Recruiting Instructions.

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington City, 15 January, 1813. The following recruiting districts are established within the state of New-York:

New-York, three districts; the first to include that part of the state lying south of Poughkeepsie, principal rendezvous

The second to include all north of Poughkeepsie and east of Utica, principal rendezvous

The third to include the remaining part of the state, principal rendezvous Canandaigua.

Each district will be placed under the superintendence of a field officer, who will have deposited at the principal rendezvous a sufficient quantity of clothing, arms, accoutrements, ammunition, camp equipage, and medicine, for all the men to be recruited within the district. He will be furnished with money, for bounties and premiums by the paymaster of the army and for contingent service, by the War Department, and will employ every captain and subaltern within the district (not on other duty by order of a superior officer) on the recruiting service for the regiment to which such captains and subalterns may belong, and will supply thern with money, clothing, &c. for this purpose, taking their duplicate receipts, holding them accountable to the accountant of the department of war; and he will transmit to the said department a statement of his accounts weekly, showing the amount of money, clothing, &c. received and distributed, and the balance remaining on hand. He will be held strictly responsible for the good conduct, order and discipline of the corps within his district, and will transmit weekly returns to this office, showing the name, rank, regiment, and station of every officer, employed by him on the recruiting service, the strength of their parties and the alterations since last return; and he will use every possible exertion to promote the said service, by visiting the different rendezvous within his district, and by directing his recruiting officers to places where they are known, or such as promise most success.He will be furnished with a copy of the contract for

the territory included in his district, and will give due notice to the contractor or his agent, for supplying his parties with provisions, at such places within the district, as he may deem necessary. And that there may be no unnecessary delay in paying the recruits, agreeably to law, he will transmit regular sets of muster rolls of all the officers and men in his district, to the district or other paymaster, who will be instructed to make the regular payments by the paymaster of the army.

Recruiting officers will receive money, clothing, &c. for their recruits, from the commanding officer of the district, for which they will give the proper duplicate receipts, and be held accountable. They will transmit to him a statement of their accounts weekly, showing the amount of money, clothing, &c. received and distributed, and the balance remaining on hand; a duplicate of which they will transmit to the War Department. They will be held responsible for the good conduct of their recruits, and will transmit correct returns weekly, to the commanding officer of the district and to this office.

The commissary general of purchases will cause to be deposited, at the principal rendezvous in each district, subject to the orders of the field officer, a sufficient quantity of clothing, arms, accoutrements, ammunition, camp equipage and medicine, for the number of men to be recruited therein; and that there shall at no time be a deficiency of any of these articles, the field officer will give due notice to the commissary general of the articles received, delivered, and on hand, and at what time a further supply will be necessary.

When a recruiting officer shall send a party of recruits to the principal rendezvous he will transmit to the commanding officer an exact statement of each man's account, as respects clothing, subsistence, bounty and pay; and a like statement must accompany every man sent to the regiment, to be entered in the books of the company for which he

enlisted.

Recruits are to be free from sore legs, scurvy, scalled head, ruptures, and other infirmities. The age is to be conformable to law, but healthy active

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boys, between fourteen and eighteen years of age, may be enlisted for musicians. In all cases where minors or apprentices are enlisted, the consent in writing of the parent, guardian, or master, if any such there be, is to be obtained, and accompany the enlistment.

No objection is to be made to a recruit for want of size, provided he is strong, active, well made, and healthy.

As soon as convenient, and within six days at farthest from the time of his enlistment, every recruit shall be brought before a magistrate, and take and subscribe the oath required by law, according to the form prescribed.

When a recruit is rejected, his clothing, if delivered, and the bounty advanced to him, shall be returned, for which the recruiting officer will be held accountable.

If any recruit, after having received the bounty, or a part of it, shall abscond, he is to be pursued and punished as a deserter.

Every officer engaged in the recruiting service will procure the necessary transportation, forage, fuel, straw, and stationary, taking care to have his accounts therefor supported by proper vouchers.

Recruiting officers having no enlisted musicians, are authorized to engage a drummer and fifer, at a sum not exceeding fifteen dollars per month, and one ration per day each.

By order of the Secretary of War.

T. H. CUSHING, Adjutant General.

(Duplicate.)

SIR,

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington City, 15 January, 1813. IT has been deemed necessary to divide the United States, and the territories thereof, into recruiting districts, under the superintendence of field officers, conformably to which arrangement, you have been appointed to superintend the district composed of that part of the state of New-York termed in the recruiting instructions the third, and will take the immediate direction of the recruiting service within the same.

Enclosed I have the honor to furnish you with a copy of the articles of war, military laws and regulations of the War Department, twenty copies of recruiting instructions, two blank weekly recruiting returns, for districts, and twenty for recruiting officers; also a copy of the contract for the territory comprehended within your limits.

The recruiting instructions point out the extent of territory under your superintendence, the place at which you will fix your principal rendezvous, the manner in which all your wants are to be supplied, and your duties generally while employed on this service.

The officers within your district will be ordered to report themselves to you, at the principal rendezvous, without delay; but as far as your knowledge of such officers and their residence may extend, you will order them into service, without waiting for their report.

It is expected that you will exercise the utmost correctness and punctuality, in making out and transmitting your statements and returns; and that you will exact a like observance of the instructions on this head from the officers under your command; that you will be particular in forwarding your requisitions for whatever you may find necessary, in due season, so as never to permit the recruiting service to be embarrassed for want of the necessary supplies; and in case it should so happen, that after having made such requisitions to the proper department, there should be a failure in the supplies of clothing, camp equipage, or medicine, you are hereby authorised to contract for, and purchase such quantity of each of these articles, as may be found necessary for immediate use; the expenditures for which, you will defray out of the contingent funds placed in your hands.

To each recruiting officer, you will furnish a copy of the recruiting instructions, the form of enlistment, and a blank weekly recruiting return; together with such further information as may be necessary for his government.

You will leave the recruits with the party, or co-llect them at the principal rendezvous, as you may derm most advantageous to the service; the partie »,

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however, ought never to be without a few handsome, well dressed men, who, from their appearance and activity, may be enabled to give a spirit to the recruiting business.

The commissary general of purchases, is directed to have deposited at the principal rendezvous, sufficient supplies of clothing, &c. for the number of men to be raised in your district, to wit, fifty light dragoons, one hundred artillery, and six hundred infantry, which you will have distributed among the different rendezvous in such manner as never to permit them to be in want, but on the contrary that every recruit may be put in complete uniform the moment he is enlisted.

I am instructed, by the Secretary of War, to add, that every officer employed on the recruiting service, who shall neglect to make and forward the returns, &c. required by the recruiting instructions, or fail to use all due industry in the discharge of the duties assigned him, will be struck from the rolls of the army. I am, Sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, T. H. CUSHING, Adjt. Genl.

In addition to the above instructions, which you will punctually observe, it is expected that you will exercise the utmost correctness and punctuality in making out and transmitting your statements and returns, not only of recruits, but of all the clothing, arms, accoutrements, and in short, every thing that you receive for the use of the recruits under your command. And if it shall so happen, that any officer employed on the recruiting service, shall neglect to make and forward the returns, &c. required by the recruiting instructions, or fail to use all due industry in the discharge of the duties assigned him, he will be struck from the rolls of the army.

It is absolutely necessary that you keep distinct and separate accounts under the head of Pay of the Army and Bounties and Premiums, the vouchers or receipts for its application must be kept separate and distinct.

You have already a form of a Receipt for bounties to recruits. The following is a form of a Receipt to be taken from the recruit for his advance of pay, which must accompany every enlistment: