€onfciierate 0tatcs of ^tturua,
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Richmond,
Sir :
1862
You are respectfully referred to the following Circular of this Department
i.—Organization of Troops—Election, Appointment and Rank of Officers.
1. Volunteers tendering themselves directly to the Confederate Government for three years or
4 J » ^ ^ i (t+j
Cbmp
election of their Officers. When the Officers have been once elected, vacancies are filled by promo-
tion within the same Company, Battalion or Regiment, except in the lowest grade of Company
%
Officers, which is filled by election.
2. Where Troops have been raised by the several States for the Confederate service, all appoint-
merits thereto, except Staff appointments, are made and commissions issued by the State authorities
under their own laws'. Such Troops must be organized, in all other respects, as herein provided, and
are considered as in the Confederate service from the date of their transfer, during the term of their
• %
enlistment.
ft
3. A Regiment is composed by law of 10 Companies, neither more nor less, which must all be of
one arm. A Battalion cannot be accepted as such with less than five Companies, and is entitled to-
i* % * *
but one Field Officer, unless the number of Companies exceeds five.
4. A Company must consist, if Infantry, of at least 64 privates; if Cavalry, of at least 60 ; if
* *
Artillery (unless otherwise expressly authorized), of at least 70, in addition to all Officers. Compa-
nies now in service for the war may be filled up under the Recruiting Regulations; but no Company
shall contain more than 125, rank and file. The Muster Rolls of Companies stand as the evidence of
the rank of their Officers until commissions are issued.
5. Officers hold rank from the date of the muster or acceptance of their respective commands
their appointment.
The Officers of the Regimental Staff
when appointed by the President,
%
Qu
o
tant Surgeon, Chaplain, and (when not already a Lieutenant of the Regiment) the Adjutant, and the
Officers of the General Staff—are always appointed by the President, through this Department.
The recommendation of the Commanding Officer is respected in making these appointments.
A Battalion is entitled to no Adjutant, except from among the Lieutenants thereof, and only to
one Assistant Quartermaster or Commissary, and to one Medical Officer.
Except Staff appointments, upon the recommendation of the Commanding Officer upon whose staff the
vacancy exists
from civil lift
II.—Terms of Acceptance ; Arms and Equipments.
6. No troops, other than 12 months' Volunteers re-enlisting for two years, will be accepted for
less than three years or the war, except for local or special service.
• 7. All Troops will be armed and equipped before being ordered into the field; or, their arms
and equipments will be paid for, if required, upon inspection and valuation by the proper Officer.
8. No horses are furnished to Cavalry; but 40 cents per day are paid for the use and risk of
horses, and those killed in battle are paid for. '
9. Batteries with equipments complete, including horses, will be furnished to all Light Artillery
Companies in the order of their acceptance, or-will be paid for at valuation, if furnished by the Com-
panies. Companies may be accepted as Heavy Artillery, when required to man stationary batteries;
but no companies re-enlisting from other arms of the service, will be accepted as Light Artillery,
unless specially recommended by Superior Officers.
10. No Troops will be^accepted for local service, unless required by the Officer commanding
the district in question, and then. only as prescribed by the Act of Congress, receiving pay, subsis-
tence, &c., only while in actual service, + .
Except 'under this \Act, no Troops will he accepted with any condition as to wi.cre they will serve.
III.—Muster into Service; Pay, Bounty, &c.
11. Troops thus organized and accepted are inspected and mustered into service by Officers
designated for that purpose, and are considered as in service and'entitled to pay and allowances from
the date of their muster; or when previously accepted and placed under orders by authority of this
Department, from the date of such acceptance, which should then be indicated on the Muster Rolls,
by the mustering Officer. ,,
After Troops have been mustered, the Muster Rolls should be forwarded at once, to the Adjutant
General, and the mustering Officer is authorized to call upon Quartermasters and Commissaries for
» l
their due supplies, transportation, &c., until they are otherwise provided for. No commission will be
issued until the Muster Rolls are received. 
12. Twelve months' men re-enlisting under the Regulations for two years or the war, may be
mustered into service in Companies, Battalions or Regiments, as soon as the organization thereof is
agreed upon ; and their period of enlistment and the rank of their Officers elected will date from
such muster.' But the reorganization cannot take effect, nor pay begin under such muster, until the
period prescribed by the Regulations.
New Volunteers enlisting for three years or the war, may be received into such re-enlisted Com-
panies, or i1 ay form Companies with re-enlisted men^which may be mustered during their furlough,
diiizaiioti to take effect^s abi
1^ VcWiteers or recruits enlisting for three years 'or the war, will receive a bounty of fifty
dollars, payable upon -their n-mstcr-iiito Companies? together with transportation and subsistence from
their place of enlistment to the place of rendezvous or muster; and if in actual, service in the militia
*
at the time of enlistment, they will receive the same furlough as re-enlisted men under the Regula-
tions. Persons authorized to receive enlistments may order the men enlisted to rendezvous at an ap-
pointed time, and may make requisition for their subsistence there until fully organized; but Volun-
teers enlisted by Officers commissioned in advance by the President, are not entitled to any allowances
until organized into Companies.
IV.—Supplies and Allowances.
14.
commutation therefor, are fur-
t
Officers, in conformity with Regulations, and no person
expressly commissioned for the purpose, can he authorized to make any purchases or contracts what-
soever for the Government.
15. Contributions of clothing, or other stores for Soldiers, Hospitals, &c., will be transmitted
free of charge, if delivered properly addressed to any Officer of the Quartermaster's Department.
Agents of States in charge of such articles will be allowed free transportation from their homes to
the place of their destination and back.
Commutation is allowed the Soldier for Clothing, at the rate of twenty-five dollars for six
months.
V.—-Furloughs, Dischakges, Resignations, &c.
16. Applications for furlough must be addressed to Commanding Officers.
No discharge will be granted except in cases of physical disability, certified by a Medical Officer,
unless a substitute be furnished for the war, in conformity with the Regulations.
No resignation will be considered unless forwarded by Commanding Officers, nor accepted unless
for satisfactory reasons stated.
17. All communications from persons in the service jmust be transmitted through the office
of the Adjutant General, and all communications from subordinates must be duly forwarded through
their Commanding Officer, or they will not be considered.
Note.-—All communications from camps should contain, in addition to the specification of the Regi-
ment, the name of the post office to which answer should be addressed.
(Signed) J. P. BENJAMIN,