| Marines Aboard Ship |
| 1798- Congress appoints William Ward Burrows 1st Commandant of the Marine Corps.
1800- Marine Corps headquarters moves from Philadelphia to Washington. 1801- Bashaw of Tripoli declares war on the United States. 1802- The United States declares war on Tripoli. 1804- Franklin Wharton becomes the 2nd Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1812- War with England breaks out. 1815 Barbary wars end. 1817- Peace Establishment Act for the Marine Corps: Set officer strengths at 50, and enlisted strengths at 865, which was later increased to 924. 1818- Brevet Major Anthony Gale becomes 3rd Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1820- Commandant Anthony Gale court-martialed for conduct unbecoming an officer, cashier out October 1820. 1820- Archibald Henderson becomes 4th Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1834-Marine Corps Act of 1834: No Marine officer would have any authority over Navy officers unless the Marine was the senior officer of a landing party. Marines could command Marines ashore, but not afloat on watch. 1836- Creek-Seminole wars: Marine Detachments sent ashore to battle the Creek and Seminole Indians. 1842- Commander Alexander Slidell McKenzie hanged three mutineers; one of them was the midshipman son of the Secretary of War, on the Somers. There was no Marine Detachment aboard. 1846- Mexican War: In which Marine Detachments went ashore in numerous skirmishes. 1859- John Harris becomes the 5th Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1860- Marine Detachment helped capture two slavers off the mouth of the Congo river. 1861-1865-Civil War: Marine Corps position was that its purpose was to: furnish ships guards for Navy vessels in order to enforce shipboard discipline, man guns, and join landing parties for operations ashore. Seventeen Marines were awarded the new MEDAL of HONOR during the Civil War. 1864- Jacob Zeilin becomes the 6th Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1867- Congress threatens to abolish the Marine Corps. Vice Admiral porter testifies that �if Marines are abolished, half the efficiency of the Navy would be destroyed�, and added that �we have had a hard time in the Navy to get a Marine Corps and are very anxious to hold on to what we have. 1868- United States Marine Corps adopts the �Eagle, Globe and Anchor� as their insignia. 1870- Marine Detachments fight Mexican pirates. 1871- 109 Marines and 542 sailors go ashore in Korea near Kwang Fort. Captain McLane Tilton and two other Marines fought to the Korean flag and cut it down. 1876- Charles G. McCawley becomes the 7th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Commandant McCawley adopts �SEMPER FIDELIS� as the Marine Corps motto. 1889- Charles Heywood becomes the 8th Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1892- Commandant Heywood states, �it is artillerymen aboard our new floating batteries that their importance must be felt and acknowledged in the future." |
| 1894-1896- Marine Detachments (Asiatic Squadron) pull guard duty in Teintsin, China, and in Seoul, Korea during the upheaval of the Sino-Japanese War.
1897- Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt considers the removal of the ships guards (Marine Detachments). 1898, April 10- Marine orderly William Anthony Saves the life of Captain Charles D. Sigsbee, USN, when the Battleship Maine blew up in the harbor in Havana, Cuba. 1898-Spanish American War: Marine Detachment landing parties destroy cable stations and cut cables in Cuba, raised a Flag in the Spanish naval yard at Cavite on Manila Bay. Claimed Apra, Guam, and Ponce, Puerto Rico as conquests of the United States of America. 1903- George F. Elliot becomes the 9th Commandant of the Marine Corps. 1908, Nov 12- President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 969, which listed the duties of the Marine Corps. Marine Detachments were pulled from Naval vessels. Roosevelt says, � I do not hesitate to say that the Marines should be absorbed into the Army and no vestige of their organization should be allowed to remain. " 1909 Jan- Congress decrees that Marines be put back aboard ship, and that the United States Marine Corps itself will remain intact. |
| "The Marines have always formed part of a ships compliment, and now, since the passing away of sail power, they are certainly more useful than ever." Commandant Charles Heywood 1897 The origin of marines as "seagoing soldiers" is lost in antiquity, but modern Marines roots can be traced back to England. Here is a Chronological history: 1664- England establishes "Lord High Admirals Regiment". 1688- "Lord High Admirals Regiment" disbanded. 1690- 1st and 2nd Regiments of Marines are formed. 1702- England creates six regiments of Marines for service with the fleet against Spain. 1702-1713- War of the Spanish Succession: Instead of Marines fighting as detachments aboard ship, Marine regiments fought ashore as part of landing forces. 1713- Marine regiments are disbanded. 1739-1741- Marines from American colonies (four regiments) 3000 men strong are formed under William Gooch, Governor of Virginia, to serve with Admiral Vernon�s fleet. 1741- American Marines disbanded after Vernons unsuccessful siege of Cartagena. 1744-1748- War of the Austrian Succession: Ten British Marine regiments are formed for sea service against the French. These Marines acquired two reputations- a reputation for good, honest modest service and character, and a reputation among snobs for being socially less smart than the Army. 1755- Parliament authorizes 5000 Marines. Their primary mission in ship-to-ship combat was to pick off officers and gun crews with musket fire, to repel boarders, and to serve as substitutes on gun crews. They were also to be used as the ships landing party for operations ashore. 1775-Marblehead regiment formed: These Marines were basically soldiers details for sea service to fight aboard, but not to sail ships. 1775, Nov. 10- Marine Corps is born: Two battalions consisting of one colonel, two lieutenant colonels, two majors, and other officers and privates, that are good seaman or are acquainted with maritime affairs, to serve for and during the war between Great Britain and the Colonies as resolved by congress, which were never formed. 1775,Nov 28- Congress creates its own force of Marines. Commissions Samuel Nicholas as Captain of Marines, (first Commandant). 230 officers and men. 1776, June-Congress commissions Robert Mullen, owner of TUN TAVERN. 1778- Marine Detachment of the frigate Randolph perished in a desperate battle with the British ship Yarmouth. 1778- Marine Detachment of the frigate Alfred captured and imprisoned by England. 1779- All continental warships carry a Marine Detachment. 1783- Continental Marines disbanded. 1794- Congress votes to build six merchant frigates. The Frigate Act of 1794 established each frigates crew. Each crew would include a Marine Detachment of one officer and 44-54 enlisted men. 1798,July 11- Congress passed a law organizing the Navy�s� Marines as a "Corps of Marines". |
| More coming soon!! SEMPER FI |
| Marines in the rigging of WASP, circa 1814. Photo courtesy of the Marine Corps Historical Foundation. |
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| Civil War era Marine Corps Uniforms |
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| 1778, April - A Marine detachment under the command of John Paul Jones makes two raids on Great Britain soil (the 1st in 700 years). Depicted here is Jones and his Marines preparing to raid Whitehaven. |
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| A Marine mans the guns |
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