Evening star., 1898-05-31
MAKEUP OF A MUSTER ROLL
Record of Every Member of the Rank and
File
A Complete aud Thoroughly Compre-
hcnstve Description of Every Of
ficer and Man in the Service.

| In order tc avoid repetition of the per-
| pleXities and embarrassment which re-
suited from the use of imperfect muster
! rolls of the military forces in use during
the civil war, Adjutant General Corbin and
| his assistants devised a form of muster
! roll for use in the present war which is re-
| garded by military experts as the most
| satisfactory and comprehensive document
| OF the kind in the military history of the
world. An idea of the immense labor in
| volved in preparing these rolls may be
| gathered from the fact that they include
a complete military history of the 27S,O9O
| officers and men comprising the regular
| ard volunteer establishments of the army
| as 1t VIII be organized when the - 900 vol
| unteers called for by the Presidents sec
| ond proclamation, are mustered into the
service of the government.
All officers, non commissioned officers and
others concerned in the preparation of
these muster rolls enjoined to exercise
every care that they may be made COM
piete and correct in every detail. These
rolls are filed in the office of the adjutant
general and become the record to which
reference will hereafter be made in the
investigation and settlement of all claims
or questions affecting officers and men
whose names are borne the roll, and
their heirs for the period covered by the
rolls.
Preparing the Roll.
Before the muster roll is prepared COM
plete alphabetical list Of the proposed Of
hcers and enlisted men is furnished the
examining surgeon by the company COM
mander and only the names of those who
have satisfactorily passed the medical ex-
animation are placed on the roll. The roll
when prepared is submitted to the surgeon
in order that he may make any necessary
remarks IN regard to the NariOuS
| named theIein and thus complete the medi-
cal certificate of each case. The Christian
fame must be given in full, but if it con-
SlStS or more than one name, only the first
need be written in full. The exchange of
men by substitution and the exchanging
or loaning of horses, at the muster-in ser
vice, are prohibited. Three copies of each
roll are made. One copy is forwarded to
the adjutant general of the army. Another
copy is forwarded to the adjutant general
of the state to which the troops belong.
The third copy is returned to the company
or detachment commander for his guidance
in the preparation of the next muster roll.
Details Oh the Roll.
The muster-in rolls are made up by COM
panies and each has a caption giving the
| name of the captain. the company, the reg
iment, the name of the commanding col
onel the date when called into service and
the term of enlistment. The names of the
commissioned and non-commissioned Of
hcerS are given according to rank: those
Of the prvates being given in alphabetical
order complete history and description
of each man is given, including his name,
rank, age, height, complexion, eyes and
hair, place of birth, occupation, where en-
| rolled, by whom and for what period;
travel from residence to place of rendeZ-
voCs, valuation of horses and equipment,
signature of oath by each man; married
or single, and if single the name and ad-
| dress of parent or guardian. Each man,
officer or private, is required to subscribe
to the following oath:
Il do solCmnly swear Cor affirm) that l
will bear true faith and allegiance to the
United States of America and that / will
serve them honestly and faithfully against
all their enemies Whomsoever, and that
will obey the orders of the President of the
United States and the orders of the officers
appointed over me according to the rules
and articles of war
In each muster rCol there Is blank
space for such remarks the eXamin-
inS surgeon thinks fit to make. In num-
Der of instances of men accepted for SER
vice there appears entries showing tnat
the person referred to was afflicted, to
slight extent, with varicole, and in some
cases with slightly impaired vision. These
entries Will have a most important bear
ing in cases of applications for pensions
growing out of disa Dilities alleged to have
been received in the line Of duty during
the present war.
Accompanying Certificates.
Each muster roll is accompanied by a