Samuel Cooper to Army, March 2, 1864

No. 27. Richmond, March 2, 1864. I. The attention of the Army is called to the second and third sections of the act of Congress entitled ‘”‘ An act to organize forces to serve during the war,” approved 17th of February, 1864. Src. 2. That all the persons aforesaid, between the ages of eighteen and fortyfive, now in service, shall be retained, during the present war with the United States, in the same regiments, battalions and companies to which they belong at the passage of this act, with the same organization and officers, unless regularly transferred or discharged, in accordance with the laws and regulations for the government of the Army: Provided, That companies from one State, organized against their consent, expressed at the time, with regiments or battalions from another State, shall have the privilege of being transferred to organizations of troops in the same arm of the service from the States in which said companies were raised, and the soldiers from one State in companies from another State shall be allowed, if they desire it, a transfer to organizations from their own State in the same arm of the service. ; Src. 3. That, at the expiration of six months from the ist day of April next a bounty of one hundred dollars in a 6 per centum Government bond, which the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to issue, shall be paid to every non-commissioned officer, musician and private who shall then be in the service. or, in the event of his death previous to the period of such payment, then to the person or persons who would be entitled by law to receive the arrearages of his pay ; but no one shall be entitled to the bounty herein provided who shall, at any time during the period of six months next after the said first day of April, be absent from his command without leave. I. I. The generals of departments will ascertain whether there be in their respective departments any company or companies from one State associated with companies belonging to another State, either in battalions or regiments, who were placed in such organizations against their consent, expressed at the time, and will report the same to the Adjutant and Inspector General as soon as practicable, with a recommendation that they be transferred, if they now desire it, tc some organization of troops in the same arm of the service fron. the State in which the said companies were raised. III. Measures will be taken by the commanding generals of departments to place in companies of the same arm of the service in which they are serving, raised in States to which they respectively belong, the privates who are serving in companies raised in other States. This privilege will be freely granted to all privates making the application. A private will be considered as belonging to that State in which he was residing for twelve months prior to his enlistment. Measures will also be taken to have proper rolls prepared on the 1st of April, proximo, or as soon after as practicable, and returned to the Office of the Adjutant and Inspector General, so as to secure to all the persons designated in the third section of the above-recited act the benefits conferred by it. By order:

S. COOPER,