GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 79.
Washington, May 1, 1865.

For reducing the number of general, field, and staff officers.

It is ordered by the President, that resignations of general, field, and staff officers will be received until the 15th of this month, at which date the Adjutant-General is directed to commence mustering honorably out of service all general, field, and staff officers who are unemployed or whose service is no longer needed.

By order of the President of the United States:

W. A. NICHOLS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 81.
Washington, May 3, 1865.

With a view to prevent accidents, commanders of army corps, departments, and military divisions will immediately take the precautions necessary to insure the discharge of all small-arms and cannon, including those captured from the enemy, before being turned over by the troops for storage or shipment.

By order of the Secretary of War:

W. A. NICHOLS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 82.
Washington, May 6, 1865.

For reducing the number of company and staff officers of volunteer regiments.

By direction of the President, all company and staff officers of volunteer regiments, absent from their commands on account of physical disability, or by virtue of leaves of a absence granted them on their return to loyal States as prisoners of war, will be honorably mustered out of the service of the United States of date the 15th instant.

Said officers will immediately apply, by letter, to the Adjutant-General of the Army for their muster-out and discharge papers. In case of physical disability from disease or wounds the letter must be accompanied by a medical certificate of the usual form.

The post-office address of the officer must be given with care in all cases.

By order of the Secretary of War:

W. A. NICHOLS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, No. 86.
Washington, May 9, 1865.

Lists to be made of volunteer officers.

For the information of the War Department, lists will at once be prepared and forwarded of all officers in the volunteer service, made out separately for each arm of the service and each branch of the staff, showing the relative merit of the officers in their regiments or departments, as determined by boards of officers, to be appointed for the purpose by corps and other independent commanders. The reports of the boards will include the names of all officers belonging to a particular command, whether present or absent, and in the cases of the absent officers, the reports will be based upon the best information attainable. The reports will also state what officers, in the opinion of the boards, should be discharged.

These lists will be forwarded through the prescribed channel, and the several commanders through whom they may be transmitted will indorse thereon their recommendations, based on their own knowledge of the character of the officers.

The lists will specify the rank and arm for which the officer is deemed competent, and whether he desires to remain in the military service. For all officers below the grade of colonel these lists will be consolidated and arranged by brigade, division, and corps commanders (or independent commands of less than a corps), so as to include all officers in the corps.

The lists of colonels, generals, and staff officers will also be consolidated at army or department and military division headquarters.