The Department of the Navy was the Confederate Civil Service

Confederate Civil Service

The Confederate Civil Service was the civil service of the Confederate States of America, a separatist political entity that existed between 1861 and 1865.-History:...

 department responsible for the administration of the affairs of the Confederate Navy and Confederate Marine Corps. It was officially established on February 21, 1861.

History

The Department of the Navy was established by an act of the Provisional Confederate Congress in Montgomery

Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...

, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

 which passed into law on February 20, 1861. This act also established the position of Secretary of the Navy

Confederate States Secretary of the Navy

The Confederate States Secretary of the Navy was the head of the Confederate States Department of the Navy. Stephen R. Mallory held this position through the entire duration of the Confederate States of America.-Secretary of the Navy:...

 which was according to the act authorized to handle all affairs related to the navies of the Confederacy.

On May 9, 1862, Secretary Mallory issued orders to James D. Bulloch instructing him to proceed to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 to act as the Confederacy's agent in securing six new vessels, armaments, and supplies for the nascent Confederate Navy. These orders granted Bulloch a wide berth of discretion in the selection of these ships, but specified that these ships must be suitable for the commerce raiding. Furthermore the orders specified that at least one Armstrong breech-loading rifled cannon be acquired for each vessel.

Interestingly enough an amendment to this act passed on May 21, 1861 granted the Department of the Navy the power to grant patents concerning armed vessels, floating batteries, or other defenses.

Office of the Secretary

Key positions of the Department of the Navy included:

• Confederate States Secretary of the Navy
  Confederate States Secretary of the Navy
  The Confederate States Secretary of the Navy was the head of the Confederate States Department of the Navy. Stephen R. Mallory held this position through the entire duration of the Confederate States of America.-Secretary of the Navy:...
  
  "
• Chief Constructor: Position established April 30, 1863

John L. Porter

John L. Porter

John Luke Porter , whose father was a shipwright at Portsmouth, Virginia, was born in 1813. He became a United States Navy civilian employee during the 1840s and a Naval Constructor in 1859. After resigning from the U.S. Navy in May 1861, he began working for the Confederate States Navy at the...

 (April 30, 1863 - April 1865)

• Engineer in Chief: Position established April 21, 1862

William P. Williamson (April 21, 1862-April 1865)

• Naval Aide to the President

John Taylor Wood

John Taylor Wood

John Taylor Wood was an officer in the United States Navy who became a "leading Confederate naval hero" as a captain in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...

 (1863 - May 1865)

• Register of the Navy: Established April 4, 1863

James S. Jones

Naval Agents in Europe

• James D. Bulloch (June 11, 1861 - April 1865)
• James H. North (May 17, 1861 -April 1865)
• George T. Sinclair (May 7, 1861 -April 28, 1865)
• Matthew F. Maury (September 20, 1862 - April 1865)
• Samuel Barron
  Samuel Barron
  Samuel Barron was a United States, and later Confederate naval officer, acting as a representative in Europe for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
  
   (August 29, 1863 - March 1865)

Office of Special Service

The Office of Special Service was responsible for the construction of wooden gunboats.

Bureau of Orders and Details

The Bureau of Orders and Details was responsible for the administration of personnel affairs of the Navy. This included the postings of officers and crews to ships, recruitment for the Navy, and the determination of promotions.

Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography

The Bureau was led by Commander John M. Brooke from 1863 to the Civil War's conclusion.

Torpedo Bureau

The Confederate Torpedo Bureau was NOT part of the Navy Department. It was part of the War Department; i.e., the army. The Submarine Battery Service comprised the navy's torpedo specialists. It was created 31 October 1862 and originally commanded by Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury. The Submarine Battery Service primarily utilized electrically-detonated torpedoes to protect the South's waterways.

Office of Provisions and Clothing

The Bureau of Provisions and Clothing, later the Office of Provisions and Clothing, was charged with supplying ships with food and clothing.

Office of Medicine and Surgery

The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery was responsible for the operation of several medical facilities in Southern ports. This department was managed by William A. W. Spotswood throughout its entire extistence from April 10, 1861 to April 1865.

Confederate Marine Corps

The Confederate Marine Corps was established by an act of the Provisional Congress on March 16, 1861. As originally legislated the Confederate Marine Corps was to be a battalion-sized force of six companies and a headquarters element led by a major. The Corps was later expanded into a regiment following an act of the Provisional Congress on May 20, 1861; this was spurred on by the succession of Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The newly expanded legion was authorized to consist of 1,000 men. The first Commandant of the Corps was Colonel Llyod J. Beall

Lloyd J. Beall

Lloyd James Beall was a United States Army officer and paymaster. During the American Civil War, he served as a colonel and as Commandant of the Confederate States Marine Corps...

 who was appointed to that capacity on May 23. On June 1, 1861 the Virginia Marine Corps was incorporated into the Confederate Marine Corps.
In 1862, the First Confederate Congress

First Confederate Congress

The First Confederate Congress was the first regular term of the legislature of the Confederate States of America. Members of the First Confederate Congress were chosen in elections mostly held on 6 November 1861.-Sessions:...

appropriated a budget of $243,322 (CSA) for the operation of the Confederate Marine Corps.