S. Cooper, September 22, 1864

No. 73. Richmond, Va., September 22, 1864. I. The generals of reserves will hereafter control the enrolling officers and conduct the business of conscription and enrollment in their respective States, under the direction of the Secretary of War, through the Conscript Bureau. II. Commandants of conscripts and of camps of instruction will be under the direction of the generals of reserves. III. As soon as practicable all officers and men now employed in the enrolling service, whether as enrolling officers, conscript guards, clerks, or otherwise, except such as are retired or assigned to light duty by the medical boards, will be relieved by details from the reserve forces and sent to the field. IV. All applications for exemption and detail will be transmitted, through the generals of reserves, to the superintendent of the Bureau of Conscription for decision. The office of Congressional district enrolling officer is abolished, and communications from local enrolling officers will be transmitted through the commandants of conscripts to the generals of reserves. An officer may be assigned to duty in each Congressional district by the generals of reserves as inspector of conscription. V. The reports required to be furnished the Bureau of Conscription by paragraph X, General Orders, No. 57, Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, current series, are often defective and incomplete—failing to give the county in which the man resides, where it is supposed he may be found, or such other information as may lead to his prompt arrest. The attention of regimental and company officers is especially directed to the terms of that order and their compliance therewith required. Only those men who have deserted or are absent from their commands without proper authority should be reported, and when all men so absent have been reported, it will be only necessary to report those who subsequently absent themselves, until a return of the action taken by the enrolling officer is received, by the officer reporting such desertion or absence. VI. Paragraph II, General Orders, No. 67, current series, is amended by striking out the words ‘”‘will not be molested without a special order,” and inserting the following language, ” will be allowed to retain it on showing such right.” By order:

S. COOPER,