“With the Help of God and a few Marines” – Marine Corps Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin

Today, the Marine Corps Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin remembers the act of Congress that re-established and re-organized the Marine Corps on July 11, 1798.

From Nelson’s Perpetual Loose-leaf Encyclopaedia, An International Work of Reference, edited by John Huston Finley, an early 20th century description of the Marine Corps and their prior history:

=====

Marine Corps, a body of men trained as infantry and artillery soldiers, which usually forms part of the naval service.

In the United States, the Marine Corps is an independent branch of the military service, under a Major General Commandant; it is generally subject to orders of the Secretary of the Navy but it may be detached for service with the Army by order of the President.

Its duties include service on board vessels of the fleet, in which case the marine detachments are organized as gun divisions, constituting a part of the ship’s fighting forces; service as technical organizations for advanced base work, and as mobile organizations for supporting the fixed defense forces of advance bases, and for expeditionary duty; service as guards for navy yards, radio stations, and naval magazines, in the United States and elsewhere, and as guardians of American interests and legations in foreign countries in times of disturbance.

Members of the Marine Corps are trained, clothed, and equipped much like regular army troops, but no provision is made for their permanent organization into regiments, companies, battalions, or detachments, though the President may direct their formation into provisional detachments, companies, or larger units, varying in strength with the duties to which they are assigned.

The term of service is four years.

Applicants must be not less than eighteen and not more than thirty-six years of age; they must be able-bodied and of good character, and must pass prescribed mental, moral, and physical tests.

The authorized strength of the Marine Corps on June 30, 1916, was 377 officers and 9,947 men; this was increased by act of 1916 to 597 officers and 14,981 men; in 1917 to 1,197 officers and 30,000 men; and in 1918 to 3,017 officers, 252 warrant officers, 72 paymaster clerks, and 75,500 enlisted men.

In 1928, ten years after the Great War, the strength was 1,020 officers, 154 warrant officers, and 18,000 enlisted men.

There is also a Marine Corps Reserve, a body consisting of citizens who obligate themselves to serve in the Marine Corps in time of war or during a national emergency declared by the President.

Commissioned officers are appointed from graduates of the Naval Academy, from worthy non-commissioned officers, and from civil life.

History.—In 1775 the Continental Congress authorized the organization of two battalions of marines, which served through the Revolution.

These were disbanded following the close of the war, and the Corps was reorganized and permanently established in 1798 (July 11).

It rendered distinguished service in the War with Tripoli, in the War of 1812, and in the Civil War.

As an expeditionary force in the War with Spain it again proved its value, and later it saw service in the Philippines, in Samoa, during the Boxer troubles in China. in Cuba (1906), and more recently in Mexico, Nicaragua, Santo Domingo, and Haiti.

During the Great War (1914— 18) the U. S. Marine Corps won imperishable glory on the battlefields of France as a part of the American Expeditionary Forces under General Pershing.

They halted the German drive on Paris by their gallant action at Chateau-Thierry and in Belleau Wood (June—July, 1918), which was renamed in honor of their brilliant exploits Bois de la Brigade de Marine.

They were in action, also, about Soissons (July 1918), in the battle for the St. Mihiel salient (September, 1918), and in the capture of Blanc Mont Ridge, 20 miles east of Rheims; and participated in the hard fighting in the Champagne which had as its object the throwing back of the Prussian armies in the vicinity of Cambrai and St. Quentin.

With only 8,000 men engaged in the fiercest battles. the casualties were 69 officers and 1,531 enlisted men dead, and 78 officers and 2,435 men wounded.

Consult Abbot’s Soldiers of the Sea (1918); Catlin‘s With the Help of God and a Few Marines (1919).

=====

The second session of the Fifth Congress set forth the description of the Marine Corps in on July 11, 1798.

From the Public Statutes of the United States:

=====

CHAP. LXXII.—An Act for the establishing and organizing a Marine Corps.(a)

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in addition to the present military establishment, there shall be raised and organized a corps of marines, which shall consist of one major, four captains, sixteen first lieutenants, twelve second lieutenants, forty-eight sergeants, forty-eight corporals, thirty-two drums and fifes, and seven hundred and twenty privates, including the marines who have been enlisted, or are authorized to be raised for the naval armament; and the said corps may be formed into as many companies or detachments, as the President of the United States shall direct, with a proper distribution of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers and musicians to each company or detachment.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the pay and subsistence of the said officers, privates and musicians, shall be as follows, to wit: To a major, fifty dollars per month, and four rations per day; to a captain, forty dollars per month, and three rations per day; to a first lieutenant, thirty dollars per month, and three rations per day; to a second lieutenant, twenty-five dollars per month, and two rations per day; and to the non-commissioned officers, privates and musicians, conformably to the act, intituled “An act providing a naval armament,” as shall be fixed by the President of the United States: And the President of the United States shall be, and is hereby authorized to continue the enlistment of marines, until the said corps shall be complete; and of himself, to appoint the commissioned officers, whenever, in the recess of the Senate, an appointment shall be necessary. And the enlistments, which shall be made by virtue hereof, may be for the term of three years, subject to be discharged by the President of the United States, or by the ceasing or repeal of the laws providing for the naval armament. And if the marine corps, or any part of it, shall be ordered by the President to do duty on shore, and it shall become necessary to appoint an adjutant, paymaster, quartermaster, sergeant-major, quartermaster-sergeant, and drum and fife-major, or any of them, the major or commandant of the corps, is hereby authorized to appoint such staff officer or officers, from the line of subalterns, sergeants and music, respectively, who shall be entitled, during the time they shall do such duty, to the same extra pay and emoluments, which are allowed by law, to officers acting in the same capacities in the infantry.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the detachments of the corps of marines hereby authorized, shall be made in lieu of the respective quotas of marines, which have been established or authorized for the frigates, and other armed vessels and gallies, which shall be employed in the service of the United States: And the President of the United States may detach and appoint such of the officers of this marine corps, to act on board the frigates, and any of the armed vessels of the United States, respectively, as he shall, from time to time, judge necessary; anything in the act “providing a naval armament” to the contrary hereof notwithstanding.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the officers, non-commissioned officers, privates and musicians aforesaid, shall take the same oath, and shall be governed by the same rules and articles of war, as are prescribed for the military establishment of the United States, and by the rules for the regulation of the navy, heretofore, or which shall be established by law, according to the nature of the service in which they shall be employed, and shall be entitled to the same allowance, in case of wounds or disabilities, according to their respective ranks, as are granted by the act “to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States.”

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the non-commissioned officers, musicians, seamen and marines, who are or shall be enlisted into the service of the United States; and the non-commissioned officers and musicians, who are or shall be enlisted into the army of the United States, shall be, and they are hereby exempted, during their term of service, from all personal arrests for any debt or contract.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the marine corps, established by this act, shall, at any time, be liable to do duty in the forts and garrisons of the United States, on the sea-coast, or any other duty on shore, as the President, at his discretion, shall direct.

Approved, July 11, 1798.

=====

The Marine Corps Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin shows with an image of two marines in uniform, circa 1917.

Marine Corps Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin