armory only by order of the officer charged with the instruction of the men, and will be returned immediately after use.

V. All refugees from within the rebel lines, or deserters from the rebel armies, and all alien subjects to foreign powers in amity with the United States Government, are exempt from the operation of this order.

VI. District commanders are charged with the enforcement of paragraphs III, IV, and V of this order, and are hereby authorized to appoint suitable officers to superintend the organization and drill of the militia within their respective commands. They will also cause signals to be arranged for calling together the militia at each rendezvous.

By command of Major General J. G. Foster:

W. L. M. BURGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, June 6, 1864.

Major General GEORGE H. THOMAS,

Commanding Department of the Cumberland, Chattanooga, Tenn.:

SIR: I am directed to inclose herewith a copy of General Orders, Numbers 202, current series, from this office, promulgating the act of Congress authorizing the organization of a regiment of veteran volunteer engineers.* The enlistment and organization should be commenced at an early date. The organization of the force not provided for in the aforesaid act will conform to that prescribed in General Orders, Numbers 177, series of 1862, from this office. All musters into service must conform to the requirements of paragraph 85, Mustering Regulations of the Army, except that the third major when appointed can be mustered into service when the tenth company shall have been organized and mustered in. The muster out and in of the men enlisting to form the organization will be under the supervision and direction of the department commissary of musters and his assistants. In making the musters out and in the general provisions of sections 1, 2, and 3, paragraph 1, of General Orders, Numbers 359, series of 1863, will be applied, substituting in the remarks for General Orders, Numbers 191, "General Orders, Numbers 202, series of 1864, War Department."

Under section 2 of the act regulating this organization you will please forward immediately a list of the officers intended by you for the said force, so that they may be duly appointed. The officers so appointed will not be placed on duty in their new grades until you receive notification of the appointments, nor will they then be mustered in under the same until they have the necessary commands required by paragraph 85, Mustering Regulations.

The only bounty from the United States now allowed is that provided by section 5 of the act of July 22, 1860 (General Orders, Numbers 49, 1860), $100. Payments of the said bounty are made under the provisions of General Orders, Numbers 163, series of 1863, from this office.

I have the hon

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*See May 26, p. 409.

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