Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-23
OFFICIAL,
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES
Passed at the Third Session of the Thirty-seyeptb
Congress.
PUBLIC-No. IL.

PUBLIC-No. 81.
AN ACT to promote the efficiency of the CORPS
OF engineers and of the ordnance depart
ment, and for other purp2ssSS,s. ana nouse of
~ Siiaoou u the United States of Ameri-
ca in congress assembled, that the corps of
Typographical engineers, as a distinct branch
Of the army, is hereby abolished and from
and after the passage of this act is merged in
to the corps Of engineers, which shall have
abe following organization, viz; one chief en-
gineer, with the rank, pay and emOluments of
a brigadier general; four colonies, ten lieu
tenant colonies; twenty majors; thirty cap
tains thirty first heutenants, and ten second
heutenants.
Sect. 2. And be it further enacted that
the general officer provided by the first sec
ton of this act shall be selected from the corps
of engineers as therein established; and that
offices of all lower grades shall take rank &C
cording to their respective dates of commits
sion in the existing corps of engineers or corps
Of Typographical engineers.
Sect. 3. And be it further enacted, that
no officer Of the corps OF engineers below the
rank Of a field officer, shall hereafter be pro-
NOTED to a higher grade before having passed
a satisfactory examination before board Of
three engineers senior to him in rank; and
should the officer fail at said examination, shall
be suspended from promotion from for one
year, when he shall be re-examined, and upon
a second failure shall be dropped by the presi-
dent from the army.
Sect. 4. And be it further enacted, that
there shall be added to the ordnance depart
ment one lieutenant colonel, two majors,
eight captains, eight first lieutenants the ad-
ditional officers herein authorized to be APP
pointed by promotion, 80 far as the present
officers of the ordnance corps will permit, and
the residue to be appointed by transfers from
other regiments or corps of the army Proyid-
ed, that no officer of the ordnance department
below the rank of a field officer shall be pro-
NOTED or commissioned to a higher grade, nor
shall any off: Ter of the army be commissioned
as an ordnance officer, until he shall have
passed satisfactory examination before
board of not less than three ordnance officers
senior to him in rank and should such officer
fail on such examination, he shall be suspend
ed from promotion or appointment for one
year, when he may be re-examined before
like board, and if upon such second examlna-
ton an ordnance officer fail, he shall be dis
missed from the service, and If an officer OF
the army he shall not be commissioned.
Sect. 5. And be it further enacted, that
section two of the act approved March three,
eighteen hundred and forty nine, entitled San
va
other property lost or destroyedin the military
service of the United States" shall be con-
strued to include the steamboats, and other
vessels, and railroad engines and cars" in
the property to be allowed and paid for when
DESTROYED or lost under the circumstances pro-
vided for in said act.
Sect. g. And be it further enacted, that all
payments of advance bounty made to enlisted
men who have been discharged before serving
out the term required by law for its payment
in full shall be allowed in the settlement of
the accounts of paymasters at the treasury,
but hereafter, in all such cases, the amount
so advanced shall be charged against the en-
listed men, unless the discharge be upon sur
geon's certificate for wounds received or sick
ness incurred since their last enlistment.
Sect. 7. And be it further enacted, that
upon any requisition hereafter being made by
the president of the United States for militia,
| any person who shall have volunteered or
| been drafted for the service of the United
| States for the term of nine months, or short
| er period, may enlist into a regiment from the
| same state to serve for the term of one year,
and any person so enlisting shall be entitled
to and receive bounty of fifty dollars, to be
paid in time and manner provided by the act
of July twenty second eighteen hundred and
sixty-one, for the payment of the bounty pro-
vided for by that act.
Sect s. And be it further enacted, that
the officers of the medical department shall
unite with the line officers of the army under
such rules and regulations as shall be pre-
scribed by the secretary of war in supervising
the cooking within the same, as an important
sanitary measure, and that said medical de-
partment shall promulgate to its officers such
regulations and instructions as may tend to
insure the proper preparation of the ration OF
the soldier.
Sect. 8. And be it further enacted, that
cooks shall be detailed, in turn, from the pri-
Yates of each company of troops in the service
of the United States, at the rate of one cook
for each company numbering less than thirty
men, and two cooks for each company num-
bering over thirty men, who shall serve ten
days each.
Sect 10. And be it further enacted, that
the president of the United States be and he
is hereby authorized to cause to be enlisted
for each cook, two under cooks of African de-
scent, who shall receive for their full compen'
sation ten dollars per month, and one ration
per day-three dollars of said monthly pay
may be in clothing.
Sect. IL. And be it further enacted, tina
the army rations shall hereafter include pep