As the metallic shoulder-scales, letters, numbers, castles, and shells and

flames will last for many years, they will be borne on the returns as company property, in the same manner as are sashes, knapsacks and straps, haversacks, canteens and straps, and other articles of camp and garrison equipage, and will be charged to the soldier only when lost or destroyed through neglect.

No. 53,

Total amount due

ARTICLE XLII.

SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT.

SUPPLIES.

1059....Subsistence stores for the army, unless in particular and urgent cases the Secretary of War shall otherwise direct, shall be procured by contract, to be made by the Commissary-General on public notice, to be delivered on inspection in the bulk, and at such places as shall be stipulated; the inspector to give duplicate inspection certificates (see Form No. 15), and to be a legal inspector where there is such officer.

1060....Purchases, to supply such corps and posts as by reason of their position, the climate, or for other sufficient cause the Secretary of War may specially direct to be supplied in that way, will be made in open market, on public notice, from the lowest bidder who produces the proper article.

1061....And whenever a deficiency of subsistence stores makes it necessary to buy them, the commissary, where they are needed, will make a requisition for that purpose on the proper purchasing commissary, or buy them himself of good quality corresponding with the

contract.

1062....When subsistence is received under contract, the commissary will receipt for it on the inspection certificates (see Form No. 15). He will deliver one of these to the contractor, and forward the other to the Commissary-General, with a report on the quality of the provisions and the condition of the packages.

1063....Whenever subsistence stores are purchased, the advertisements and bids, and a copy of the bill of purchase, with a statement of the cause of purchase, will be forwarded by the purchasing officer to the Commissary-General. This rule does not apply to the ordinary purchase of hospital supplies. Pork, salt beef, and flour must be inspected before purchase by a legal inspector where there is such officer. Duplicate certificates of inspection (see Form No. 15) will be taken as subvouchers to the vouchers for the payment.

1064....Fresh beef, when it can be procured, shall be furnished as often as the commanding officer may order, at least twice a week, to be procured by the commissary, when practicable, by contract. (For form of contract and bond, see Forms 20 and 21.) When beef is taken on the hoof, it will be accounted for on the provision return by the number of cattle and their estimated weight. When the pas

ture is insufficient, hay, corn, and other forage will be procured for public cattle.

1065....Good and sufficient store-room for the subsistence stores will be procured by the commissary from the quartermaster. Care shall be taken to keep the store-rooms dry and ventilated. Packages shall be so stored as to allow circulation of air among and beneath them. The flour should occasionally be rolled out into the air.

1066....Before submitting damaged commissary stores to boards of survey, the commissary shall separate and repack sound parts.

1067....Wastage on issues, or from evaporation or leakage, will be ascertained quarterly, or when it can be most conveniently; and the actual wastage thus found will be charged on the monthly return. Loss, from whatever cause, exceeding ordinary waste, must be accounted for by the certificate of an officer, or other satisfactory evidence. Ordinary waste on issues should not exceed, say 10 per cent. on pork, bacon, sugar, vinegar, and soap; and per cent. on hard bread, beans, rice, coffee, and salt.

1068....No wastage is admitted on issues of fresh beef furnished the company, detachment, or regiment directly from the butcher. But in beef on the hoof, errors in estimated weight, and losses on cattle strayed or stolen, will be accounted for by the certificate of an officer, or other satisfactory evidence. When cattle are transferred, they should be appraised, and loss in weight reported as wastage by the officer delivering them. Fair wastage in transportation of stores is accounted for by the receiving officer.

THE RATION.

1069....The ration is three fourths of a pound of pork or bacon, or one and a fourth pounds of fresh or salt beef; eighteen ounces of bread or flour, or twelve ounces of hard bread, or one and a fourth pounds corn meal; and at the rate, to one hundred rations, of eight quarts of peas or beans, or, in lieu thereof, ten pounds of rice; six pounds coffee; twelve pounds sugar; four quarts of vinegar; one and a half pounds of tallow, or one and a fourth pounds adamantine, or one pound sperm candles; four pounds of soap, and two quarts of salt. 1070....The annexed table shows the quantity of each part of the ration in any number of rations from one to ten thousand.

1071.... On a campaign, or on marches, or on board of transports, the ration of hard bread is one pound.

ISSUES.

1072....Returns for issues to companies will, when practicable, be

consolidated for the post or regiment (see Form 14). At the end of the month, the issuing commissary will make duplicate abstracts of the issues, which the commanding officer will compare with the original returns, and certify (see Form 2). This abstract is a voucher of the issue for the monthly return.

1073....Issues to the hospital will be on returns by the medical officer, for such provisions only as are actually required for the sick and the attendants. The cost of such parts of the ration as are issued will be charged to the hospital at contract or cost prices, and the hospital will be credited by the whole number of complete rations due through the month at contract or cost prices (see Note 7); the balance, constituting the Hospital Fund, or any portion of it, may be expended by the commissary, on the requisition of the medical officer, in the purchase of any article for the subsistence or comfort of the sick, not authorized to be otherwise furnished (see Form 3). At large depôts or general hospitals, this fund may be partly expended for the benefit of dependent posts or detachments, on requisitions approved by the medical director or senior Surgeon of the district. On the 1st of January, each year, one fourth of every hospital fund if less than $150, and one half if more, will be dropped by the commissary from the fund (Form 3), and will be paid over to the Treasurer of the Military Asylum by the Commissary-General.

1074....The articles purchased for the hospital, as well as those issued from the subsistence store-house, will be included in the Surgeon's certificate of issues to the hospital, and borne on the monthly return of provisions received and issued. Vouchers for purchases for the hospital must either be certified by the Surgeon or accompanied by his requisition.

1075....Abstracts of the issues to the hospital will be made by the commissary, certified by the Surgeon, and countersigned by the commanding officer (see Form 3).

1076....In order that the authorized women of companies may draw their rations while temporarily separated from their companies, the officer commanding the company must make a report to the commanding officer of the post where the women may be left, designating such as are to draw rations as attached to his company. Their rations are not commuted, and they can only draw them at a military post or station where there are supplies.

1077....When provisions can be spared from the military supplies, commanding officers have discretion to order issues to Indians visiting military posts on the frontiers, or in their respective nations, and to order sales of subsistence to Indian agents for issues to Indians.