Today in History:

543 Series I Volume XL-III Serial 82 - Richmond, Petersburg Part III

Page 543 Chapter LII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - UNION.

support will be under arms at daylight. The groups are always under arms. The pickets of each division, after they been relieved, will all be assembled and marched in a body to division headquarters. They will not be permitted to straggle to their camps. No discharging of arms whatever will be permitted except in action without authority from these headquarters. Refugees, contraband, and deserters presenting themselves at the picket line will be sent, under guard, to the provost-marshal at these headquarters. They will not be examined, except when in the opinion of the division commander it may be essential to the safety of his command. Citizens will not be permitted to pass inside the line with the intention of returning, except by orders from headquarters of the department, signed by the major-general commanding, the chief of staff, assistant adjutant-general, or the provost-marshal-general. They will be detained on the picket-line until such orders can be communicated. When provided with proper authority they will be sent under guard to these headquarters.

When the corps is detached passes from the commander of the corps, signed by himself or under his order, by his chief of staff, assistant adjutant-general, or provost-marshal will be recognized. Officers and soldiers belonging to infantry or cavalry detachments on duty beyond the picket-line of the corps will when on duty be permitted to pass the pickets on an order from the commanding officer of their detachment or his immediate superiors. These passes must be dated and the entry and exit be by the main and direct roads. Organized bodies of troops recognized as friends will be subjected to no other detention that that prescribed in Army Regulations. (See Article XXXIII.) Corps officers of the day will be taken from commanding officers of regiments. When officers are detailed as corps officer of the day, who are not present for duty, the detail will be immediately returned to these headquarters. The corps officer of the day will visit the division officers of the day on the picket-line at least once during his tour to see that the orders are properly executed, and that the line is connected throughout, and shall make such further inspections as may be practicable. The division officers of the day will visit their pickets-lines at least once during the day and once after 12 o'clock at night. The division of the day should notify the corps officer of the day of the location of their headquarters. Each division officer of the day will be furnished with a mounted orderly from division headquarters. The corps officer of the day will be furnished with two mounted orderlies from these headquarters. When the corps officer of the day marches off he will submit to the assistant adjutant-general of the corps a report of his tour, enumerating all irregularities which he has observed, specifying the division in which they occurred. Division officers of the day will make like reports to division commanders, noting all irregularities and unusual circumstances that have occurred on the picket-line during their tour. These reports should be transmitted by commanders to these headquarters on the day of their date. The occurrence of any unusual circumstances on the picket-line should be instantly submitted to the division of the day and by him to the commanding officer of the division and to the corps officer of the day at these headquarters, and by the commander of the division to the assistant adjutant-general at these headquarters.

These orders are published to secure uniformity.

By command of Major General D. B. Birney:

ED. W. SMITH,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Page 543 Chapter LII. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - UNION.