ADDRESS TO THE JANUARY EDITION, 1849. THE Editor regrets that many communications from Officers, containing corrections and additions, in reference to their notices of services, have reached him too late to be attended to in the present Number. Officers are again respectfully reminded that Letters should be forwarded to the care of the Publishers, if possible, by the 20th of June, or 20th of December, and always prior to the end of each of those months, in order to ensure attention being given to them. Understanding that it is the intention of the Admiralty to issue Medals and Clasps early in February to those engaged in certain particularized actions, the long contemplated distinctive mark or marks will be introduced in the succeeding number of the New Navy List. Published in February, 1846. THE importance of the NEW NAVY LIST and GENERAL RECORD OF SERVICES to all Officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, has been seriously considered by the Proprietors and Editor of the present Number. In completing, at a great sacrifice of capital and labour, the extensive alterations, which will be observable at a glance, due regard has been paid to the relative services of all Officers, and the whole arrangement so changed, that its superiority in point of information will, it is hoped, render the NEW NAVY LIST a book of general circulation and reference. Nothing can be further from the wish of the Proprietors than to detract from the merits of the late gallant Compiler, Commander HAULTAIN, whose labours and sacrifices were but ill compensated by the sale of the work; but, in admitting deficiencies, of which a remedy has been aimed at, they must be in a great measure laid to the charge of the want of business resources with which he had to contend. In this respect there will now be nothing wanting; and it is the full intention of the Proprietors to render the NEW NAVY LIST in every way worthy the full confidence and patronage of the Navy and Country at large. The changes which have at present been effected may be here alluded to. The Services of all Officers have been separated from the mass, and brought to follow the Seniority Lists of the respective ranks as closely as possible. The object of this has been to facilitate references. The Services have been thoroughly revised and reprinted in double columns, and all expletive terms of commendation or otherwise struck out. Thus an Officer will no longer have to read the services of a brother Officer recounted in a more laboured strain than his own, which intrinsically, perhaps, were of greater merit than those so described. The propriety of this will, it is hoped, meet with general concurrence, and by thus removing superfluous type, an extended record of actual service is rendered easy. In a word, it is the wish to condense as much real service as possible into a small and intelligible compass, without giving undue consequence to any. The NEW NAVY LIST will also, for the future, give by far the most complete record of the Services of that distinguished corps, the Royal Marines, in a condensed form, to be found in any publication. This new feature will, it is hoped, have the effect of making it a work essential and acceptable to all in any way connected with the Navy. The List of the Navy has also undergone a thorough revision. Beneath the name of each Ship on the Effective List will be found the place and date of launching, the tonnage, and name of constructor or constructors-information not to be found in a complete shape in any other publication extant. The unserviceable and harbour service Ships have been removed to a separate list. The exclusion of the "date of passing" column, heretofore given in the Seniority Lists of Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenants, demands some explanation. The extremely partial, and occasionally inaccurate, way in which the information was given, rendered it particularly objectionable; and the evident disinclination on the part of Officers of long standing generally to communicate the information, added to the impracticability of procuring it from an official source, decided the point of removing the column entirely. If, however, at any future period, the dates of passing can be given in every case, it will be more valuable and far less invidious than it was previously. But the most important new feature is that of the General Alphabetical Index of all Officers in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, which has been compiled with great labour, and upon the accuracy of which the character of the work may be safely staked. The Honorary Marks before the names of titled Officers will soon become familiar to the eye, and it is presumed they will be preferred to the letters heretofore used. The Initial Letters at present refer only to the services of Officers in Lord Howe's great battle of the 1st June, 1794; Sir John Jervis's victory off Cape St. Vincent, 14th February, 1797; Admiral Duncan's defeat of the Dutch fleet off Camperdown, 11th Oct., 1797; Nelson's achievements at the Nile, 1st Aug., 1798; at Copenhagen, 2nd April, 1801; and at Trafalgar, 21st Oct., 1805; together with the expedition to Egypt, 1801; Sir Richard Strachan's action off Ferrol, 4th Nov., 1805; and the defeat of the French squadron off St. Domingo by Admiral Sir John Duckworth, 6th February, 1806. By this selection it is not meant to cast other services into the shade, and it will be a subject for consideration what other triumphs of the British Navy shall be equally distinguished. Those selected will, without doubt, ever rank foremost in the pages of Naval History; and as the Captains who participated in all (except that of Copenhagen) were honoured with gold medals, there was good reason for commencing with those brilliant victories. The Battle off Lissa; bombardment of Algiers; destruction of the Turkish fleet at Navarin; and the overthrow of St. Jean D'Acre, were each and all alike honourable to British prowess, and will also come under consideration for distinction. Although thus much has been done, attempts at further improvement will not be wanting, and it will afford pleasure to the Proprietors and Editor to receive corrections or available additions to the services as they are now given. In particular, those services of a scientific character are here alluded to, which Officers are requested to furnish in order to render this peculiar province more complete. It will, however, be obvious that the great expenses connected with the publication of a work like the NEW NAVY LIST cannot be persevered in without an increase to the number of Subscribers; and those whose wish it is to maintain a work of such value to all who have claims which require to be kept before those in authority, will, it is hoped, use their best endeavours to increase the sale. They will thereby also enable the Proprietors to publish the work at the lowest price which will afford a due return for the capital embarked, and the vigilance and labour which must be incessantly employed in the collection of new materials, and the preservation of accuracy. EXPLANATION OF HONORARY MARKS AND DISTINCTIONS. -Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. G.C.M.G.-Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. ditto. .ditto. m-Before the name denotes that the officer has received a medal. -Officers who served in the fleet under Lord Nelson at Copenhagen, -Officers who served in Admiral Duncan's fleet at the defeat of the E-Officers who served in the expedition to Egypt in 1801. -Officers serving in Sir Richard Strachan's squadron in the action off -Officers who served in Lord Howe's fleet in the actions of May, and -Officers who served under Sir Horatio Nelson at the defeat of the S-Officers who served in Sir John T. Duckworth's squadron at the Bm-Medical Officers who have received Sir Gilbert Blane's Gold Medal. PP-Ditto both Honorary and Pecuniary. -Attached to names and services of Flag Officers or Captains, denotes that the Officer is retired under Her Majesty's Order in Council, 1846. An asterisk is prefixed to the names of Officers for each Foreign Order they For an explanation of the abbreviations, letters, and figures used in the |
