Special Order.

Navy Department,
_Washington, September 23, 1881._

Struck down by the hand of a cowardly assassin, in the day of his vigor
and usefulness, on the eve of departure from the capital in search of
much-needed rest from the toils and cares of office, our Chief
Magistrate, President, and Commander in Chief, James A. Garfield, after
bearing with heroic fortitude untold suffering, succumbed to the dread
summons and yielded up his life at Elberon, N.J., on the evening of the
19th instant. The nation mourns its loss. The funeral services will take
place at Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday, the 26th instant. It is eminently
fit and proper that special honors should be paid to the memory of the
late President on that day, and the Department therefore directs that at
all naval stations and on board all vessels in commission the flags
shall be at half-mast from sunrise to sunset and a gun fired every half
hour during that period. The period of mourning by half-masted colors
will cease at sunset. On foreign stations this order will be carried out
on the day after its receipt. The navy-yards will be closed and all work
suspended during the day. Officers of the Navy and Marine Corps will, as
a further mark of respect, wear crape on the left arm and sword hilt for
six months from the 20th instant.

ED. T. NICHOLS,
_Acting Secretary of the Navy._


ACTION OF SENATORS AND OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECT IN
WASHINGTON.