stamps, and the amount due collected on delivery. If addressed to any official connected with any of said Departments, the amount due may be received from him in the official postage stamps of his Department, which should be placed on the package and canceled at once, when the package may be delivered.-[Dec. of Postmaster General.]

712. Under the provisions of the Universal Postal Union Convention, concluded at Paris on the 1st of June, 1878, the prepayment of postage on every kind of correspondence exchanged in the mails between countries of the Postal Union can only be effected by means of postage stamps valid in the country of origin for the correspondence of private individuals. The only correspondence exempted from this requirement is official correspondence relative to the postal service and exchanged directly between Postal Administrations. Correspondence addressed to Postal Union countries and colonies can only be prepaid by means of the ordinary United States postage stamps which are furnished to the public.— [G. O. 88, 1878.]

ARTICLE LII.

RECORDS.

713. All military records, such as files of public letters, letterbooks, order-books, and other record-books, muster-rolls, &c., are the property of the United States, and will be preserved for future reference in the settlement of claims against the Government, and for other official purposes.-[G. O. 60, 1865.]

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715. Every person who willfully destroys or attempts to destroy, or, with intent to steal or destroy, takes and carries away any record, paper, or proceeding of a court of justice filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of such court, or any paper, or document, or record filed or deposited in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer, shall, without reference to the value of the record, paper, document, or proceeding so taken, pay a fine of not more than two thousand dollars, or suffer imprisonment at hard labor, not more than three years, or both.-[R. S., § 5403.]

716. Every officer having the custody of any record, document, paper, or proceeding specified in the preceding paragraph, who fraudulently takes away, or withdraws, or destroys any such record, document, paper, or proceeding filed in his office, or deposited with him, or in his custody, shall pay a fine of not more than two thousand dollars, or suffer imprisonment at hard labor not more than three years, or both; and shall, moreover, forfeit his office, and be forever afterward disqualified from holding any office under the Government of the United States.-[R. S., § 5408.] 717. The established printed forms and blanks of all musterrolls and returns required from the commanders of divisions, bri

gades, regiments, corps, companies, and posts will be furnished from the Adjutant General's Office on requisitions made directly upon him. The receipt of these forms and blanks will be immediately acknowledged, and they will be accounted for on the next monthly returns. Officers must keep these blanks under their own personal care, to guard against their being misapplied.—[Regs. 1863, ¶ 460; G. O. 78, 1866.]

718. Manuscript returns, rolls, certificates, and other documents, are prohibited, unless the proper printed forms have not been received in time.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 461.]

719. The use of violet or other colored inks (except as carmine or red ink is used in annotation, indorsement, and ruling) is prohibited in the records and correspondence of the Army.-[G. O. 36, 1870.]

720. Rules for keeping the principal record-books at the different headquarters; forms for making rolls, returns, &c.; lists of papers required from each command in the Army, and of blank forms and books issued by. the several Departments, will be furnished the proper officers on application to the Adjutant General of the Army.-[4. G. O., 1865.]

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ARTICLE LIII.

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MONTHLY RETURNS.

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722. Commanders of departments, regiments, corps, and posts will make to the Adjutant General's Office in Washington monthly returns of their respective commands on the forms furnished, and according to the directions printed on them. In like manner Captains make monthly returns of their companies to regimental headquarters.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 458.]

723. Regimental returns must be made in the name of the Colonel, and those of the company in the name of the Captain, whether those officers be present or absent.-[Regs. 1863, ¶¶ 333, 461.]

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726. Every commander of a separate body of troops-either division, brigade, regiment, or detachment-whether engaged in campaign, field-service, or occupying a temporary camp, or simply in transit from one post to another, will make the monthly returns required by these Regulations. Any detachment so far separated from the main body to which it belongs as to render it impracticable for the commander of the main body to make the muster and inspection enjoined by the Regulations, is a separate command within the meaning and for the purpose of this paragraph. These returns will exhibit separately the several regiments and detachments and Staff Corps, and the strength of each garrison within the command.—[Regs. 1863, ¶ 459; G. O. 1, 1855.]

727. When a field officer is serving with detached companies of his regiment, the Captains thereof will make their returns through him, which returns he will transmit with his own personal reports to regimental headquarters.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 459; G. O. 1, 1855.]

728. In campaign, one copy of all returns of troops will be transmitted through intermediate commanders, and one copy direct to the Adjutant General of the Army, unless otherwise ordered.-[Regs. 1863, 459; G. O. 169, 1862.]

FIELD RETURNS.

729. Besides the stated returns of the troops, such other field returns and reports will be made as may be necessary to keep the Government informed of the condition and strength of the forces. -[Regs. 1863, ¶ 464.]

730. After any action or affair, a return of the killed, wounded, and missing will be made, in which the name, rank, and regiment of each officer and soldier will be specified, with such remarks and explanations as may be requisite for the records of the Department of War to establish the just claims of any individual who may have been wounded, or of the heirs and representatives of any killed in action. The nature of the wound, the time and place of its occurrence, the company, regiment, or corps, and the name of the Captain, Colonel, or other commanding officer, will always be carefully stated. A copy of this return will be promptly forwarded direct to the Adjutant General of the Army.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 465; G. O. 169, 1862.]

731. After every battle, skirmish, or other engagement, commanding officers of regiments, or detached portions thereof, will forward direct to the Adjutant General of the Army duplicates of the returns, to be transmitted through intermediate commanders, of killed, wounded, and missing.-[Regs. 1863, Ap. B, ¶ 34.]

732. A return of all property captured will be made by the commanding officer of the troops by whom such capture was made to the Adjutant General, at Washington, that the property may be. disposed of according to the orders of the War Department.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 470.]

ARTICLE LIV.

MUSTER-ROLLS-PAY-ROLLS.

733. At each regular muster of the troops, one ordinary musterroll and three muster and pay rolls are to be made. The musterroll will be transmitted by the mustering officer to the Adjutant General's Office, at Washington, within three days after the muster. Two copies of the pay-roll are for the Paymaster, the other is to be kept with the company records.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 334; G. O. 9, 1851.] 734. Muster and muster and pay rolls are to be made on the

printed forms furnished from the Adjutant General's Office; and in making the rolls special attention must be given to the printed directions thereon.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 333.]

735. The calculations on the pay-rolls are made by the Paymaster. They will be transcribed by the Captain on the copy retained with the company records, in order that an exact account of each soldier's pay may be kept.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 333.]

736. If it should become necessary to use manuscript forms, they should embrace all the data required to insure justice to the soldier, and guide the Paymaster in making payment (see paragraph 734).[Regs. 1863, ¶ 1367.]

737. Companies will be designated on the muster and muster and pay rolls by the names of their Captains, whether present or absent.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 333.]

738. Soldiers in hospital, patients, and nurses, except stewards, shall be mustered on the rolls of their company, if it be present at the post.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 1285.]

ARTICLE LV.

THE RECRUITING SERVICE.

739. The recruiting service will be conducted by the Adjutant General, under the direction of the Secretary of War and the General of the Army.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 911.]

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757. Any male person above the age of sixteen and under the age of thirty-five years, effective, able-bodied, sober, free from disease, of good character and habits, and with a competent knowledge of the English language, may be enlisted, due attention being given to the restrictions in these regulations concerning minors. This regulation, so far as respects age, shall not extend to soldiers who may re-enlist, or who have served honestly and faithfully a previous enlistment in the Army. Men having the appearance of being hard drinkers will be rejected, though they may not at the time be intoxicated.-[R. S., § 1116; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.]

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759. No man having a wife or minor child shall be enlisted or re-enlisted without special authority from the Adjutant General's Office.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 930; Act June 18, 1878, sec. 5, in G. O. 37, 1878.]

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761. No person under the age of twenty-one years is to be enlisted or re enlisted without the written consent of his parents or guardians, provided that such minor has parents or guardians entitled to his custody and control. Recruiting officers must be very particular in ascertaining the true age of the recruit. If any doubt exist as to the age of the applicant, his oath will not be taken as the sole evidence of legal age; but if he cannot, in addition, furnish un

doubted proof of the fact, he will not be accepted.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 931; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874; R. S., §§ 1117, 1118.]

762. The law forbids the enlistment of boys under sixteen years; of all insane or intoxicated persons; of deserters from the military or naval service of the United States; and of all persons who have been convicted of felony. Minors under eighteen years will not be enlisted except for musicians, or to learn music, and then only under authority from the Superintendent.-[R. S., §§ 1116, 1118.] 763. In every case of a recruit rejected, or discharged as a minor, when it shall appear that the enlistment was carelessly made in violation of these Regulations, recommendation will be made that the expenses incurred by the Government in consequence thereof shall be stopped against the pay of the recruiting officer.— [Circ. A. G. O., Jan. 31, 1867.]

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767. As soon as practicable, and at least within six days after his enlistment, the following oath will be administered to the recruit:

STATE OF

I,

Town of

88: born in

years and

in the State of

and by occupation a do hereby acknowledge to have voluntarily enlisted [or re-enlisted] this day of 18-, as a soldier in the Army of the United States of America for the period ofyears, unless sooner discharged by proper authority, and do also agree to accept from the United States such bounty, pay, rations, and clothing as are or may be established by law; and I do solemnly swear that I am months of age, and know of no impediment to my serving honestly and faithfully as a soldier years, under this enlistment contract with the United States. And I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America; that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the Rules and Articles of War.

for

[SEAL.]

Subscribed and sworn to before me this

day of

18-.

Recruiting Officer.

This oath may be administered by any commissioned officer of the Army.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 935; R. S., § 1342, Art. 2; A. G. O., May 4, 1876.]