The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-03-21
ApJ'Y AND Iss1'R GBN'Ls OrvloE,
Richmond. Va March IL. 1894.

!
Az |. The act of Congress- relative 20 the EN-
r,nym.nt Of free negroes and slaves In certain
sacitics and the instructions OF the War Depart
mcnt relative TO Its execution, published Or the
| information of those concerned
| AN sr to Increase the efficiency OF the army by
! the employment of free negroes and slaves in
certain capacities.
Wksrea,. the efficiency OF the army 10 greatly di
mnished by the whdra " al from the ranks OF able
bodied soldiers to transfers, and In va ious
other capacities in ~hicl, free negroes and slaves
| might be advantaseously employees; therefore,
The Congress Of the Confederate States Of america
do ena9. That all male free nesrbes and other free
persons OF color not including these who free
undr the treaty Of Paris Of e03 under the reay
OF Spain Of 1919, resident In the Confederate
states, between the ages of 10 and 50 years, shall
be held liable to perform such duties with The army,
or in come elton with the military defences Of the
country, In tie way of work upon Notifications or
! Ia Government works for the production prepa-
"a ion Of materials Of war military hospitals,
! as the sec etary # War or the commanding Gene
raj of the Ttsns Mississippi Department may, from
| time 10 time, prescribe; and while engaged in the
performance OF such duties shah receive ra,ions
| and clothing and compensation II tie rate of eleven
| dollars Il month, under such rules and regulations
! IA the said secretary may establish: ProU.ded,
| That the Secretary OF War or the commanding
General OF the Trans Mississippi Department with
| the Approval Of the President, may exempt from
the operations of this act such free negroes as the
interests of the Country may require should be
| cmpted, such as he may think proper to exempt
Ga grounds OF justice, equity, or necessity.
! That the Secretary OF War l. Hereby authorized
! 10 employ or duties similar to those indicated In
| the preceding section of this act, as many male
negro slaves, to exceed twenty thousand, a. In
his judgment, the wants If the service may require,
| furnishing them, while 40 employed, with proper
rati0ae and clothing, under rules ana regulations 10
lie established by him, and paving TO tie owners ni
said slaves such wages - may be agreed upon with
said owners for their Use and service, and In the
| event Of the loss of any slaves while SO employed.
| hy the Of the enemy or by escape TO the enemy.
OF BY tea.n inflicted by the enemy, or by diseasc
| contacted while III any service required vi said
slaves, tGcu the owners OF the same stall be enti-
tied receive the full value of euch slaves, to be
| aecertaiued by alreeHeEt or by nppTaisement, un-
| der the law regulating mpreSsmerts to be paid
, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary
| Of War may establish.
10 procure the services f slaves In any military
department III sufficient numbers for The e.site,
| o: the department, upon the terms and conditions
forth In the preceding section then he is hereby
authorized 10 ipres. the services of as many male
siaves..not 10 exceed twenty thousand, a. may be
| requifad, from Hr,e to time. IN discharge the du
ties indicated In tie frs: section of this ACT, &C
cor,lins to the laws rsS;liatiny Tie impfessmeEt o.
3laves in other eases: Prov tdsd Ths. slaves i'm
| pressed shall, while employed, receive the same
lions aud clothing, in kind and quantity, slaves
regularly hired from their owners; and in the
o. thsir loss. shall! be paid for In the same man
| ner, and under the same rules established By
the said imprnsslneGt laws ProuG3sd That Ii the
owner have bNt one male slave between The age.
| will Of said owner Pro-idsd further, That free
negroes sha be fret impressed, and II there should
be deficiency It shall be supplied by the impress
ment 0f slaves according To the foregoing proVis-
ions: lrovided farth~, That in maxim. the impress
n:eht not more than one OF every five male slaves
between the Sses of IS and Is shall be taken from
any owner, care being taken To allow in each case
q credit for all slaves who may have been ALREADY
Impressed under this ac:. and who still liz ser
vice, or have died, or been lost while in service
And all impressments under this act shall be IA
u Ys,i. IN. frnnt al no
ealiiy, city, county OF district.
(S;gned) THOMAS S. BococK,
Speaker HOUSE, of Represe natives.
Il. II. T. HUsTER,
| President pro. tcns. OF the Senate.
Approved, February II, 1854
| {S.gntd,) JEFFERSON DAVIS.
II. The Bureau OF Conseription will direct the
enrolment Of all the persons described ia The frs.
section Of the aforesaid of the Mississippi
river who not unit for the service required
from them, by reason OF physica! mental inca
pacity or imheciiity, and shall assign them 10 the
performance Of the du'ic. mentioned in the act OF
similar duties in any of the military burennx, OF
with troops in the fed as there may be any cal
for such service.
III. Applications for an exemption on the
grounds that the interests OF the country require f.
or because II IL demanded by justice, equity o,
necessity, will be made to the enrolling offie or In
writing, and Will be disposed of by him according
tio'H published In orders No rs, under the .act II
organize forces TO serve during the war;
~. For the execution CT the sections In the
foregoing act, relative 70 the employment aud In
pressment Of slaves, the provisi rs of orders Nc
i38, OF the ~ Cctobrr 1863, will afford u,s ra-
Qnisite rules for the guidance Of the military bti
reaux and the commanding Generals with mudia-
cations hereafter MaE.ioned. LET That siaves
shall not be Impressed when the services of free
negroes can be obtained. ID. Slaves under tie
age Of ~ and above the age of so exempt Sd
The hire for slaves impressed shall be according Ia
the rates axed by the appraisers under the aaf to
regulate lmpressrnsnts. <ih. The Limitation to
| the term for which slaves shall be Impressed ia,
service shall! be for twelve months Instead of the
terra sxed by said orders II the sxigeusy shall re-
| auire Il.
v. All imprcs.ments for service In the varlou,
military bureaux uI.der this act shall be by special
order upon application to the War Department, dis
closing the efforts that have heen made To provide
! other labor specified in the act, the necessity foy
the iMpres.men', the plan proposed TO secure il.
! The General commanding the Trans -Aiissi.sfp
pi department Will suPerint.nd the execution OF
tho law for that d. apartment. by order
(signed,) sCOOPEa,
nh lA-lw Ad3't and insp'r Gen.