again overrun them. Until that confidence shall be established little can be done anywhere for what is called reconstruction. Hence our chief est care must still be directed to the Army and Navy, who have thus far borne their harder part so nobly and well. And it may be esteemed fortunate that in giving the greatest eff indispensable arms, we do also honorably recognize the gallant men, from commander to sentinel, who compose them, and to whom, more than to others, the world must stand indebted for the home of freedom disenthralled, regenerated, enlarged, and perpetuated.*

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 390.
Washington, December 8, 1863.

Officers of the Medical Department in charge of hospitals for blacks are authorized to employ as cooks or nurses either males or females, who will be paid by the medical purveyor or store- keeper at the rate of $10 per month.

In cases where white females are employed they will receive 40 cents per day. All such persons will also receive one ration per day.+

By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., December 8, 1863.

SIR: The following instructions to commissaries of musters, through the commanding officer of the department to which they are attached, are published for the information of all concerned, and will be strictly complied with:

1. Commissaries of musters will furnish to the Second Auditor of the Treasury copies of the muster-in rolls of each regiment of the corps to which they are attached, taking particular care to note thereon the amount paid each man mustered on account of bounty or other advances. These copies will be certified to by the commissary or assistant commissary of musters of the command to which such regiments belong, and forwarded through the commissary of musters of the corps.

2. Commissaries of musters will cause to be entered upon the descriptive roll of veteran volunteers the residence of each man- giving the town, county, and State. The same data must also appear on the copy of the roll sent to the adjutant-general of the State in which the men reside.

3. Commissaries of musters will render to this office, by mail every Saturday, a weekly report of the number of volunteers remustered as veterans under General Orders, Numbers 359, current series, from this office.

The first report must embrace all remustered to its date. Corps commissaries of musters will report for their respective corps. The reports must give the States separately, and the number for each town and county. Reports to be addressed to the Adjutant- General

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*For the President's amnesty proclamation of December 8, accompanying this message, see Series II, Vol. VI, p. 680.

+For revocation of this order and the substitute therefor, see General Orders, Numbers 23, January 16, 1864, Vol. IV, this series, p. 32.

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