Unknown, July 16, 1862
July 16, 1862.
No. 31. Tupelo, Miss., July 16, 1862.
All vacancies now existing or that may hereafter occur among company or regimental officers of this army will be filled by promotion according to seniority, according to rank, except a vacancy in the lowest grade of commissioned rank, which will be filled by election. Whena vacancy occurs the brigade commanders will announce in orders the promotion of the officer next in rank, and forward a copy of the order for the approval of the Secretary of War, except when there are reasonable grounds to doubt the qualification or fitness for commission of the officer elected or to be promoted, when his brigade commander, if there be one, or if not, then his division commander, will assemble a board of not less than three commissioned officers of equal or superior rank to the officer elected or promoted, who shall inquire into his qualifications and fitness for commission, and shall report for the information of the War Department the facts of the case and their own opinion of the qualification and fitness of the officer. In such case the vacancy will not be filled pending the decision of the Department. All positions held by appointed officers will be considered vacancies, and the officers holding such will be returned to their former positions as soon as these vacancies can be regularly filled. But appointed officers accounted for on the muster-rolls as officers shall be entitled while acting as such to
(48 WEST TENN. AND NORTHERN MISS. (Cuap. XXIX.
the pay of their respective grades. When elections have been Leld at reorganization and the officers elected have been rejected by the examining board that regiment or company, as the case may be, is considered to have exhausted the elective franchise, and the old officers will retain their places.
d of Major-General Hardee: By command o jor Ph 374
Abstract from Field Return of the Confederate forces commanded by General Braxton Bragg, July, 16, 1862.
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