nav. Inst. September, 1906, p. 1023; Navy Department MSS.: Letters to President, 16, 51, 53; General Letters, vol. i, 514, vol. ii, 254.

the service earlier by reason of the vessels to which they were assigned being earlier fitted out. This was sometimes difficult to arrange, and required tact on the part of the Secretary of the Navy.1 Between three hundred and fifty and four hundred midshipmen were appointed, and among them were several

sons of officers and many other young men of pro

mise, some of whom became famous in after years. The act of March 27 also authorized about two thousand warrant officers, petty officers, seamen, and marines. These were not appointed or enlisted until 1798, when the navy was put upon a war footing, and then of course many more were needed. The number of warrant officers taken into the service before 1801 was something over a hundred and twenty. The number of enlisted men was not fixed by law, but probably there were in service not far from six thousand petty officers and seamen when the navy was at its maximum strength. Seamen of a good class were easily obtained, and were enlisted as a rule for each vessel in the port where she first went into commission and to which she generally returned to ship a new crew.2

Captains received seventy-five dollars a month and six rations; lieutenants forty dollars and three rations. In 1799 the pay of captains in command of the larger ships was increased to one hundred

1 Letters to President, 16, Stoddert to Adams (October, 17, 1798). 2 Statutes at Large, vol. i, p. 350; Nav. Chron. pp. 54, 55, 99, 330, 375-388; Nav. Inst. September, 1906, p. 1023.