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 Town of 88: born in —, in the State of I, day of 18-, as a soldier in the Army of the United States of America for the period of years, 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 years and months of age, and know of no impediment to my serving honestly and faithfully as a soldier for 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. [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.] 768. Enlistments must not be antedated so as to entitle a soldier, who applies after the period for "re-enlisting" has expired, to any additional pay therefor.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 942.] 769. Enlistments must be filled up in a fair and legible hand. The real name of the recruit must be ascertained, correctly spelled, and written in the same way wherever it occurs; the Christian name must not be abbreviated. Numbers must be written, and not expressed by figures. Each onlistment must be indorsed as indicated on the blanks furnished, the number in each month to correspond with the names alphabetically arranged.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 963.] 770. Whenever a soldier re-enters the service, the officer who enlisted him will indorse on the enlistment, next below his own name and regiment, “second (or third) enlistment," as the case may be, together with the name of the regiment and the letter of the company in which the soldier last served, and date of discharge from former enlistment. This information the recruiting officer must obtain, if possible, from the soldier's discharge, which he should in all cases be required to exhibit. (Vide 50th Article of War.)—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 963.] 771. The filling up of, and indorsement on, the enlistment will be in the handwriting of the recruiting officer, or done under his immediate inspection.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 963.1 772. Enlistments will be taken in triplicate. The recruiting officer will send one 4.0.87.84 copy to the Adjutant General with his monthly accounts, a second to the Superin 74.85tendent with his monthly return, and a third to the depot at the time the recruit is sent there. But, in cases of soldiers re-enlisted in a regiment, or of regimental recruits, only two copies will be made, which will be sent to regimental headquarters-one copy for file, the other to accompany the regimental recruiting return.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 940.] 773. When Ordnance Sergeants, Commissary Sergeants, or Hospital Stewards re 4.0.2. 75 enlist, the recruiting officer will immediately send the second copy of the enlistment 69. 85 direct to the Adjutant General, and the third copy to the station of the soldier.[Regs. 1863, ¶ 941; G. O. 38, 1873.] 774. Officers who enlist or re-enlist men who have been discharged from the Regular Army will immediately notify the commanding officer of the company from which the man was discharged of the fact of his enlistment or re-enlistment, giving also the arm of the service or the designation of the organization to which he is assigned. The recruiting officer will also enter the fact of such enlistment or re-enlistment, with the date and place at which it was made, upon the certificate of discharge from his former enlistment, which the soldier ought to have in his possession.-G. O. 268, 1864; G. O. 2, 1876.] 775. On receiving the report to be made under the preceding paragraph, the commander of the company from which the man was discharged will record the fact in the company descriptive book. Should it appear that the man has used deception in procuring his enlistinent, it will be immediately reported to the Adjutant General.— [G. O. 2, 1876.] 776. Only such articles of clothing as are indispensable for immediate use will be issued to recruits at the rendezvous. Their equipment will not be made complete till after they have passed the inspection subsequent to their arrival at the depot.―[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 944.] 777. The recruiting officer will see that the men under his command are neat in their personal appearance, and will require the permanent party to wear their military dress in a becoming manner, especially when permitted to go abroad.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 943.] 778. The instruction of the recruits will commence at the rendezvous from the moment of enlistment. The General Superintendent will see that all recruiting officers give particular attention to this subject.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 945; G. O. 103, 1874.] 779. Recruits will be sent from rendezvous to depots every ten days, or oftener if practicable, provided the number disposable exceeds three. The detachments of recruits will be sent from rendezvous to depots under charge of a non-commissioned officer. [Regs. 1863, 946.] 780. Every officer commanding a recruiting party will procure the necessary transportation, forage, straw, and stationery, taking the requisite vouchers; and may also purchase wood or its equivalent in coal for each authorized fire as follows: From May 1 to August 31, one-half cord per month; from September 1 to April 30, one cord per month; with an increase of one-fourth from September to April at stations between the 36th and the 43d degree of north latitude, and of one-third from September to April for stations north of the 43d degree.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 948; G. O. 18, 1874.] 781. Whenever an officer is relieved or withdrawn from the recruiting service, he will pay over the balance of any unexpended recruiting funds in his possession to the officer appointed to succeed him, or to the Superintendent, if no officer be so designated; and if this cannot be promptly done, then he will deposit the amount to the credit of the Treasurer of the United States on account of the appropriation, with the most convenient Assistant Treasurer or other depositary of public money; in either case the officer will forward to the Adjutant General the evidence of the disposition he may make of the funds, and report the fact to the Superintendent.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 951.] 782. When a recruiting officer is relieved, the blanks, books, and unexpended stationery, with all the other public property at the station, will be transferred to his successor, who will receipt for the same.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 961.] MEDICAL INSPECTION. 783. Recruiting officers will not employ private physicians, without authority from the Adjutant General's Office, for the special purpose of examining the recruits prior to their enlisting.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 938.] 784. It is the duty of the recruiting officer to be present at the examination of the recruit by the Medical officer, when one is provided for this purpose. When there is no Medical officer, the recruiting officer will personally make the examination.-[Regs. 1863, ¶937; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] 785. In passing a recruit the Medical officer is to examine him stripped; to see that he has free use of all his limbs; that his chest is ample; that his hearing, vision, and speech are perfect; that he has no tumors or ulcerated or extensively cicatrized legs; no rupture or chronic cutaneous affection; that he has not received any contusion, or wound of the head, that may impair his faculties; that he is not a drunkard; is not subject to convulsions; and has no infectious disorder, nor any other that may unfit him for military service.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 1297.] 786. In accepting recruits at rendezvous, Tripler's Manual gives the required standard of qualifications, and is also the standard for inspection after the recruits arrive at the depot; except that the following instructions will govern in examining the eye: 1. No recruit shall be enlisted who cannot see well, at six hundred yards' distance, a black centre three feet in diameter on a white ground. The test will be made by means of cards, prepared under the direction of the Surgeon General of the Army; the black spots on the cards will be circular, four-tenths of an inch in diameter, and the recruit must be able to count them with facility at twenty feet distance. 2. Anomalies in the refraction of the eye.-The principal anomalies in the refraction of the eye are myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism. These anomalies, if unaccompanied by disease of the eye, are not to be regarded as a cause for the rejection of a recruit, unless they impair the vision to such a degree as to prevent him from counting the test-spots described in the last paragraph at the distance named. Myopia (near-sightedness) is a refractive defect of the eye in which parallel rays falling upon the cornea are brought to a focus before they reach the retina. Hypermetropia (over-sightedness) is a refractive defect of the eye in which parallel rays falling upon the cornea are not yet brought to a focus when they reach the retina. Astigmatism is a refractive defect in which when parallel rays fall upon the cornea they are not brought to a focus in the same plane for all the meridians of the eye. 4.01101 The character and approximately the degree of these defects can be ascertained by the spectacles and test-types which will be issued for this purpose by the Surgeon General of the Army, on requisition from the Medical officers. 3. Presbyopia is not a refractive anomaly, but a condition due to a diminution in the accommodation of the eye, resulting from advancing age. Vision for distant objects remains normal, while that for near objects is impaired. This defect is not of itself a cause for the rejection of a recruit, but those in whom it exists are usually over age. The existence of the defect can be ascertained by the test-types referred to in the preceding paragraph. 4. Color-blindness.-At the principal recruiting depots all the accepted recruits will be examined for color-blindness by the Medical officers on duty. Any defect observed will be noted on the descriptive list of the soldier, but will not of itself constitute a cause of rejection, except in the case of enlistments for the Signal Corps. The examination for this defect will be made by the method of Holmgren. Test-wools for the purpose, accompanied by printed directions for their use, will be issued to the principal recruiting depots by the Surgeon General.—[G. O. 106, 1874; G. O. 82, 1879.] MEDICAL ATTENDANCE FOR THE SICK. 787. If, when stationed at a place where there is no Army Medical officer, the recruiting officer finds it necessary, as in case of sickness, to employ a physician, his services may, with the approval of the Adjutant General, be engaged by contract on reasonable terms "by the visit" or by the month. If by the month, the examination of recruits must be stated in the contract as a part of his duty. The physician will be paid from the recruiting funds.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 939; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] 788. In cases where the officer personally receives medical attendance and medicines, he will be guided in making out his account by paragraph 835 of these Regulations.-[Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] MEDICAL RECORDS.. 789. A register of the medical examination of recruits will be kept by the Surgeon of each recruiting station and depot. A report of the recruits examined during the preceding month will be transmitted on the first day of every month to the Surgeon General of the Army, who will furnish blanks for the purpose, as well as the blank registers of medical examinations of recruits. When the registers are filled, they will be transmitted to the Surgeon General.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 1298; G. O. 29, 1866.] FURNITURE, STATIONERY, AND BLANKS. 790. The articles of furniture and police utensils which may be absolutely necessary at a recruiting station may be procured by the officer in charge of the rendezvous, on the special authority of the Superintendent.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 957.] 791. Necessary stationery will be purchased monthly or quarterly, not to exceed, per quarter at each station, eight quires of paper, twenty-four quills, or twenty-four steel pens and two holders, one bottle of mucilage, one pint of black ink, one bottle of 84 red ink, four ounces of sealing-wax, one and a quarter quire of envelope-paper, or one hundred and twenty-five envelopes, one-fourth quire of blotting-paper, and one piece of tape. If necessary, an additional supply of one-fourth of these rates will be allowed to the recruiting officer having charge of one or more auxiliary rendezvous distant from his permanent station. At the principal depots the allowance must be fixed by the wants of the public service.—[Regs. 1863, ¶ 958.] 792. To each office table is allowed one inkstand, one seal stamp, one paper-folder, one ruler, one steel eraser, one piece india-rubber, and as many lead-pencils as may be required, not exceeding four per annum.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 959; G. O. 85, 1872; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] 793. Such blank books as may be necessary are allowed to the General Superintendent and at permanent recruiting depots; also, one descriptive book for the register of recruits at each permanent station. Blank books will be purchased by recruiting officers, under instructions from the Superintendent.—[Recrtg. Regs., Dec. 2, 1863, ¶ 960.] 794. The publication of advertisements in newspapers, or the printing of posters, headings to envelopes or letter or note paper pertaining to the recruiting service, the expenses of which are chargeable to the recruiting fund of the Army, is prohibited.[Regs. 1863, ¶ 928; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] 795. The Superintendents will make timely requisitions for printed blanks for the officers on recruiting service under their charge, and will keep on hand an ample supply to meet their wants. Recruiting officers will make requisitions for all printed blanks upon their respective Superintendents. Superintendents will address their requisitions as follows: 1. To the Adjutant General.-For enlistments; re-enlistments; forms for medical inspection of recruits; muster-rolls; muster and descriptive rolls; monthly returns; tri-monthly reports; recruiting accounts current; accounts of clothing issued. 2. To the Quartermaster General.-For estimates of clothing, camp and garrison equipage; clothing receipt rolls; quarterly returns of clothing, camp and garrison equipage. 3. To the Commissary General of Subsistence.-For provision returns, abstracts, and such other required forms as may be furnished by the Subsistence Department. 4. To the Chief of Ordnance.-For returns of Ordnance stores, and such other blanks as may be furnished by the Ordnance Department.-[Recrtg. Regs., Dec. 2, 1863, ¶ 954.] 796. Of the blanks above named only the printed forms furnished will be used.— [Regs. 1863, ¶ 955.] QUARTERING AND SUBSISTING RECRUITS. 797. Written contracts, in conformity with sections 3743, 3744, 3745, and 3746 Revised Statutes, will be made by recruiting officers for the rent of a rendezvous upon the most reasonable terms possible. The rent will be paid from the recruiting funds; and two copies of the contract will be immediately forwarded, through the Superintendent, to the Adjutant General for approval.—[Regs. 1863, ¶ 952; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874; G. O. 40, 1880.] 798. Issues of provisions will be made on the usual provision returns, and board will be furnished on a return showing the number of the party, and the days and dates. No laundresses are allowed at recruiting stations.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 953; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] [For details of subsisting recruiting parties, see Regulations of the Subsistence Department.] 799. When Army rations are issued for recruits, savings on the rations will be applied for their benefit, as in companies.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 918.] TRANSPORTATION. 800. Recruiting officers will be furnished transportation in kind, by the Quartermaster's Department, when required for journeys, as follows: 1. To report to the Superintendent under orders detailing the officers on recruiting service. 2. In conducting assigned recruits to regiments or stations. 3. Under orders to rejoin recruiting service after conducting recruits to regiments or stations. 4. In rejoining regiment or station when relieved from recruiting service.-[G. O. 40, 1877.] 801. Officers will be paid mileage by the Pay Department, in lieu of being furnished transportation in kind by the Quartermaster's Department, if they so elect, for all journeys specified in subdivisions 1, 3, and 4 of the preceding paragraph, except when traveling on a conveyance belonging to or chartered by the United States, or on a railroad on which the troops of the United States are by law to be transported free of charge, or at less than full rates, in which cases transportation in kind only can be furnished, and provided they travel without troops.-[G. O. 40, 1877.] 802. The Quartermaster's Department will furnish transportation in kind for enlisted men, as follows: 1. For journey from regiment or station under orders to join the recruiting service. 2. In conducting assigned recruits to regiments or stations. 3. In returning to proper station after conducting recruits to regiments or stations. 4. In returning to regiment or station after having been relieved from recruiting service.-G. O. 40, 1877.] 803. For all other journeys of officers and enlisted men on recruiting service, and of recruits, transportation will be provided by proper recruiting officers, and paid for from recruiting funds.—[Regs. 1863, ¶ 949; G. ̃O. 40, 1877.] 804. Transportation will be provided by the Quartermaster's Department for recruits to regiments or stations after assignment thereto.-[G. O. 40, 1877.] 805. For recruits who, after assignment and before joining their regiments or stations, desert and are arrested and delivered at any military post or recruiting station, transportation will be furnished from that military post or station to such places as they may be sent. If arrested by an officer of the Army, transportation will be provided from the place of arrest. When deserters are arrested by or delivered to recruiting officers, the transportation, when necessary, may be provided by such officers, and paid for out of recruiting funds, the amount so paid to be reimbursed to the recruiting fund, in all cases where the desertion is after assignment, from the appropriations for the Qnartermaster's Department, by the Treasury Department, in the settlement of accounts therefor. The accounts will state whether the amount was paid for the transportation of a deserter, assigned or unassigned, as the case may be.-G. O. 40, 1877.] 806. Transportation of rejected recruits and of recruits who may desert before 5.1.1.83 4.0.16 83 14112, 85 assignment will not be furnished or paid for by the Quartermaster's Department.[G. O. 40, 1877.] 807. Transportation of Army supplies is paid by the Quartermaster's Department. [Regs. 1863, ¶ 1064.] DEPOTS FOR COLLECTING AND INSTRUCTING RECRUITS. 808. The depots for recruits are established by orders from the Adjutant General's Office.- Regs. 1863, ¶ 964.] 809. To each depot there will be assigned a suitable number of officers to command and instruct the recruits.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 965.] 810. The recruits are to be dressed in uniform according to their respective arms, and will be regularly mustered and inspected. They are to be well drilled in the Infantry Tactics, through the school of the soldier to that of the battalion, and in the exercise of field and garrison pieces. Duty is to be done according to the strict rules of service.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 967.] 811. Recruits are not to be put to any labor or work which would interfere with their instruction, nor are they to be employed otherwise than as soldiers, in the regular duties of garrison and camp.-[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 974.] 812. To give encouragement to the recruits, and hold out inducements to good conduct, the commanding officer of the depot may promote such of them as exhibit the requisite qualifications to be lance corporals and lance sergeants, not exceeding the proper proportion to the number of recruits at the depot. These appointments will be announced in orders in the usual way, and will be continued in force until they join their regiments, unless sooner revoked. No allowance of pay or emoluments is to be assigned to these appointments; they are only to be considered as recommendations to the Captains of companies and Colonels of regiments for the places in which the recruits may have acted; but such non-commissioned officers are to be treated with all the respect and to have all the authority which belong to the stations of Sergeant and Corporal.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 971.] 813. The General Superintendent will cause such of the recruits as are found to possess a natural talent for music to be instructed (besides the drill of the soldier) on the fife, bugle, and drum, and other military instruments; and boys of sixteen years of age, and upward, may, under his direction, be enlisted for this purpose. Care should be taken to enlist those only who have a natural talent for music, and, if practicable, they should be taken on trial for some time before being enlisted.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 968; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] 814. Regiments will be furnished with field music on the requisitions of the commanders, made, from time to time, direct on the Adjutant General; and, when requested by regimental commanders, the Adjutant General will endeavor to have suitable men selected from the recruits, or enlisted, for the regimental bands.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 969; Circ. A. G. O., April 23, 1874.] 815. The posts used as recruiting depots are not to be made places of confinement for military prisoners. Whenever deserters from the Army are apprehended by, or come in custody of recruiting parties, they will be sent to the depots, and thence, at the earliest opportunity, forwarded for trial to their regiments, where the witnesses in their cases should be. When trial by General Court-Martial of prisoners belonging to or under charge of the recruiting service becomes necessary, the charges will be forwarded, through the Superintendent, to the Adjutant General of the Army, with a list of the officers available for duty on the Court.-[G. O. 87, 1873.] 816. Recruiting parties and recruits will be mustered, inspected, and paid in the same manner as are other soldiers.—[ Regs. 1863, ¶ 972.] 817. The number of recruits at depots to be assigned to each arm and regiment is directed from the Adjutant General's Office.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 966.] 813. When recruits are received at a garrisoned post, the commanding officer will place them under the charge of a commissioned officer.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 973.] 819. As soon as a recruit joins any recruiting depot, regiment, or station, he shall be examined by the Medical officer, and vaccinated when it is required. In all cases where there is not unmistakable evidence of successful vaccination within a reasonable period, the operation will be immediately performed. No recruit will be sent from depot until the Medical officer is satisfied of his protection from small-pox.--[ Regs, 1853, ¶ 1299; Circ. A. G. O., April 13, 1872.] 820. The Rules and Articles of War are to be read to the recruits every month, after the inspection; and so much thereof as relates to the duties of non-commissioned officers and soldiers will be read to them every week.-[Regs. 1863, ¶ 975.] INSPECTION OF RECRUITS AT DEPOTS. 821. The Superintendent or commanding officer will cause a minute and critical inspection to be inade of every recruit received at a depot two days after his arrival; and should any recruit be found unfit for service, or to have been enlisted contrary to |