Given the rapid expansion of the Federal navy to over five hundred ships the stretching of chains of command and the use of personnel in positions not regulation would be a given.The Confederate navy, starting from scratch, surely was pressed to "run what they brung." One instance I know of is the record of Lieut. William Alexander of C.S.S. Hunley fame. He was on detached service from the C.S.A. in the Water St., Mobile machine shop of Park and Lyons, rifling barrels when Watson and Co. shuffled into town after escaping the fall of New Orleans. He became part of the submarine development program, moving with the boat to Mt. Pleasent , Charleston, S.C. and became the boats executive officer. His muster record on the roll of Company C, 21st Alabama Inf. indicates that he was listed at the rank of private. I have never found reference of his commission. It may have been the case of somebody (Dixon?) getting an officer's jacket from stores and saying, "Here, Put this on." ,to Alexander.