General to James A. Seddon, February 6, 1864

No. 16. { Richmond, February 6, 1864.

I. The Bureau of Conscription affords adequate means for bringing into service persons liable to military duty; and all authorities given prior to December 1, 1863, to raise troops from men not within the lines of the enemy, or to recruit for any particular command in the field, are hereby revoked.

II. Reeruits enlisted by authority for new companies which have not at this time seventy-two non-commissioned officers and privates actually mustered upon the rolls will be turned over to the Bureau of Conscription and allowed to select any infantry company they may prefer, under the provisions of paragraph II, General Orders, No. 7, 1864.

III. Persons acting under authorities to enlist men for new companies, either without or within the lines of the enemy, granted since lst of December, 1863, will at once report to the commanding general of the department in which they may be copies of such authority, with a statement of the number of men enrolled by them; and without further authorization from such commanders, their power will expire at the end of thirty days from the date of this order.

IV. The preceding orders are not intended to have any effect in the Trans-Mississippi Department.

V. Commandants of posts and officers of the Conscription Bureau will enforce this order.

Adjutant and Inspector General.

February 8, 1864. Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

Str: The present decision of the Department on the provisions of the act of Congress approved April 16, 1862, section 10, seems to be that an officer or private can only be promoted for valor and skill to a vacancy in his own company. ‘This limits the promotions for valor and skill to such an extent that it renders the law almost a dead letter. I would earnestly recommend that if this is the true interpretation of the law that it be modified so as to permit promotions on this account to any company or regiment from the same State, or at least to any company in the regiment to which the private or officer belongs. It is very important to increase the number of these promotions and to render them more certain. In the coming campaign we should use every incentive to acts of daring and skillful and brave conduct on the part of officers and men.

very respectfully, your obedient servant,