4.0. 91 respondence or any written matter, however bulky, such use being forbidden by law (Section 3984, Revised Statutes).-[G. O. 91, 1878.] 701. Heads of bureaus and officers in the War Department will supply officers of their respective corps, both in and out of Washington City, with official postage stamps.-[G. O. 61, 1878.] 702. The Heads of Bureaus will canse suitable rules to be established for the accountability of the stamps issued, and will make requisition therefor quarterly, in advance, on the Secretary of War for trausmission to the Postmaster General; such requisition should be sent to the War Office not later than the twentieth of the month preceding the quarter to be drawn for.-[G. O. 61, 1878.] 703. Official postage stamps, to be used only for official purposes, will be furnished by the Adjutant General of the Army for the Headquarters of Military Geographical Divisions and Departments, Regiments, Posts, and Detachments. Requisitions for this purpose will be made quarterly in advance, and in time to enable the Assistant Adjutant General, who makes the distribution, to send a consolidated estimate, which must reach the Adjutant General not later than the twentieth of the month preceding the quarter drawn for.-[G. O. 61, 1878.] 704. The Chiefs of the several Bureaus of the War Department will furnish official postage stamps for official correspondence only to the officers on duties connected with their respective bureaus, upon requisitions therefor, to be made quarterly in advance.— [G. O. 61, 1878:] 705. Blank receipts for stamps issued from the Adjutant General's Office or from Department Headquarters will in all cases be sent with each invoice of stamps, and will be dated, signed, and returned to the issuing officer on the day on which the stamps are received.—[G. O. 61, 1878.] 706. On the first day of each quarter, every officer who has drawn upon the Assistant Adjutant General at Department Headquarters for official stamps will render to that officer a duplicate statement of the amount, expressed in dollars and cents, expended during the preceding quarter, and on hand at the date of the report. These statements, after verification, will form the basis of the consolidated quarterly report, which, with one set of post statements, the Assistant Adjutant General will forward to the Adjutant General at the earliest practicable moment.-[G. O. 61, 1878.] 707. Whenever an officer accountable for official postage stamps is relieved from duty, he will transfer all such stamps in his possession to his successor, taking duplicate receipts therefor, and immediately make a return of expenditures up to the day of his relief, which return, together with one of the receipts, he will forward at once to the Assistant Adjutant General at Department Headquarters.-[G. O. 61, 1878.] 708. Courts-Martial, Courts of Inquiry, Boards of Officers, Officers on the Retired List, or detached for duty at colleges, and all officers requiring official postage stamps for official purposes not otherwise provided for in these Regulations, will be supplied upon requisition addressed to the Assistant Adjutant General of the Department within the geographical limits of which the sessions are held or the officers may be serving, and make the required reports to that officer.-[G. O. 61, 1878.] 709. To obviate the expenditure of private funds for public postage, every officer of the Army, having official correspondence, will make timely requisition, in accordance with the requirements of this regulation, upon the proper officer, for the official postage stamps necessary for his official use.-[G. O. 61, 1878.] 710. Whenever officers of the Army, irrespective of the corps or arm of the service to which they belong, are obliged, prior to their being furnished with official postage stamps, to expend their private funds to pay official postage, they may make out certified accounts, in duplicate, for reimbursement of the amount expended by them, and transmit them to the Quartermaster General of the Army for settlement, through the accounting officers of the Treasury, from the appropriation for incidental expenses of the Quartermaster's Department.-[G. O. 61, 1878; Sec. War, Feb. 15, 1878.] 711. Letters and packages bearing the official postage stamps of the several Executive Departments, arriving at a post office for delivery, not having been fully prepaid by such stamps, should be treated the same as packages insufficiently prepaid with ordinary 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.] 0.89 ARTICLE LII. RECORDS. 713. All military records, such as files of public letters, letter-books, 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.] 714. Whenever posts, Districts, Geographical Departments, Divisions, and other commands, are discontinued, all such records as are not required for use at the Departfment Headquarters in which the commands were included will immediately be forwarded by express to the Adjutant General of the Army.-[G. O. 60, 1865.] 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 proceed. ing specified in the preceding paragraph, who fraudulently takes away, or withdraws or destroys any such record, document, paper, or proceeding filed in his office, o 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 muster-rolls and returns required from the commanders of divisions, brigades, 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.] 721. All officers and clerks on duty in the Bureaus of the War Department are prohibited from exhibiting any table, statement, or paper belonging to the official records, or giving any information, copy or extract from the same, or giving any information respecting the business of the Department to any person whatever not on duty in one of the offices of the Department, without, in each case, the authority, in writing, of the Chief of the Bureau concerned. A rigid compliance with this order will be enforced, to prevent improper use of information irregularly obtained.--[Sec. War, July 19, 1870.] ARTICLE LIII. MONTHLY RETURNS. 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. ] 724. Monthly returns of Military Departments will be sent direct to the Adjutant General of the Army and to Division Headquarters.-[G. O. 123, 1865.] 725. Division returns, except of the Staff at Headquarters, will not be required by the Adjutant General of the Army.-[G. O. 123, 1865.] 726. Every commander of a separate body of troops-either division, brigade, regiment, or detachment-whether engaged in campaign, field-service, or occupy ing 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 transinit 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 muster-roll and three muster and pay rolls are to be made. The muster-roll 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.]. 740. Details for the recruiting service will ordinarily be for the period of two years. The Adjutant General details the field officers for Superintendents, and announces in Orders the number and grade of the company officers to be selected by the commander of each regiment for the charge of recruiting parties. These officers will be chosen irrespective of the roster, and with regard to their fitness for the duty. They will be ordered by their regimental commanders to report in person to the Superintendents designated for their respective arms of service.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 912; G. O. 30, 1866; G. O. 106, 1874.] 741. Officers on the general recruiting service are not to be ordered on any other duty, except from the Adjutant General's Office.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 914.] 742. A recruiting party will consist generally of one Lieutenant, one non-commissioned officer, and not more than four privates. The parties will be sent from the principal depots, and none but suitable men selected.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 913.] 743. The Adjutant General of the Army will cause frequent inspections to be made of the recruiting depots and rendezvous, for the purpose of enforcing the regulations and orders governing enlistments, and especially to prevent the reception of men of bad character, and the illegal enlistment of minors into the service.-[G. O. 87, 1873; G. O. 126, 1874.] DUTIES OF SUPERINTENDENTS. 744. As soon as a recruiting station is designated, the Superintendent sends estimates for funds to the Adjutant General, and requisitions on the proper departments (through the Adjutant General) for clothing, camp equipage, arms, and accoutrements.[Regs. 1863, ¶ 915.] 745. Subsequent supplies for the stations in his district are procured by the Superintendent on consolidated estimates; these are made as required for funds, and every six or twelve months for clothing, equipage, arms, and accoutrements.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 916.] 746. Superintendents will make such transfers of funds, clothing, camp and garrison equipage, and accoutrements to their officers as may be required. In all cases recruiting officers will send their estimates direct to their Superintendent.-[ Regs. ¶917.] 747. Branch or auxiliary rendezvous will be established only by orders from Superintendents. They should never be more than fifteen miles distant from the main rendezvous. Superintendents may order officers to visit their branch rendezvous not oftener than once a week.-[Regs. 1863, Ap. B, ¶ 87.] 748. Tours of inspection by Superintendents will be made only on instructions from the Adjutant General.-[Regs. 1863, Ap. B, ¶ 87.] 749. Superintendents will report all commissioned or non-commissioned officers who may be incapable or negligent in the discharge of their functions. When a recruiting party fails to get recruits from any cause other than the fault of the officer, the Superintendent will recommend another station for the party.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 922. j 750. Whenever the number of recruits in any depot becomes too large, the Superintendent will report to the Adjutant General for instructions in reference to sending detachments to regiments, stating the number disposable. —[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 920. ] 751. When recruits are sent from a depot or rendezvous to a regiment or post, a muster and descriptive roll, and an account of clothing of the detachment, will be given to the officer assigned to the command of it; and a duplicate of the muster and descriptive roll will be forwarded to the Adjutant General by the Superintendent, who will note on it the names of all the officers on duty with the detachment, and the day of its departure from the depot or rendezvous.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 921.] 752. When a rendezvous is closed, the Superintendent will give the necessary instructions for the safe-keeping or disposal of the public property, so as not to involve any expense for storage.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 923.] 753. The Superintendents will transmit to the Adjutant General consolidated monthly returns of the recruiting parties under their superintendence, according to directions on the printed blanks, accompanied by one copy of the enlistment of each recruit enlisted within the month.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 919.] DUTIES OF RECRUITING OFFICERS. 754. Officers in charge of rendezvous will in no case absent themselves from their stations without authority from the Superintendent.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 925.] 755. Success in obtaining recruits depends much on the activity and personal atten tion of recruiting officers. They must not intrust to enlisted men the duties for which they alone are responsible, but must use every care to prevent the imposition of minors and bad men upon the service.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 925; G. O. 126, 1874.] 756. Recruiting officers will not allow any man to be deceived or inveigled into the service by false representations, but will in person explain the nature of the service, the length of the term, the pay, clothing, rations, and other allowances to which a soldier is entitled by law, to every man before he signs the onlistment.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 926.] 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. Ö., April 23, 1874.] 758. Instructious regulating the height and weight of recruits will be issued from time to time as the requirements of the service may dictate.—[Circ. A. G. O., Dec. 14, 1874.] 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.] 760. If minors present themselves, they are to be treated with great candor; the names and residences of their parents or guardians, if they have any, must be ascertained, and these will be informed of the minor's wish to enlist, that they may make their objections or give their consent.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 927.] 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 undoubted 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.] 764. After the nature of the service and terms of enlistment have been fairly explained to the recruit, the officer, before the enlistments are filled up, will read to him, and offer for his signature the annexed declaration, to be appended to each copy of his enlistment: I, desiring to enlist in the Army of the United States for the period of five years, do declare that I am - years and months of age; that I have neither wife nor child; that I have never been discharged from the United States service on account of disability, or by sentence of a Court-Martial, or by order before the expiration of a term of enlistment; and I know of no impediment to my serving honestly and faithfully as a soldier for five years. Witness: [Regs. 1863, ¶ 932.] 765. If the recruit be a minor, his parents or guardian must sign a consent to his enlisting, which will be added to the preceding declaration, in the following form: I, do certify that I am the (father, only surviving parent, or guardian, as the case may be) of -; that the said years of age; and I do hereby freely give my consent to his enlisting as a soldier in the Army of the United States for the period of five years. Witness: is [Regs. 1863, ¶ 933; G. O. 170, 1873; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874; R. S., § 1342, Art. 3.] 766. The forms of declaration, and of consent in case of a minor, having been signed and witnessed, the recruit will then be duly examined by the recruiting officer and surgeon, if one be present, and, if accepted, the 47th and 103d Articles of War will be read to him; after which he will be allowed time to consider the subject until his mind appears to be fully made up before the oath is administered to him.-[Regs. 1863, |