papers, and the men may be maintained at the hospital a reasonable time while awaiting them, to avoid their being turned off without means of support. The discharge will in all cases bear the date when the papers are actually furnished the soldier. (See note.)

4. When a man is received in any hospital without his descriptive roll the fact will be immediately reported by the medical officer in charge to the military commander, who will at once call on the company commander, in the name of the Secretary of War, promptly to furnish the military history of the man, and his clothing, money, and other accounts with the Government.

5. When too long a delay would arise in discharging the man because of the remote station of his company application will be made by the medical officer to the Adjutant-General for such account of the man as his records will furnish. To this partial descriptive roll the medical officer will add the period for which pay is due the man since his entry into the hospital. The man will them be discharged and receive the pay and traveling allowances thus shown to be due him, leaving the balance due him on account of clothing, retained pay, &c., for settlement in such manner as may hereafter be determined. (See note.)

6. The military commander's duties, in reference to all troops and enlisted men who happen to come within the limits of his command, will be precisely those of a commanding officer of a military post.

7. It is made the duty of each military commander to correct, as far as may be in his power service at this time, by collecting stragglers and sending them forward to their proper stations or discharging them on certificates of disability, if, on examination by the chief medical officer, they be found unfit for the service.

8. The military commander in each city will have control of such guards as may be furnished to preserve discipline and good order at the several military hospitals. He will advise the Adjutant- General of the Army what number of companies will be required for such guards. He will cause them to be properly posted, relieved, and instructed.

9. Whenever the chief medical officer shall report a number of patients as fit to join their regiments the military commander will give the necessary orders to have them forwarded in good order and under suitable conduct.

10. The chief medical officer in each city is authorized to employ as cooks, nurses, and attendants any convalescent, wounded, or feeble.

11. All officers and enlisted men of volunteers who are on parole not to serve against the rebels will be considered on leave of absence until notified of their exchange or discharge. They will immediately report their address to the Governors of their States, who will be duly informed from this office as to their exchange or discharge.

12. The duties of military commander, as above defined, will devolve, in the District of Columbia, on the Military Governor; in the city of Baltimore, on the commander of the Middle Department; in the city of Philadelphia, on Lieutenant Colonel H. Brooks, Second Artillery, hereby assigned to that station; in the city of New York and the military posts in that vicinity, on Bvt. Brigadier General H. Brown, colonel Fifth U. S. Artillery.

By order of the Secretary of War:

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.