Cabinet of the Confederate States of America Congress, its membership was undistinguished—a contrast with Lincoln's Cabinet, which included highly talented men. Confederate President Jefferson Davis made many of his initial selections to the Cabinet on the basis of political considerations; his choices "Were dictated by the need to assure the various states that their interests were being represented in the government." Moreover, most Confederate talent went into the military rather than the government, and the cabinet suffered from frequent turnover and reshuffling. Sixteen different men serving as one of six Cabinet officers during the four years of the Confederacy's existence. The most talented—but also the most unpopular—member
Confederate States Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery was responsible for the operation of several medical facilities in Southern ports. This department was managed by William A. W. Spotswood throughout its entire extistence from April 10, 1861 to April 1865. The Confederate Marine Corps was established by an act of the Provisional Congress on March 16, 1861. As originally legislated the Confederate Marine Corps was to be a battalion-sized force of six companies and a headquarters element led by a major. The Corps was later expanded into a regiment following an act of the Provisional Congress on May 20, 1861; this was spurred