WAR DEPARTMENT,

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, December 2, 1862.

The following Regulations will govern the Recruiting Service of the Army (Volunteer as well as Regular) of the United States, and are published for the information and guidance of all concerned.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant General.

REGULATIONS

FOR

THE RECRUITING SERVICE.

ARTICLE XL.

RECRUITING SERVICE.

911. The recruiting service will be conducted by the Adjutant General, under the direction of the Secretary of War.

912. Field officers will be detailed to superintend the recruiting districts, and lieutenants to take charge of the recruiting parties. The Adjutant General will detail the field officers, and announce in orders the number of captains and lieutenants to be selected and detailed for this duty from each regiment by the colonel.

913. A recruiting party will consist generally of one lieutenant, one non-commissioned officer, two privates, and a drummer and fifer. The parties will be sent from the principal depôts, and none but suitable men selected.

914. Officers on the general recruiting service are not to be ordered on any other duty, except from the Adjutant General's Office.

DUTIES OF SUPERINTENDENTS.

915. As soon as a recruiting station is designated, the superintendent will furnish the officer to be placed in charge of it with recruiting funds, and instruct him to make such requisitions on the proper departments (through himself) for subsistence, funds, clothing, camp equipage, arms, and accoutrements, &c., as may be necessary. Superintendents

will forward their requisitions for funds and supplies through the Adjutant General.

916. Supplies of funds, &c., &c., for the stations in his district, are procured by the superintendent on consolidated estimates; these are made monthly for funds, and every six or twelve months for clothing, equipage, arms, and accoutrements.

917. Superintendents, general and regimental, will make such transfers of funds, clothing, equipage, arms, and accoutrements to their officers as may be required. In all cases recruiting officers will send their requisitions direct to their superintendents.

918. For subsistence to recruiting stations, see paragraph 1204, &c. When army rations are issued for recruits, savings on the rations shall be applied for their benefit, as in companies.

919. The superintendents will transmit to the Adjutant General consolidated monthly returns of the recruiting parties under their superintendence, according to directions on the prescribed forms, accompanied by one copy of the enlistment of each recruit enlisted within the month. Enlistments transmitted through superintendents, general and regimental, will by them be subjected to a rigid scrutiny before being forwarded to the Adjutant General. They will not be so forwarded, if faulty and defective, until after they shall have notified the recruiting officer of the fact, and obtained from him, if possible, all such essential information as may be necessary to amend and perfect them.

920. When recruits should be sent to regiments, a superintendent will report to the Adjutant General for instructions in reference thereto.

921. When recruits are sent from a depôt 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 depôt or rendezvous.

922. The superintendent will report all commissioned or non-commissioned officers who may be incapable or negligent in the discharge

of their functions. Where a recruiting party fails to get recruits from any cause other than the fault of the officer, the superintendent will transfer the party to a more eligible station. Every change so made, with the reasons therefor, will be reported to the Adjutant General on his depôt tri-monthly report.

923. 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.

924. Tours of inspection by superintendents will be made only on instructions from the Adjutant General's Office; but superintendents may order officers to visit branch or auxiliary rendezvous under their charge, not oftener than once a week. The branch rendezvous to be established only by orders from superintendents, and not to be more than fifteen miles distant from the main rendezvous.

DUTIES OF RECRUITING OFFICERS.

925. Success in obtaining recruits depends much on the activity and personal attention of recruiting officers, and they will not entrust to enlisted men the duties for which they themselves only are responsible. They will in no case absent themselves from their stations without authority from the superintendent.

926. They 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 enlistment.

927. 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.

928. With the sanction of superintendents, recruiting officers may insert, in not exceeding two newspapers, brief notices directing attention to the rendezvous for further information; or, with the approval of