Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-22
FOR MASTERING OUT
Instructions Issued By the Adjutant
General
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROPERTY
Complete Records Of the Men to
Be Made and Transmitted.
ENTION OF ARM S

The adjutant general today issued the
following instructions for the muster out
of the service of United States volunteers
| which will prove of absorbing interest to
| every one of the 216,000 members of the
volunteer army:
Mastering Out Officers.
1. Only officers of the regular army will
be detailed by the War Department to mus
ter out troops, and in all matters pertain
| ing to their duties as mastering officers the
officers and men of organizations to be
| mustered out will be guided by the instruc-
tons of these officers, given in pursuance
of authority conferred by the Secretary of
War.
2. The mastering officer, proceeding ac-
cordlng TO Weii-considered plan, suited to
the situation, will make full use. under the
supervision of the company or other COM
| mander, of the men of each company or
other organization possessing clerical abiI-
ity, so that the transfer of property. prep
aration of physical record blanks, correc-
ton and completion of organization rec
ords, preparation and comparison of prop
erty returns, statements of charges and
muster-out rolls may be accomplished with
the least possible delay, each inuividuaI en-
gagged in the work of comparison being re-
CURED to initial the paper compared in or
der that the responsibility for errors in
comparison may be fixed.
3. To avoid expense to the government
and har6ships and annoyances to indiyidu-
ais concerned, by unavoidable delays that
Will occur in the final payment of officers
and enlisted men absent from their COM
mandS on muster out, commanding officers
will make every effort to effect the return
of all absenteeS and attachments prior to
muster out of the organization and if for
any reason an officer or an enlisted man
absent is unable to join his command a full
report of the facts will be made to the ad-
1utant general of the army for further or
ders.
4. The mastering officer. from the daily
reports OF his staff assistants, and his own
notes, will telegraph to the adjutant gen.
eral Of the army, in brief, daily progress in
the preparation of returns, vouchers mus
ter-out rolls, transfer and disposition of
property, physical examination of troops,
muster out, payment and departure from
the camp or station. with designation of
the organization, and statement of the
number of officers and men separately.
Responsibility for Property.
D. Officers who at any time were respon-
sible for public property ef any description
must obtain certificates of non-indebted-
ness before their final payment can be
made. Commanding officers will, therefore,
forward at once to the paymaster general
a complete list of all the officers of the
organization to be mustered out and to the
of subsistence. surgeon general, chief of
engineers, chief of ordnance and chief sig
nal officer, a list of those officers who are,
or at any time have, been responsible for
partments mentioned will cause immediate
examination of returns to be made and
transmit the result thefeof to the pay
master general.
g. Officers who have not at any time been
responsible for public property will be re-
qulred to furnish the mastering officer with
their affidavits to that effect. certified to by
the commanding officer Of the regiment in
dependent battalion Or company. The aft
davits of such officers will be transmitted
with the muster-ont rolls to the paymaster
designated to make the payment to the
organization.
7. All officers will be held to strict ac-
countability for the discipline of their com
mands and the preservation of public prop
erty. Mastering officers are empowered to
prefer charges against officers who neglect
in any manner to take the proper measures
to insure the government against loss of
property or to keep their commands to-
gether and under proper discipline.
8. Officers of the staff departments of
the regular army will be detailed, when
practicable. to receive public property
supervise the preparation of all returns and
papers relating thereto, and for the per-
Torrance Of this duty will receive special
instructions from the chiefs of the supply
department of the army.
D. The supply departments of the army
needful supplies until date of final payment
and discharge.
TO- The mastering officers upon arrival
at the camp or station of the organization
to be mustered out, will make a careful ex-
animation of the regimental and company
records and cause any omissions found to
be supplied In order to complete the
records.
II. Five muste--out rolls will be prepared
under the supervision of the mastering Of
ficer by the proper commanding officers
with the creates. care, to avoid any injus-
tfce being done to the government to
persons who at any time were members Of
the organization. special attention being
given to the requirements of the last par
agraph of Circular No. 81, current series.
from this office, being careful to note that
settlement of clothing may involve different
fiscal years, and all concerned in their
preparation will initial the same and care
aration of muster-out rolls" printed on the
back OF the rolls.
Must Be Complete Record.
II. "All persons borne on the muster-in
and on all other muster rolls. and all who
have Joined or belonged to the organization
at any time since it's muster in, must be
accounted for on the muster-out roll. which
Is required to be a complete record Of all
the officers and men who ever belonged to
the organization.
Ii. After the muster-out rolls have been
piepdieu tiey VIII De Careiuily examined
by board of officers, to be appointed by
the commanding officer, which will be fur
nished with the retained copy of the mus
term roll, with copies of all the muster
rolls or the orge nization and other neces-
sary data. Under the supervision Of the
mastering officer the board will compare
rolls and data with the muster-out rolls to
insure their absolute correctness in all re-
spects.
IA. Discharge certificates will be prepared
Ior every officer and man present and alb
sent, except absent officers and men held
In service by proper authority and desert
ers. These will be signedfby the command
ms off1cer for the field, staff and band, by
company commanders for their companies,
and all viii be countsrsigned by the mus
terihg officer at place OF departure, who
VIII forward them by registered mail to the
clustering of1cer at the state rendezvous
TOT oellVery to the Raymaster, who will
stamp an, and sign them as required by para
graph 1883, A. R. The certificates will then
Dc oeivered to the negimental and COM
10. The discharge FROM the United States
volunteer service in the case of all absen-
tees except in special Ceases otherwise pro-
" siueu LOT or such as may pc held in service
% proper authority will take effect ON the
udee " muster out INSTRUMENTATION.
10. IN all cases of ebsentees, where the
queer at the time of executing the certif-
estes OF dlscharge is not aware of the date
Oh muster ont n oYj1 h