be made out as soon as the organization of a Company is completed, which roll, duly signed as explained below, will be accepted as the Muster-in Roll required by the Mustering Regulations for all Volunteers.

This roll must show, for men transferred to the Invalid Corps, the original muster into service, and the Company and Regiment in which the men have served; also the date of tran fer to the Invalid Corps must be correctly stated, under the head of Remarks, opposite the name of each man so transferred.

A similar roll will be made for each squad of Recruits received up to the date of that roll, and in future for all subsequent ones.

This Muster and Descriptive Roll must be made out and signed by the Company Commander, and examined, verified, and countersigned by a Mustering Officer, or by a Commissary or Assistant Commissary of Musters. Where none of these officers can be reached, it must be countersigned by the Commander of the Post.

As soon as a Regiment is organized, a roll, similar to the one described above for Companies, will be made out for the Field and Staff. Recruits for different Companies or Regiments must be entered on separate Muster and Descriptive Rolls.

The above-described rolls will be made out in triplicate-one copy will be sent to the Adjutant General of the Army, one to the Paymaster General, and the other will be retained.

Officers receiving their appointment from the Secretary of War, and authorized to be mustered into service by acceptance, (authority for which should appear,) will be considered mustered into service by the Adjutant General from the date they accepted their appointment, and they will be reported on the Muster Rolls for pay as follows:

Under the heading of "Enrolled," in the column of " When," will be stated the date of acceptance of appointment; in the column of "Where," the place of permanent residence; and in the column of "By whom," the Secretary of War. (Those appointed by the Governors of States are mustered as enrolled by the Governor of that State.)

Under the heading of "Mustered in," in the column of "When," will be stated the date of acceptance of appointment; in the column

of "Where," the place where the officer first joined for duty in the
Invalid Corps; and in the column "By whom," the Adjutant General.
I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,

The Paymaster General is, under the direction of the Secretary of War, charged with the military responsibility of the Pay Department in all its details. The subordinate officers, being confined exclusively to the disbursement of public money, are subject only to the orders of the Secretary of War, the Paymaster General, and the senior officers of their own Department, except that they are liable to arrest by the senior officer of the Department, or command, to which they may be assigned for the regular payment of troops. The arrest of a paymaster will be immediately reported to the Paymaster General, in order that the case may be brought before the Secretary of War for such action as he may direct.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY of War:

CIRCULAR.

E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, December 15, 1863.

It is directed by General Orders No 376, current series, from the War Department, that re-enlisted Volunteers, returned to their States, shall report, through the Governor, to the Superintendent of the Volunteer Recruiting Service.

When officers and men so report, the respective Governors and Super

intendents should arrange to place such as can be profitably employed on Recruiting Service on that duty; the oth rs to be furloughed for the time authorized by General Orders No. 376.

When furloughs are granted they must be signed by the Superintendent, who will direct that at the expiration of the time granted the parties furloujhed shall report at a stated rendezvous, else be considered deserters.

Superintendents will arrange, under existing regulations, for the transportation and subsistence of those placed on duty.

Upon the assembling of the Veteran Volunteers at the rendezvous, after the expiration of the furloughs, Superintendents will report the respective commands (regiments, companies, or detachments) to the Adjutant General of the Army for orders. The reports will give the strength of the command; the number of recruits for it, obtained during the furlough, to be stated separately.

In returning the Volunteers to the field the Superintendents will arrange with the Quartermaster's Department for the necessary transportation.

Superintendents will confer with the Governors, and arrange with them as to the points of rendezvous for the Volunteers herein referred to. The rendezvous must be at points where there are already public barracks or quarters; and if the accommodations are not sufficient for the number to rendezvous thereat, the Quartermaster's Department, on the requisition of the Superintendent, will supply the deficency.

At the respective rendezvous the Subsistence Department will be charged with the subsistence of the troops. The Superintendents will advise the Subsistence Department of the number of troops that will have to be supplied.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant General.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, D. C., December 17, 1863.

SIR: The following instructions, in regard to the discharge of enlisted

men belonging to the Invalid Corps, are furnished for your information and guidance:

Men in the Invalid Corps will be discharged in the same manner as other soldiers. For disability, for promotion, or by sentences of CourtsMartial, by the Commander of the Corps or Department in which they may be serving. Men discharged by expiration of service should be mustered out of service by the Commissary of Musters of the Corps of Department in which they are serving.

Though a Department Commander may not exercise an immediate command over the Invalid Corps, this matter of discharge is intrusted to him for convenience of administration.

The following Joint Resolution by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States is published to the Army :

JOINT RESOLUTION of thanks to MAJOR GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT, and the officers and soldiers who have fought under his command during this rebellion; and providing that the President of the United States shall cause a medal to be struck, to be presented to MAJOR GENERAL GRANT in the name of the people of the United States of America.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thanks of Congress be, and they hereby are, presented to Major General ULYSSES S. GRANT, and through him to the officers and soldiers who have fought under his command during this rebellion, for their gallantry and good conduct in the battles in which they have been engaged; and that the Presi dent of the United States be requested to cause a gold medal to be struck, with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be presented to Major General GRANT.

SEC. 2. And be it further resolved, That when the said medal shall have been struck the President shall cause a copy of this Joint Resolution to be engrossed on parchment, and shall transmit the same, together with the said medal, to Major General Grant, to be presented to him in the name of the people of the United States of America.

SEC. 3. And be it further resolved, That a sufficient sum of money to carry this resolution into effect is hereby appropriated out any of money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SCHUYLER COLFAX,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.
H. HAMLIN,

Vice-President of the United States and President of the Senate.

I..The six months' troops, now in the service of the United States, who may desire to re-enlist for three years or during the war, before the expiration of the six months' term, will be re-enlisted for the increased term, under the following regulations :

1. Where three-fourths of a regiment or other organization re-enlists the officers thereof will be permitted to retain the rank held by them under the six months' term.

2. Should less than three-four ths re enlist, said force will be organized into one or more companies, of the authorized strength, and officered by such officers as may be selected from the original command, by the Commanding General of the Army or Department. The remainder will be continued under the remaining officers until the expiration of the six months' term, and then discharged the service.