II. A moderate price will be paid by the Ordnance and Quartermaster's Departments for such stores and animals as deserters, who clearly establish the act of their desertion, may bring with them into our lines.

III. The following act of Congress, revoking paragraph VIII, General Orders, No. 42, of 1864, is published for the information of the Army:

AN ACT supplemental to an act entitled "An act to organize forces to serve during the war.

The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That nothing in said recited act contained shall be construed to discharge from military service persons over the age of forty-five or under eighteen years, who are now in the Army of the Confederate States.

Approved February 17, 1864.

Injunction of secrecy was removed from this act by a resolution of the House of Representatives, passed January, 1865.

IV. All non-commissioned officers and privates detailed because of disability will be examined monthly, when those found fit for field duty will be immediately turned over to the commandant of the post at which they are employed, to be returned to their commands. This is not intended to apply to those "retired" under the act to provide an Invalid Corps.

V. Conscripts assigned to light duty will be examined every these months, when those found equal to field duty will be turned over to the enrolling authorities for assignment to commands in the field.

VI. In places where hospital medical boards are located they will make the examination; at other places they will be made by conscript boards.

VII. Monthly reports of all men found fit for field duty, and sent in accordance with these instructions to the field, will be transmitted by the boards, through the Surgeon-General, to the Adjutant and Inspector General.

VIII. Notices of all detailed soldiers returned to duty with their commands will be forwarded by the Medical Board to company commanders.

IX. The examination referred to in paragraphs IV, V, and VI, of this order, will be made by the medical boards at the posts where the men are employed. Their failure to make such examinations will be reported by the post commanders to the Adjutant and Inspector General.

X. Where soldiers in hospitals are transferred to other hospitals, surgeons in charge will put them in charge of the officer of the train guard of the railroad upon which they are sent, who will be responsible for their delivery to the officer of the train guard of the next connecting railroad en route, or to the surgeon in charge of the hospital to which they are transferred.

XI. Persons arriving at the age of eighteen years of age, and all others in the reverse forces not disabled for active duty, who are within the conscript ages, will be turned over to enrolling officers for assignment to companies in the general service. The fact of their holding commissions does not preclude the operation of this order. Generals of reserves and inspectors are required to enforce this order.

XII. Paragraph I, General Orders, No. 81, of 1864, is hereby revoked.

By order:

S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

73 R R-SERIES IV, VOL III