Regulations for the government of the United States Navy (1865)

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Section 7.

Executive Officer.

403 The Line Officer next in rank to the Commander of the vessel shall be the Executive Officer.

404 He will at once make himself acquainted with all the arrangements and equipments of the vessel, and report to the Commanding Officer any defects he may discover.

405 He shall, under the direction of the Commander, have the superintendence of the general duties to be performed, and of the police, to such extent as the Commander may authorize or prescribe.

406 He shall have the quarter, watch, fire, and station bills made out and kept complete according to the orders which he may receive from the Commander, and see that copies of them, and of the laws and regulations, are so disposed that all persons may readily refer to them for information. 407 He shall examine the vessel daily, and report to the Commander the result of his inspection.

408 He shall never absent himself from the vessel without the permission of the Commanding officer ; nor will he ever leave her in the absence of the Commanding Officer, except on urgent public duty. 409 He shall not be required to keep a watch, unless circumstances, in the judgment of the Commander of the vessel, should render it necessary.

410 When the Commander of the vessel is not on deck, he may advise and direct the officer of the deck in the working and management of the ship; and if, in his judgment, circumstances should make it necessary, he may take charge of the deck, stating his reasons for so doing to the Commander.

411 He will exercise authority over all officers, and see that they vigilantly perform their duties, and that they conform to all orders for securing uniformity in the mode of executing them.

412 He shall inform himself of the capacity of each man on board, and of the stations they may have previously filled, that he may station them to the best advantage.

413 In case of fire, or any other occurrence that may place the ship in danger, he shall exert himself to maintain order; and if it should become necessary to abandon the vessel, he shall, under the direction of the Commanding Officer, see that the sick and wounded are first cared for.

414 Whenever all hands are called for any particular duty, exercise, or evolution, he shall take charge of the deck.

415 He shall require from the Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, and Sailmaker, reports of the state of the vessel in their respective departments, at eight o'clock in the evening, and at morning quarters.

416 He shall, at eight o'clock in the evening, report the condition of the vessel to the Commander, and receive any orders he may have for him.

417 He shall immediately report to the Commander any defect or deficiency that may come to his knowledge, and which may in any manner endanger the safety or impair the efficiency of the vessel.

418 He is to correct, as far as his power extends, all abuses; and if he observes, or has knowledge of, any violation of the Laws and Regulations for the government of the Navy on the part of any person whomsoever, he is not to exercise any discretion in the matter, but to make immediate report to the Commander.

419 He shall, under the direction of the Commander, control the expenditure of all stores in charge of the yeoman, and examine weekly the reports of receipts and expenditures; and, upon being satisfied of their correctness, will approve and send them to the Commander.

420 Whenever the magazine is to be opened for receiving or dis- charging powder, he shall see, in person, that all the prescribed precautions against accidents are rigidly observed. 421 In the absence of the Commander, he is to act in his stead, - but is not to alter or change any of his regulations.

422 He shall cause a convenient locker to be prepared, in which the keys of the holds and all storerooms shall be bung up, except those which the Ordnance Instructions require to be kept in the charge of the Commander of the vessel; it shall be his duty to see that all such keys are hung up at sunset, and that they are not taken away during the night without his knowledge, and that the keys of no storeroom are ever taken out of the ship.

423 He shall keep at hand a breaker of water, and a supply of provisions sufficient for the support of the crew of each quarter-boat for one week, which will be placed in the boat whenever there is a probability of separation from the ship, by fog or otherwise. The boat sails shall be kept in readiness for immediate use. If it shall be necessary to send a boat from the ship at sea, he shall be careful that she is provided with a compass.

424 He shall, when the number of officers will permit, assign one to each boat, whose duty it shall be to command the boat when required for special service, and who will be responsible that the arms, equipments, and crew, are in order and ready for service.

425 He will keep a correct muster-roll of the crew, and a descriptive list, and he will have charge of the liberty and conduct books. He will superintend the messing of the crew, and in case of any changes involving the issue of provisions, he will cause the Paymaster to be duly informed.

426 He will see that the officers keep correct copies of the watch, quarter, fire and station bills; that the officers of divisions keep correct clothes-lists of the men under their command; and that they instruct them faithfully in their duties.

427 If from any cause he should be rendered incapable of performing his duties, they will devolve upon the Line Officer next below him in rank.

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