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

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Section 3. Honorable Discharges.

779 Commanding Officers, upon returning from a cruise, when directed to discharge the whole or any part of the crew, will furnish to those petty officers and others of inferior rating, who enlisted for three years, and who, in their judgment, are, on being discharged, entitled to it as a testimonial of fidelity and obedience, an honorable discharge, and forward immediately to the Secretary of the Navy returns of the names and descriptions of those to whom it has been given.

780 Blanks for the honorable discharges, and the retains in relation to them, will be furnished by the Department, and great care is hereby enjoined as to the filling up of both completely and accurately.

781 When any petty officer or person of inferior rating, who, having received an honorable discharge, shall within three months from the date thereof present said discharge at any naval rendezvous, or account for its loss in a satisfactory manner, answer the description it contains, and be found physically fit for the service he may be re-enlisted for three years ; and upon his transfer to a receiving vessel, he will be entitled to three months' gratuitous pay, equal in amount to what he would have been entitled to receive if he had remained employed in actual service for three months, with the rate specified on the face of the honorable discharge.

782 If the honorable discharge should have been lost, reference can be made to the files of the Department for corroboration that the person presenting himself did receive an honorable discharge, and for a descriptive list of his person.

783 The three months' pay, to which a petty officer or person of inferior rating is entitled who shall enlist for three years within three months after his honorable discharge, shill be considered "honorable discharge money," and so denominated. It will not, however, be paid in one sum at the time of re-enlistment, but shall be reserved for payment during the time of his re-enlistment, at such times, and in such sums, as the Commanding Officer may direct.

784 No person discharged at his own request, or for his own convenience, before the expiration of his term of enlistment, shall be given an honorable discharge.

785 Every petty officer or person of inferior rating who shall receive an "honorable discharge" will wear upon the left sleeve of the jacket or frock, above the elbow, a foul anchor, two and a half inches in length, to be white if worn on blue, or blue if worn on white, to be called "the honorable discharge badge;" and for every additional honorable discharge a star half an inch in diameter will be added to the badge.

786 When invalids are sent to the United States from a foreign station, the Commanding Officer of the vessel to which they belonged will transmit a list of their names to the Department, stating the general character of each, and designating such as, in his opinion, are entitled to the honorable discharge, in order that the Commandant of the station at which they may arrive in the United States may be directed to grant the said discharge to those deserving it. A duplicate of the list is to be sent also to the Commandant of the station where they are to arrive.

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