All labor on construction and repairs of field-works should now be done by troops; hired labor will not, therefore, be so employed, unless specially authorized from these headquarters or the Engineer Department; and no further purchases of engineer material for field-works will be made without similar authority, except in cases of urgent necessity.

By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

CIRCULAR.] WAR DEPT., ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, May 9, 1865.

ALL ARMY AND DEPARTMENT COMMANDERS:

Upon receipt hereof you are authorized to cause the immediate muster out and discharge from service of all officers and soldiers of your commands whose terms of service will expire prior to May 31, 1865.

In discharging the said troops the following will be observed:

1. The musters out will be made, in accordance with existing regulations, by the commissaries of musters of divisions, under the directions of commissaries of musters of corps or departments.

2. Army and department commanders will forthwith ascertain the number of men within their respective commands to be discharged, and report the same direct to the Paymaster-General of the Army, forwarding a duplicate report to the Adjutant-General. Said report must specify the number for each regiment, or company, if an independent one.

3. The Paymaster-General will arrange to make immediate payment to the men discharged, said payments to be made in the armies or departments in which the men may be serving at the date of muster out.

By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 29.
Washington City, May 9, 1865.

I. For the purpose of securing a uniform system in the transportation of public property, the annexed forms* for requisitions and bills of lading will hereafter be adopted and the accompanying instructions strictly observed. No other forms will be used except in cases of emergency, when the prescribed forms cannot be procured, and then the reasons for using others will be stated upon the same.

II. The bill of lading should state where the freight is to be paid, and if the transportation is by water, or under contract varying from Government rates, the rates should be specifically stated in the bill of lading, otherwise it should state that payment is to be made at Government rates. Bills of lading issued for shipments to be forwarded on boats belonging to or in the service of the Quartermaster's Department, or on railroads operated by the Government, should state that no payment will be made on the bills of lading.

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*Omitted.

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