service in the field, and that the company officers of the companies that are broken up be sent home to recruit entire new companies for their old regiments, giving them, say, forty days to do the work, and upon failure of success revoke their commissions, the organizations of the regiments remaining in the meantime intact. You thus secure experienced officers for the new recruits and save the accumulation of officers and expense. I am executing your order to raise a new regiment with dispatch.

DAVID TOD,

Governor.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 55.
Washington, May 24,1 862.

I. The following act of Congress is published for the information of all concerned:

AN ACT to authorize the appointment of medical store-keepers and chaplains of hospitals.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be authorized to add to the Medical Department of the Army medical store-keepers, not exceeding six in number, who shall have the pay and emoluments of military store-keepers in the Quartermaster's Department, who shall be skilled apothecaries or druggists, who shall give the bond and security required by existing laws for military store-keepers in the Quartermaster's and security required by existing laws for military store-keepers in the Quartermaster's Department, and who shall be stationed at such points as the necessities of the Army may require: Provided, That the provisions of this act shall remain in force only during the continuance of the present rebellion.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States is hereby authorized to appoint, if he shall deem it necessary, a champlain for each permanent hospital, whose pay, with that of chaplains of hospitals heretofore appointed by him, shall be the same as that of regimental chaplains in the volunteer force; and who shall be subject to such rules in relation to leave of absence from duty as are prescribed for commissioned officers of the Army.

Approved May 20, 1862.

II. The following are the regulations which will govern the appointment of medical store-keepers under the first section of the foregoing act of Congress:

1. A board of not less than three medical officers will be assembled by the Secretary of War to examine such applicants as may by him be authorized to appear before it.

2. Candidates to be eligible to examination shall be not less than twenty-five years or more than forty years of age; shall possess sufficient physical ability to perform their duties satisfactorily, and shall present with their applications satisfactory evidence of good moral character.

3. Candidates will be required to pass a satisfactory examination in the ordinary branches of a good English education, in pharmacy and materia medica, and to give proof that they possess the requisite business qualifications for the position.

4. The board will report to the Secretary of War the relative merit of the candidates examined, and they will receive appointments accordingly.

5. When appointed, each medical store-keeper will be required to give a bond in the amount of $40,000 before he shall be allowed to enter on the performance of his duties.

By order of the Secretary of War:

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.