General Order No. 16

Flag Ship Hartford
Mobile Bay, Sept. 15, 1864

SIR: Before a Naval General Court Martial, recently convened on board the U.S.S. Richmond, you were tried on the following Charges and Specifications:

Charge First: Disrespectful language to his superior officer in the execution of his office.

Specification: In this that on or about the eight day of September, one thousand eight hundred and sixty four the said William H. Miller, Acting First Assistant Engineer in the US Navy, attached to the US Iron Clad Steamer Manhattan, then lying in Mobile Bay, Alabama, did use disrespectful language to his superior officer, Acting Master Robert B. Ely, whist in the execution of his office as Executive Officer of the said Steamer in replying to him when he, the Executive Officer, said he would have one of the firemen put in irons for disobedience of orders, "No you won't put that man in irons, these firemen and coal heavers belong to me and I will look out for them" and further "those men are firemen and coal heavers and have nothing to do with them" or words to that effect.

Charge Second: Insubordination and conduct tending to the subversion of good discipline.

The Court, after mature deliberation, found you Guilty, and sentenced you "to be reprimanded in General Orders by the Commander-in-Chief, and not to be allowed to leave the "Manhattan" for the period of three months."

The sentence is a very light one, prompted, no doubt, by the idea that your inexperience in military matters afforded some excuse for your insubordinate conduct. I take a different view of the case. The first impression to be made on an officer is obedience to the laws and regulations of the service, and unless he can learn this primary lesson, he is unfitted for any responsible position in the Navy. There is no difficulty that can ever occur on board ship which may not be referred to the Commander of the vessel. The Executive Officer represents the Commander, and is held responsible by him for the discipline and good order of the ship. If any officer feels himself aggrieved by the orders or acts of the Executive Officer, it is his duty to make his complaint to the Commander, and if his wrongs are not redressed by him, he can appeal to the Commander-in-Chief and thence to the Department, but he must under no circumstances attempt to defy the authority of the Executive Officer. Of this grave offense, you were guilty in saying to that officer in and the presence of the men "those firemen and coal-heavers belong to me, and you have nothing to do with them," - thus taking upon yourself to regulate the discipline of a part of the crew of the vessel. There is, unfortunately, a disposition evinced by some officers to contend for the control of those in their particular department, arising, probably, out of their shore organizations, where one department must not interfere with another; but such a system cannot be tolerated on board of a man-of-war. There are all under one common head - the Commander of the vessel - who exercises his authority through his Executive Officer, whose orders all are bound to respect, and if you have not learned by this time that you are as much bound to obey the Executive Officer as those under you are bound to obey you in your department, I think you cannot promise yourself a long sojourn in the Navy, for he who cannot learn to obey is not worthy to command.

The sentence of the Court in your case is approved.

D. G. Farragut
Rear Admiral
Comd'g W. G. B. Squadron

Acting First Assistant Engineer
William H. Miller
U.S. Iron-clad Steamer Manhattan
Mobile Bay