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Adjutant and Inspector General Reports

1862 Report
Appendix B
Orders

STATE OF VERMONT.

Adjutant and Inspector General's Office,
Woodstock, August 8, 1862.

The Selectmen of the several towns of this State, in performing the duty assigned to them under General Order No. 10, from these Head Quarters, will be governed by the following regulations:

1. You will not allow any man to be deceived or inveigled into 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.

2. The conditions of enlistment will be such as are prescribed by the Army Regulations. You will enlist no person under the age of twenty-one years, without the written consent of his parent, guardian or master, -- which written consent you will produce, when the men shall be mustered in to the service of the United States. You will enlist no man, whose age shall exceed forty-five years, or be less than eighteen years, and none but able-bodied men, -- being precise in your enquiries in this respect. Recruits must be at least five feet and three inches in height; but the regulation in respect to age and height does not extend to musicians.

3. Enlistments must in all cases be made in triplicate. One copy will be sent to the office of the Adjutant and Inspector General, and two copies will be transmitted to the recruiting officer at the principal depot for recruits, whenever recruits are sent there by you.

4. Enlistments must be filled up in a fair and legible hand. The real name of the recruit must be ascertained and correctly spelled; and the christian name must not be abbreviated.

5. The filing of the copy of the enlistment papers sent to the Adjutant General need not be filled up. That will be done in the Adjutant General's office.

6. You will report to the Adjutant General of this State, once in two days, the names and number of men enlisted by you since the last report; and send at the same time one copy of the enlistment paper of each recruit enlisted. These reports must be made promptly, and report must be made, even though there have been no enlistments.

7. At the time of enlistment, the recruit must be carefully examined by a surgeon and by one of the selectmen, and the proper certificate upon the enlistment papers must be signed by each. After the recruit has signed the enlistment papers, the oath will be administered to him, according to the form in the enlistment paper, by a justice of the peace, who will also sign the proper certificate upon the enlistment paper.

8. The pay and subsistence of the men will commence from the day of their enlistment. You will contract for their subsistence, while under your charge, at a rate not exceeding thirty cents per day for each man, for board and lodging.

9. You will keep duplicate rolls, upon which you will enter, at the time of enlistment, the name, age, height, residence, and day of enlistment of each man, -- one of which you will return to this office when required.

10. You will keep careful and accurate duplicate accounts of your expenses, with duplicate vouchers for each item.

11. In making accounts, each voucher must be separately entered on the abstract of expenses.

12. no expenditure must be charged, without a proper voucher to support it.

13. In all the vouchers, the different items, with dates, and the cost of each, must be stated.

14. In vouchers for medical attendance and medicines, the name of each patient, date of and charge for each visit, and for medicine furnished , must be given, and the certificate of the physician added, that the rates charged are the usual rates of the place.

15. In making vouchers, for settlement, items of subsistence will be entered upon separate vouchers, and no items, except for subsistence, must be entered upon any voucher upon which subsistence is entered. Vouchers for medical charges and attendance must contain no other class of items. Charges for postage must be entered upon vouchers by themselves. All other classes of items come within the Quartermaster's department, and may be entered together upon vouchers.

16. all vouchers must be in the form and of the size of the blank furnished to the recruiting officer. Additional blanks will be furnished when required.

17. No conditional enlistments must be received.

18. You will be allowed your necessary and reasonable expenses.

19. All recruits must be sound and active, free from all malformation, defect of sight, hearing, ulcers, piles, rupture, fracture, dislocation, and diseases of any kind. But the lack of, or defect in the left eye, or slight injury of the left hand, will not reject the man.

20. In filling the description of the recruit, upon the contract of enlistment, if he is unmarried insert the word "not" before the word "married," as printed. If he is a married man, draw a line across the space before the word "married."

21. The medical examination must be strict and close. No desire to obtain a recruit can justify the enlisting of a man who is physically unsound. A man with a hernia, however slight, or having varicose veins, cannot be received as a soldier, under any circumstances.

22. Under the orders from the Secretary of War, a premium of three dollars will be paid each recruit who is accepted for old regiments in service. The payment is to be made when the recruit has been mustered into the United States service.

23. Expense by use of telegraph must not be incurred, unless in case of strict necessity. When such expense is necessarily incurred, a copy of the telegram must be preserved to be delivered, with the account, to the U. S. Disbursing Officer at time of settlement.

24. The triplicate enlistment contracts must be completed at the time of the enlistment of the recruit, and a copy be promptly returned to the office of the Adjutant and Inspector General. The name of the recruit must be written distinctly in the contract, with every letter perfect and accurate. Recruiting Officers must sign the contracts with their full first names.

25. Consents for the enlistment of minors must be taken in triplicate.

By order of the Governor,

PETER T. WASHBURN

Adjutant and Inspector General