the officer, accompanied by that of his regimental or detachment commander, setting forth that he has made all proper efforts to have himself mustered in, but without success, before the time at which he now presents himself. These affidavits must be attached to the copy of the muster-in roll intended for the Adjutant- General.

5. No officer shall be mustered in to date back beyond the time that he has actually been performing the duties of the grade into which he desires to be mustered, nor beyond the time at which a vacancy is proved to have existed by the regimental or company records. If no the muster and pay rolls the applicant appears mustered for pay in one grade, he cannot be mustered into the service, to cover the same period, as of any other. Gross errors, on this point, are frequently committed by mustering officers; therefore special attention is invited to it.

6. Musters into and out of service must be made for each new grade of commissioned officers, as well as when enlisted men or citizens are appointed commissioned officers. A discharge in orders, or by order of the proper authority, is in all cases a muster-out of the service of the United States, and muster-out rolls will furnished in such cases.

7. Musters in and out must be made on separate rolls, and a separate roll must be made for each grade. Officers or enlisted men of different companies or regiments must not be mustered in, or out, on the same rolls.

8. Hereafter no persons will be taken up any muster-rolls as an officer of any grade until mustered into the service of the United States as such in ghat grade, whether he be commissioned by the Governor or not, unless he be appointed or commissioned by the President. Paymasters will closely observe and report all violations of this paragraph.

9. A muster once made will in no case be altered, except by authority from the Adjutant-General of the Army, and all applications for alternations must pass through the mustering officer, if possible.

10. Troops organizing in their respective States - including recruits for regiments in the field - and those organized and not in the field, will be mustered by the duly appointed mustering officers for the States. Said officers have no authority to muster commissioned officers belonging to organizations which have left the State. (See paragraph 4.) The mustering officers for States will closely observe the requirements of paragraph 8.

11. Enlisted men having received commissions or appointments will not be mustered in as commissioned officers until they shall have been discharged as soldiers by the department or corps commander.

12. The directions contained in the pamphlet of instructions to mustering officers will be followed in all cases.

By order of the Secretary of War:

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, D. C., February 27, 1863.

Major General W. S. ROSECRANS, U. S. Volunteers,

Commanding Dept. of the Cumberland, Murfreesborough, Tenn.:

GENERAL: You are aware that the President has committed the execution of the provisions of the confiscation act by special order