The American rebellion against Britain saw the new armed forces influenced by France. When the Navy started to have big power ambitions, modernization was required. Not just in ships but in training. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Todays stamp celebrates the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Doing so, it displays midshipman in original and then current uniforms. This is meant to imply a long and storied history. The reality in 1937 was that America was still a second rate naval power and was really a statement of ambition. The ambition to become preeminent at least in numbers was soon to be realized and the Naval Academy was a big force in making the Navy more professional.
The stamp today is issue A267, a five cent stamp issued by the United States in 1937. It was part of a five stamp issue in various denominations honoring the United States Navy. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents.
The United States Navy was heavily influenced in it’s beginnings by the French. The British Royal Navy was the preeminent naval power of the time and other navies like the French were more set up for coastal defense and commerce raiding. In the early days, training was in the form of cadet midshipmen learning at sea on Navy ships. There were those that saw this was inadequate as the small crews on the small ships were untrained. An on shore naval academy was contemplated that would be a five year course on sea and land that could provide the Navy a professional, stable force of naval officers. A proponent of this was Admiral Perry. He had colonial ambitions for America that required a professional British style Navy.
An incident occurred in 1842 that lead to the decision to start the academy. A USN brig, the USS Somers was on it’s first cruise to Liberia. A brig is a small sailing vessel with a crew of less than 200 including many new midshipmen. The mission was to bring Washington dispatches to a larger USN frigate. They ended up missing the frigate in Liberia and hoped to catch up with it in the West Indies. On the way the Captain Alexander Mackenzie heard a story passed along from below decks. The story was that the midshipmen were planning to mutiny, stealing the ship and becoming a pirate ship near the Isle of Pines. Captain Mackenzie instructed the Purser to keep an eye on the midshipmen who the story had come from. Late at night meetings were being conducted with many sailors where papers were presented with Greek writing and Pirate slogans. At this point the Captain took things much more seriously. They were two weeks from port. The Midshipman was placed in irons. He now claimed the pirate story from him was a joke and the late night meetings were recruitment for a fraternity. While no court marshal was held, the officers unanimously felt the conspirators had to be put to death and this was done. There was no mutiny.
Back at port, the Captain found himself facing the court marshal, the midshipman killed was the son of the Secretary of the Navy. He was exonerated on a split decision with many accepting his explanation of the great distance to port and the inadequate restriction facilities on the small boat. Captain Mackenzie’s naval career was over but he was a noted Naval Historian. The Naval Academy was founded in 1845. The Somers affair was fictionalized in a book by Herman Melville called “Billie Budd”.
The Naval Academy continues today and graduates about a thousand midshipmen and now women. About a quarter go in the Marine Corps. The Academy accepts les than 10 percent of applicants and most subjective lists rank it high nationally on the education provided. There is no tuition and midshipmen are further given a small stipend. The US Navy is now very much in the Royal Navy tradition with worldwide deployments and quality at the highest level. The Chinese Navy now has more ships.
Well my drink is empty and I will pour another of Gin to toast the US Navy, Royal Navy style. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.