Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-24
Adjutant- Generals ONCE,


Washington, July II, 1888.
General Orders, No. "a:
/. The following act Of Congress is pub
lished for the information and guidance
OF all concerned:
An Act Directing the Enlistment Of Cooks
In the Regular and Volunteer Armies
Of the United States.
Be il enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States
OF America, in Congress assembled, That
the Secretary of War be. and he is hereby,
authorized and directed to cause TO De
enlisted in each company, battery, ana
troop In the regular and volunteer armies
of the United States, as part OF the au-
thorized enlisted strength thereof, under
rules to be prescribed by him, compe-
tent person as cook, who shall take rank
as and be allowed the pay OF corporal
of the arm OF the service to which he
belongs, and whose duties in connection
with the preparation and serving OF the
food of the enlisted men OF the COM
pany, battery, or troop, and with the
supervision and instruction Of enlisted
men hereby authorized TO be detailed TO
assist him. shall be prescribed in the
army.
.
ii. The following instructions are pub
lished to govern the enlistment Of army
cooks under the provisions OF the act OF
Congress approved July Z, 1885,
/. A candidate for enlistment as cook
will be first subjected TO the required
medical examination, and when found
qualified for enlistment. both as regards
his physical condition and his general
character, the recruiting officer will ex-
anime him thoroughly as TO his knowledge
of methods and his skill in caring for. pre-
pairing, and serving food, particularly as
TO the amount of experience he has mad
In cooking for large bodies Of men. The
candidate will then be required 10 give
a practical exhibition Of his ability TO
cook, and for this purpose articles OF the
ration, in suitable amounts, will be Issued
to the recruiting officer by the nearest
commissary upon acquisitions signed by
the recruiting officer. No candidate will
be enlisted as a cook unless the recruit
ing officer be fully satisfied that he is
competent to perform the duties required
of him; and in the case of every person
thus enlisted his enlistment paper will
be plainly indorsed: Enlisted as cook. :"
Men thus enlisted will be accounted for
as cooks in the tables on the second and
third folds of the trimonthly reports or
the recruiting service.
2. The commanding officer OF regi-
ment or other organization, in either the
regular or the volunteer army. is autho-
rized to cause the enlistment OF one
competent cook for each company. troop,
or battery OF his command. Such enlist
ments will be made, whenever practical
Bile. by the recruiting (or mustering) Off
Ger authorized by existing orders and In
structions TO recruit for the command.
Men thus enlisted will be included in the
authorized maximum enlisted strength OF
their companies, troops. or batteries.
3. General-service recruiting officers or
the regular army, in addition to making
enlistments OF cooks for their own regi-
ments upon the request of the command
ing officers thereof, will. whenever prac-
ticable, enlist as cooks for general as
Segment men possessing the requisite
qualifications and report them to the ad-
Jutant-general OF the army for assign
ment to companies. troops. or batteries
needing their services.
4. Mastering officers who are autho-
rized to make enlistpents in the field for
volunteer organizatidbs already mustered
into the service OF the, United States (sec-
ton III, Circular Letter. Adjutant-Gene-
rails Once. June 9. 1885, may make en-
listments OF competent cooks TO MI actual
vacancies In such organizations. with the
approval Of the department, corps. d.
vision. or district commander; and they
will be guided In making such enlistments
by the instructions prescribed in this or
der 10 govern recruiting officers.
5. The commanding general OF de-
partment or corps may. when found ne
cessary. authorize officers detailed from
his command to recruit for one volunteer
organization serving therein. to make en-
listments OF cooks TO I'LL actual vacancies
in other volunteer organizations OF his
command. Department and corps COM
manders may, at the request OF COM
handing officers concerned. transfer cooks
from one organization TO another within
their respective commands. for the pur-
pose Of preventing q surplus In one or