PRIVATE HORSES. The Regulations do not require a mounted officer to own more than one horse; they only require him to be supplied with private mounts sufficient for the proper and efficient performance of his duties.-[Letter, Sept. 24, 84-3972 A. G. O., 1884.] ACTING SERGEANT MAJOR. An acting sergeant major should be recognized as such by other noncommissioned officers, whether junior or not.-[Letter, Sept. 25, 84-4219 A. G. O., 1884.] AMMUNITION. When a company does not receive its full allowance of ammunition during any target year, the equivalent of the deficiency cannot be issued and used, in addition to the regular allowance, for the next following year. [Letter, Sept. 25, 84-3998 A. G. O., 1884.] TARGET PRACTICE. To discontinue an incomplete low score and begin anew, for the purpose of diregarding bad shots, is in violation of the spirit of General Orders, No. 53, of 1882, from this office, and must not be practiced.— [Letter, Sept. 25, 84-3998 A. G. O., 1884.] RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION FOR PARTIES IN PURSUIT OF DESERTERS. The extent of railroad transportation which a post commander is authorized to order for parties in pursuit of deserters must be left to his good judgment and discretion.-[Letter, Sept. 25, 84-3940 A. G. O., 1884.] FORAGE. Paragraph 1893 of the Regulations clearly means that mounted officers shall not draw forage for private animals while using, in service, public animals.-[Letter, Sept. 27, 84-4475 A. G. O., 1884.] PAYMENTS TO SOLDIERS. A soldier tried for desertion is mustered June 30th as awaiting promulgation of the proceedings of the court, which on July 2d are promulgated acquitting him. On the question, should he be allowed pay when payment is made on this roll July 7th, it has been decided that a payment made on a muster-roll must accord with the record thereon. If from the record on the roll a soldier is disqualified from receiving pay at date of muster, no payment can be made to him on the muster-rolls of NON-RELOADING AMMUNITION. Non-reloading ammunition in charge of an acting ordnance officer at a post is "in the hands of the troops;" in the sense that term is used in General Orders, No. 18, current series, from this office.-[Letter, Sept. 29, 84-4474 A. G. O., 1884.] AMMUNITION. Paragraph 2538 of the Regulations refers to civilian employés only, and not to enlisted scouts.-[Letter, Sept. 29, 84-4400 A. G. O., 1884.] HONORS TO INSPECTORS. When a company is inspected on company parade (not preceded by a review) the company does not present arms. The inspector is saluted by the company commander only, the company being at a carry.—[ Letter, Sept. 29, 84-3502 A. G. O., 1884.] CLOTHING ISSUED TO ENLISTED MEN. In all cases where clothing was issued to enlisted men on and after July 1, 1884, and prior to the date of the receipt of General Orders, No. 92, Adjutant General's Office, of August 11, 1884 (which takes effect from July 1, 1884), the clothing accounts of enlisted men still in service will be altered to conform to the prices established by that order.-[Letter, Sept. 30, 84-8842c A. G. O., E. B., 1884.] BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL SHERIDAN: OFFICIAL: R. C. DRUM, Adjutant General. Assistant Adjutant General. CIRCULAR, No. 10. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Washington, November 10, 1884. The following decisions, rulings, &c., have been made during the month of October, 1881, and are published to the Army for the information of all concerned : EXTRA-DUTY PAY. Extra-duty pay to enlisted men is given for services actually rendered of not less than ten days; the ten days has no reference to Sunday, but solely to days of labor. Such service should be certified to by an officer, who can only give a certificate for days of actual labor. Teamsters, watchmen, and others actually employed on Sundays, and when the labor is continuous, may be paid for Sundays.-[Letter, Oct. 3, 84-8895A A. G. O., E. B., 1834.] FORAGE FOR OFFICERS' HORSES. Forage in kind may be furnished only for horses owned and actually kept by officers in the performance of their official duties, and not for horses owned by others but temporarily turned over to an officer for his own use. [Letter, Oct. 6, 84-4683 A. G. O., 1834.] INVITING PROPOSALS FOR TRANSPORTATION. Inviting bids for the transportation of small quantities of freight by pos. s and circular letters is held to be a sufficient 66 advertisement" within he meaning of the act of July 5, 1884 (G. O., 65 of 1884); but where very considerable quantities are to be transported, advertisements in newspapers should be resorted to. A corporation or person conducting the business of transportation in such manner as to be regarded in law as a 66 common carrier" is not a "private party." A" common carrier" may, in general, be defined as one who undertakes for hire to carry persons or goods for all who choose to employ him; not one who does it occasionally. A private vessel, not having an established route or stated points of departure, should be regarded as a "private party," within the meaning of the act.—[ Letter, SENTINEL IN CHARGE OF PRISONERS. A sentinel, or member of a guard, in charge of prisoners, either marching or at work, should salute all officers with a sergeant's salute. It is proper, however, in the discretion of the commanding officer, to direct sentinels in charge of prisoners not to render any salute, when such orders are necessary in order that the sentinel may not have his attention diverted from the prisoners under his charge, and that he may be held to a strict accountability for their safe-keeping in situations favorable for escape.-[Letter, Oct. 15, 84-4466 A. G. O., 1884.] FINAL STATEMENTS. No final statements will be made out in future where a soldier is discharged under circumstances forfeiting all pay and allowances, except in cases where the soldier has made a deposit with a paymaster and has not forfeited it by desertion.-[Letter, Oct. 17, 84-9427c A. G. O., E. B., 1884.] ACCOUNTS FOR TELEPHONING. In cases where telephoning alone is possible-there being no telegraphic communication between the points-an account for telephoning can be paid from the appropriation for the payment of telegrams.-Letter, Oct. 18, 84-4718 A. G. O., 1884.] POSITION OF FIRST SERGEANT. It is more convenient, and the more general custom in the service, for the 1st sergeant to step two paces to the front and face to the left to give the commands for dismissal.-[Letter, Oct. 18, 84—4771 A. G. O., 1884.] SALE OF SUBSISTENCE STORES. Paragraph 2212 of the Regulations, as amended by General Orders, No. 82, current series, applies to stores for messes kept solely for officers and for their personal use. It does not apply to officers who board at a public boarding-house or hotel.-[Letter, Oct. 20, 84-4835 A. G. O., 1884.] There is no law authorizing the sale of subsistence stores to civilian employés. The only authority for such sales is found in the Regulations and general orders, and it is clearly limited to cases of paramount necessity "at remote posts where food cannot be otherwise procured."-[Letter, Oct. 25, 84-4647 A. G. O., 1884.] DISCHARGE OF INDIAN SCOUTS. In view of the exceptional conditions attending the enlistment of Indian scouts, and to obviate the frequent necessity of preparing final statements in each individual case when two or more of such scouts are discharged at the same post and on the same day, their names will be entered, with all the information necessary to their final payment, on the blank form now used as a muster-roll for a company, to be designated by proper interlining as a muster-out-roll." This muster-out-roll will be made in quadruplicate-two copies to be presented to the paymaster for final payment of the scouts, one copy to be forwarded to this office, and one copy to be retained with the records of the detachment.-[Letter, Oct. 23, 84-9615c A. G. O., E. B., 1884.] 66 BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL SHERIDAN : OFFICIAL: R. C. DRUM, Adjutant General. |