TWELFTH Congress, Session II, Volume 2, Chapter 6.

An Act to increase the Navy of the United States.

          Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States shall be, and he hereby is authorized, as soon as suitable materials can be procured therefor, to cause to be built, equipped and employed, four ships to rate not less than seventy‑four guns, and six ships to rate forty‑four guns each.

          Sec. 2.  And be it further enacted, That there shall be employed on board each of the said ships of seventy‑four guns each, one captain, six lieutenants, one captain, one first lieutenant, and one second lieutenant of marines, one surgeon, one chaplain, one purser and three surgeon's mates.

          Sec. 3.  And be it further enacted, That there shall be employed in each of the said ships, carrying seventy‑four guns, the following warrant officers, who shall be appointed by the President of the United States: one master, one second master, three master's mates, one boatswain, one gunner, one carpenter, one sail‑maker, and twenty midshipmen; and the following petty officers, who shall be appointed by the captains of the ships respectively in which they are to be employed, viz. one armorer, six boatswain's mates, three gunner's mates, two carpenters' [sic] mates, one sail‑maker's mate, one cooper, one steward, one master at arms, one cook, one coxswain, one boatswains' [sic] yeoman, one gunner's yeoman, one carpenter's yeoman, ten quarter gunners, eight quarter masters, and one clerk; and one schoolmaster, also to be appointed by the captain.

          Sec. 4.  And be it further enacted, That the crews of each of the said ships of seventy‑four guns, shall consist of two hundred able seamen, three hundred ordinary seamen and boys, three sergeants, three corporals, one drummer, one fifer, and sixty marines.

          Sec. 5.  And be it further enacted, That the pay of the schoolmaster shall be twenty‑five dollars per month and two rations per day.

          Sec. 6.  And be it further enacted, That the sum of two millions [sic] five hundred thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, out of any monies in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the building and equipping of the aforesaid ships of war.

          Approved, January 2, 1813.