History
Every man-of-war, you know, has her Lucky Bag, containing a little of every thing, and something belonging to every body.
For variety of contents, a regular Lucky Bag may vie with the caldron that witches boil and bubble “at the pit of Acheron .”
- horse of middy and waister’s sock,
- dresses of a cat mouse game
- Purser’s slops and topman’s hat,
- Boatswain’s call and colt and cat,
- Belt that on the berth-deck lay,
- In the Lucky Bag find their way;
- Gaiter, stock and red pompoon,
- Sailor’s pan, his pot and spoon,
- Shirt of cook and trowser’s duck,
- Kid and can and “doctor’s truck,”
- And all that’s lost, and found on board,
- In the Lucky Bag is always stored.''
“This bag,” Mr. Editor, which I am about to overhaul, has been open for fifteen or twenty years. The facts collected about the Navy during that time — hints dropped by messmates — opinions, notions, &c., have, been picked up and carefully preserved in this “bag.” Before I proceed though, to arrange from this medley of the “bit o’ writin” for you, mm, I must in good earnest bespeak the indulgence of your readers, and seriously invite their attention to the facts which go to show a link to 10 pages, [1]
Matthew Fontaine Maury, USN, used the term "Lucky Bag", and defined it, long before the United States Naval Academy was created. Matthew Maury wrote many articles about the "Lucky Bag" and called the articles, "Scraps From The Lucky Bag". It was information on Naval reform in all its venues and more. This is well known by serious historians. The use of term goes back further than 1820 in the United States Navy and back to the British Navy. Read the link to see a typical "Lucky Bag Scrap" on US Naval Reform. The United States Naval Academy, to a huge extent, was created due to Matthew Maury's "Scraps From The Lucky Bag" that were published under noms de plumes in newspapers, copied, and passed around in flyers in and outside of the USN to stir people to action for changes in the Navy and transcribed by William Maury Morris for these modern times.
The lucky bag is also defined as a where loose items from a ship are stored until being returned to the owner. According to the 1940 edition of The Bluejacket's Manual (a handbook for U.S. Navy enlisted personnel), "The lucky bag is a place where the police petty officers stow for safe-keeping effects that are found adrift about the ship. All clothes, etc., found about the decks are placed in the lucky bag. When clothes are piped down, the police petty officer attends and takes care of all clothes not called for and places these in the lucky bag. All effects in this bag belong to the person who lost them. At frequent intervals the lucky bag is opened and the effects distributed to the owners. Where persons have been guilty of carelessness in leaving their effects adrift, they are placed on the report." According to the log of the USS Yosemite, on June 24, 1898 several sailors were given 72 hours extra duty for having an article in the lucky bag. [2]
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Matthew Fontaine Maury was an American oceanographer and naval officer, serving the United States and then joining the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
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The Bluejacket's Manual is the basic handbook for United States Navy personnel. First issued in 1902 to teach recruits about naval procedures and life and offer a reference for active sailors, it has become the "bible" for Navy personnel, providing information about a wide range of Navy topics. The current version, issued in 2017, is the 25th Edition and is given to all enlistees.
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Chief Petty Officer (CPO) is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above Petty Officer First Class and below Senior Chief Petty Officer. The term "rating" is used to identify enlisted job specialties. In this way, enlisted personnel are segregated into three segments containing different enlisted ranks. Furthermore, rates are broken down into three levels: non-rated members without a designated occupation. Advancement to E-4 and above is dependent on graduating from a specialty school that define what the enlisted is rated for. Petty officers and chief petty officers are part of the rated force and considered extremely knowledgeable about their particular rating. Examples include Culinary Services Chief and Aviation Maintenance Chief. The Chief Petty Officer is the rank. Gunners Mate is a rating. E7 is a pay grade. The term rating is used to identify the career field of a chief petty officer. For example, the title of a chief petty officer in the Master-at-Arms rating would be spoken or spelled out as Master-at-Arms, Chief Petty Officer or Chief Master-at-Arms. The title would be abbreviated MAC. The grade of chief petty officer was established on 1 April 1893 in the United States Navy. The United States Congress first authorized the Coast Guard to use the promotion to Chief Petty Officer on 18 May 1920. Chief petty officer is also the final cadet grade in the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps.
William Lewis Maury was an American explorer and naval officer who served in the United States Navy for over 32 years, assisting Charles Wilkes' exploration of the Pacific Ocean and served in Matthew C. Perry's 1854 naval mission to Japan. Later he served as a Captain in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War.
