the West Gulf Squadron. Major Heywood served on shore at Pensacola and was on board Hartford in the Battle of Mobile Bay, where he received the brevet rank of lieutenant colonel for gallant and meritorious services. During that engagement he had charge of two nine-inch guns. His services during the Civil War thus secured for him two brevet ranks for distinguished gallantry in the presence of the enemy. After the Civil War, Heywood joined the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States – an organization of officers who has served in the Union armed forces during the war. From 1865 to 1867, he performed duty on board various ships, serving as Admiral Farragut's Fleet Marine Officer on the European Station and later in the same capacity in the North Atlantic Squadron. During this period he also served for a time at Washington, Norfolk and Brooklyn. On November 1, 1876, he attained regular rank of major to which he had been brevetted more than ten years before, and was ordered to command the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. During the serious labor riots of the summer of 1877, Major Heywood commanded a battalion of Marines at Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Reading, Pennsylvania. He was honorably mentioned by General Hancock, United States Army, who was in general command, and received thanks from the Navy Department for his services. His next years of duty carried him to widely separated posts – Mare Island, California, and Brooklyn, New York. In April 1885, he organized, within twenty-four hours from the time of the order, a battalion of 250 Marines for duty on the Isthmus of Panama to open the transit. Subsequently, under his command on the Isthmus were 800 Marines in addition to a strong detachment of United States Navy and the artillery. For his arduous services the admiral commanding asked Major Heywood to "receive his grateful acknowledgements." Major Heywood was promoted to lieutenant colonel on March 9, 1888. Service as Commandant On January 30, 1891, Lt. Col. Heywood was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Marine Corps. At that time the Marine Corps consisted of 75 officers and 2,100 enlisted men, which gradually rose during his tenure of office until at the time of his retirement in 1903, it had reached the total of 278 officers and 7,532 enlisted personnel, the highest strength up to that point. The Marines at that time were armed