E.D. Townsend to Edwin M. Stanton, June 28, 1865

Secretary of War:

I understand there is a great delay in carrying out orders for mus¬ ter out of troops in hospitals throughout the North arising principally from neglect of officers forwarding with sick men their descriptive rolls. In many instances the organizations to which sick menbelo ^ have been mustered out, leaving no way to get

rolls further than their record is kept in the Adjutant-Generals

would recommend that a circular be sent to all hospitals directing nromDtness in carrying out existing orders so far as fbey app y men Applied with the requisite papers to enable them to do so, and report to the Adjutant-General the name, regiment, who should be mustered out but are not supplied with descriptive Lieutenant- General.

Circular ) War Dept., Adjutant-General’s Office,

No. 28. f Washington, June 28, 1865.

ORDERS AND INSTRUCTIONS RELATIVE TO THE MUSTER OUT OF VOL¬

Certain veteran regiments in the Armies of the Potomac, Tennessee, and Middle Military Division, and certain infantry, cavalry, and artillery in various armies and departments.

I. Veteran regiments.

Telegram.] War Department, Adjutant-General’s Office,

I Washington, June 22, 1865.

Commanding General Army of the Potomac :

The Secretary of War directs that the effective infantry force present of the Army of the Potomac he reduced by the discharge of 18,000 men.

The musters out will be by entire organizations of veteran regiments, to be selected from those having the shortest time to serve, including all recruits and additions thereto from other sources; also, absentees belonging to them. The absentees to be an additional reduction of the effective force.

The musters out and discharges will be made under the regulations promul¬ gated in General Orders, No. 94, current series, from this office.

Please forward to this office without delay a list of the regiments you may select under this order, giving therein for each the strength, present and absent, respectively.

Acknowledge the receipt of this.

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Note.— Similar orders sent June 22 to the commanding general Army of the Tennessee for the discharge of 15,000 men from that army, and to the command¬ ing general Middle Military Division for the discharge of 7,000 from that division.

I. I. Regiments of cavalry, artillery, and infantry (whose services are no longer required) ordered mustered out of service under special instructions, of dates set opposite the organizations respectively.

Connecticut. — First Battery, May 29, I860.

Illinois. — Eighty-second Infantry, June 12, 1865.

Indiana.— OuQ hundred and first Infantry, June 12, 1865; Ninetyfirst Infantry, June 15, 1865.

ifame.— Three unassigned companies infantry, June 16, 1865; three companies Coast Guard, June 16, 1865.

Maryland.— Potomac Home Brigade Infantry, May 29, 1865; Second Potomac Home Brigade Infantry, May 29, 1865; Third Poto¬ mac Home Brigade Infantry, May 29, 1865; First Potomac Home ? Brigade Cavalry, June 23, 1865.

‘ Massachusetts.— Cavalry, June 17, 1865.

Twenty-sixth Infantry, June 2, 1865.

F’orty-eighth Infantry, June 13, 1865; Missouri State Militia (about 2,200, authorized under General Orders, No. 96 Jl Adjutant-General’s Office, 1861), June 23, 1865.

New Jersey.— Thirty-ninth Infantry, June 5, 1865.

, Neio York.—OnQ hundred and fiftieth Infantry, May 29, 1865; tl Batteries A, K, and F, First Artillery, June 5, 1865; First Engineers, n June 5, 1865; Fifteenth Engineers, June 5, 1865; Fiftieth Engineers,

4 June 5, 1865; Second Cavalry (Harris Light), June 17, 1865; Eighth ‘ Nineteenth Cavalry (First Dragoons), June

i f/, 1865; First Cavalry (Lincoln), June 18, 1865; Twenty-fifth CavI airy, June 20, 1865; One hundred and fi%-first Infantry (battalion),

Ohio. — One hundred and tenth Infantry, June 16, 1865; One hun¬ dred and eighteenth Infantry, June 16, 1865; One hundred and j twenty-second Infantry, June 16, 1865; One hundred and twenty- – sixth Infantry, June 16, 1865; First Heavy Artillery, June 25, 1865. ;

Pennsylvania. — One hundred and fiftieth Infantry, June 10, 1865; I Two hundred and first Infantry, June 15, 1865; Independent Battery G, June 7, 1865.

Tennessee. — Eighth Infantry, June 22, 1865.

West Virginia. — First Cavalry, June 17, 1865; Second Cavalry, j June 17, 1865; Third Cavalry, June 17, 1865; Sixth Infantry, May , 13, 1865; Company A, First Virginia (exempts) Infantry, May 8, 1865; Fourteenth Infantry, June 23, 1865; Seventeenth Infantry, June 23, 1865. i

U. S. Volunteers. — First Infantry, June 2, 1865; Second Infantry, i June 2, 1865; Third Infantry, June 2, 1865; Fourth Infantry, June 2, 1865; Fifth Infantry, June 2, 1865; Sixth Infantry, June 2, 1865. j

Memoranda. — June 23, 1865. — The order of June 5 relative to t dismounted volunteer cavalry (see Circular No. 26, current series) j was revoked for the Middle Military Division and Major-General i Sheridan’s command, and instead it was ordered: That a limited ‘ number of cavalry regiments having the shortest time to serve be ! dismounted and mustered out by entire organizations (under General Orders, No. 94, current series, from this office), and the horses thus i obtained taken to mount the dismounted cavalrymen of regiments j having the longest terms to serve. The number of regiments to be i dismounted to be determined by the number of dismounted men of the long- termed organizations. i

A like revocation was also ordered for other armies and departments, provided the said order of June 5 had not been executed.

Assistant Adjutant-General. i

General Orders, ) War Dept., Adjt. General’s Office, j

No. 119. f Washington, June 29, 1865. \

PENALTIES FOR NEGLECT OF DUTY AND DISOBEDIENCE OF ORDERS j ON THE PART OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS IN CHARGE OF TROOPS i ABOUT TO BE DISCHARGED THE SERVICE. In many instances delays have resulted in paying mustered-out i troops in consequence of regimental and company officers allowing their men to disband, in violation of orders, prior to their commands j being reported for payment and final discharge to the chief mustering officer or his assistant, after arrival at the designated State ren- j dezvous. In other cases there has been delay from company and I regimental officers neglecting to furnish full data relative to the j enlisted men, thus rendering the muster-out rolls imperfect and neces- i sitating corrections.

With the arrangements of the War Department, as now completed, there need be no delay, and consequently no hardship or inconven¬ ience to the enlisted men, if full data for the rolls be furnished in the field, and if, after arrival in their respective States, as well as during transit thereto, commissioned officers look closely after the comfort and interests of their men and remain constantly with them, so as to enforce orders and control them, ; It is therefore ordered that chief mustering officers and their assist¬ ants report by telegram the names of all neglectful officers, with the charges against them, to the Adjutant-General of the Army (with¬ holding in the meantime their final payments and honorable dis¬ charges), with a view to their summary and dishonorable dismissal from the service with forfeiture of all pay. The report by telegraph will be sent promptly upon cases of neglect being brought to notice, and at the same time the facts in full will be reported by mail.

Governors of States are requested to report delinquencies coming to their notice to the chief mustering officer of the State and to the Adjutant-General of the Army, so that a prompt remedy may be applied.

By order of the Secretary of War;