marauders that infest the district, and to enable the regular troops to be kept concentrated for the protection of lines of communication and to operate against the enemy proper, sub-district commanders will, with as little delay as possible, organize the loyal citizens of their respective counties into companies, in accordance with provisions of the following general orders:

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,

Numbers 192.
Saint Louis, Mo., October 9, 1864.

I. General Orders, Numbers 107, current series, from these headquarters, having been promulgated to provide for local defense against bands of bushwhackers and other disturbers of the public peace, and for the maintenance of law and order more effectually than could be done by calling out the Enrolled Militia, as well as to engage all good citizens in the work, it is therefore ordered that all citizen organizations for local defense in this State conform to the provisions of that order.

II. These organizations will be legalized both for State and U. S. service be obeying denominated Provisional Enrolled Militia, and the company and regimental rolls will state in the heading the object of the organization.

III. All company or regimental rolls must in future be indorsed as follows, viz: "It is hereby certified on honor that all the within-named persons are loyal men who may be safely intrusted with arms and relied on to use them in obedience to law and the orders of the U. S. or State officers placed over them, and that the officers herein named are the choice of a majority of the men of the company (or regiment) and worthy of command. " This certificate must be signed by the commissioned officers of the State or the U. S. service, highest in rank, on duty in the locality in which the company or regiment is raised, or by the county committee of public safety, and when practicable should be sent through the U. S. district commander, who will indorse thereon his opinion and such recommendations respecting the organization, arming, or calling into service of the company as he may deem best for the public good. When the rolls cannot be sent to the district commander by reason of distance, or other serious obstacles, they will be sent to these headquarters direct, with a letter of explanation.

IV. Each commissioned officer must forward to these headquarters with the rolls of his company (or regiment) a copy of the oath required by the State laws from officers of the Enrolled Militia, duly taken and subscribed by him.

V. When arms, ammunition, and equipments are to be drawn, to save time proper requisitions for them should be made, signed, and sent with the rolls.

VI. When these organizations are thus formed, and the rolls approved by the general commanding, the companies will be accepted and their officers commissioned as Provisional Enrolled Militia, for the special purpose of local defense and the preservation of law and order.

VII. Except in cases of extreme public danger, no organization thus called out will be ordered to go beyond the limits of its own county, nor will it be permitted to go into neighboring counties, unless to pursue or meet marauders or other public enemies, or to arrest fugitive criminals from its own county.

* * * * *

By command of -General Rosecrans:

FRANK ENO,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

II. Sub-district commanders will take special care to see that the command of the companies hereby authorized is intrusted to men of unquestioned loyalty, character, and fitness, and that the instructions contained in a letter from these headquarters, of date January 10, 1865,* are strictly complied with in permitting membership in these companies.

III. The organization in this district known as Citizen Guards is hereby discontinued, and the members thereof will be organized in conformity to the foregoing orders. Commanding officers of the Citizen guard organizations will turn over the public arms in their possession to the nearest post commander, who will transfer them to the district ordnance depot at Jefferson City, Mo.

IV. Well assured that the importance and necessity of local organizations cannot be too highly valued, it is expected that all officers serv-

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*See Phillips to Switzler, p. 479.

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