The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-01-31

An Act to Increase the Efficiency Of the Home
Guard Organization.


Guard Organization.
SEC. l. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of th
State of North Carolina and is hereby enacted by h'
authority of the same, That whenever the Guard fo
Home Defchce shall be called into service beyond h'
limits Of their respective counties the Governor MAJ
cause two companies to be consolidated inte
one company so as to make not less than sixty-fou
men, rank and file, to each company; said company
consolidated shall elect from the Captains commanding
the companies consolidated Captain to command
such consolidated company, and from the first Lieuten
ants, Second Lisuenants and junior Second Lieuten
ants OF such companies an officer of each of said ranks
! to be assigned to dnty with such consolidated com.
pany such of the officers of companies consolidated
may not be elected for service with such consoda
ted company, shall be required to perform service as
non commissioned officers privates in the consoii-
dated company formed of their original companies and
while serving their commissions shall be suspended
| SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That the Governor
may i'll Like manner cause two more battalIons or
regiments of the Home Guards when called into service
beyond their respective battalions regimental limits
or when called into service within such limits IN con-
nection with other portions of such force to be con-
solidaed said battalions when consolidated to be
composed of not less than three companies and said
regiments when consolidated &c be composed of not
| more than ten companies. The Governor may assign
to the command of such consolidated battalion or regi-
ment any officer officers from the battalion or Segl-
ments consolidated
SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That ,he Governor
may in his discretion in constituting the consolidated
companies contemplated by the first section hereof,
take the fourth, onethird, onebalf of any COM
|
its officers of which to constitute such consolidated
company, and such of the officers of companies as at
present organized, may be placed with fractions OF
their companies, to form a consolidated company,-as
may not be elected to command such consolidated
company, shall be required to in such consoida
ted company non-cOmmissoned officers privates,
and while serving their commissions shall be sus-
pended The Governor shall have power to discrim
mate in favor of farmers and mechanics when he calls
out less number than the whole of company, also
to declare vacant the office of officer who is declared
Nv a rN for 6Pl
either in the militia Home Guards, or of officer
who absconds to the enemy.
SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That all Quartermas-
| tiers and Commlssares of regiments or batallons of
Home Guards as at present organized that not be
assigned to duty by the Governor with a consolidated
| battalion regiment shall be required to
! non commissioned officers prvates, in some
company of their present command and while serv
! ing their commissions shall be suspended
Sec S. Be it further enacted, That the Surgeon
General, by and with the advice and consent of the
Governor shall appoint Medical Board for each Con-
gressional District in this State whose business it
shall be to examine all persons claiming exemption
| from Home Guard duty account of physical dis
ability that these examinations shall be made at such
time and under such rules and regulations may be
established by the Surgeon General and that the men,
bers of said Boards shall receive the pay and
allowances while on duty as the Confederate Conscrpt
| Boards.
| SEC g. Be it further enacted That when such COM
pan;es batalions regiments have been consolidated
herein provided for they shall continue in such
organizations until further provisions shall be made in
their behalf
SEC 7. Be it further enacted That the second
tion of San act in relation the Militia and G lard
for Home Defence, ratified the 9TH day of July 1868,
be, and the hereby amended, by striking out
the word these in the ninth line of said section ard
inserting the word the" that the third section of an
in relation to the Militia and Guard for Home De-
fence" ratified the l4h day of December, 1862 be- and
the is hereby amended by inserting between the
words regular" and "mers the words "and public"
and by inserting between the words ''millers" and
hs the word "and and that the provso at
the end Of said Sd section be and the is hereby
repcaed That in addition to the exemptions specified
in the aforesaid there shall be exempt from Home
Guard duty all county trustees, regular and public
tanners haters and shoemakers skilled in their
tive callings and who employed in the prior
to the first day of January, A d. 1868, and hase con-
tinued to be so employed since that time.
Irorided tanners shall sell third of their leather
INDECENT soldiers wives and widows for their
use schedule prices.
Provided, that provision of this act shall be
con: trued exempt from military service any per-
mentioned herein in of actnal servile insur-
rection invasion of the county in which he resides
by Federal forces except the persons and classes
toned in I'd section of act in relation to the Militia
ard Guard for Home Defence, ratified the 7th of July,
1869. .s~
SEC IT, BE it further enacted, That this act shall be
in force from and after its ratification.
Read three times and ratified in General Assembly
this 23d day Of December, A. D., 1864
The following are the sections of former laws to
which the above law refers
SEC. 2 BE 1t further enacted That 1t shall be tne
duty Of the Governor be enrolled guard
for home defence all white male persons not already
enrolled in the service of the COnfede ate States be-
the ages of eighteen and fifty years, resident in
this State, including foreign not naturazed, who
been residents in the State for thirty days before
such enrolment, excepting persons filling the Offices
of Governor, Judges of the Supreme aud Superior
Courts of Law ard Equity the members of the General
Assembly and the officers of the several Departments
of the Government of the State, Ministers of the Gospel
of the several denominations of the State charged with
the duties of churches and such other persons as the
Governor, for special reasons may deem proper sub
jects of exemption.-Law Of July, 1858.
SEC. Be it further enacted That in addition TO the
amendment, there shaPN sc exempt County commits
sioners appointed undern act entitled An act for the
relief of wives and families of soldiers in the army
regular mers, backsmiths who have established
shops necessary operatives in factories and foundres
Attorney General Solicitors of the several circuits
and Counties physicians of 6ve years practice,
with the State Confederate government
editor each newspaper and the necessary comPostors
mail carriers professors in colleges and teachers in
academies; Prortded, that this exemption shall only
apply to the drills specified in this bill and not 10
vice when the Guard for Home Defence is called into
the feld.-Lar Of Dee, 1868.
The prortso in the above section is repealed. The
persons mentioned subject to Home Guard duty
only when the county in which they reside is invaded,
or in of insurrection in the county.