| CIRCULAR.] OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Washington, D.C., April 20, 1864. By authority of the War Department the following regulations will be observed at all stations where prisoners of war and political or State prisoners are held These regulations will supersede those issued from this office July 7, 1862 :
I.
The commanding officer at each station is held accountable for the discipline
and good order of his command and for the security of the prisoners, and
will take such measures, with the means placed at his disposal, as will best
secure these results. He will divide the prisoners into companies and will
cause written reports to be made to him of their condition every morning,
showing the changes made during the preceding twenty-four hours, giving the
names of the "joined," "transferred," "deaths," &c. At the end of every
month commanders will send to the Commissary-General of Prisoners a return
of prisoners, giving names and details to explain "alterations." If
rolls of "joined" or "transferred" have been forwarded during the month it
will be sufficient to refer to them on the return according to forms furnished.II.
On the arrival of prisoners at any station a careful comparison of them
with the rolls which accompany them will be made, and all errors on the rolls
will be corrected. When no roll accompanies the prisoners one will immediately
be made out containing all the information required, as correct as can be,
from the statements of the prisoners themselves. When the prisoners are citizens
the town, county, and State from which they come will be given on the rolls
under the headings rank, regiment, and company. At stations where prisoners
are received frequently and in small parties a list will be furnished every
fifth day--the last one in the month may be for six days--of all prisoners
received during the preceding five days. Immediately on their arrival prisoners
will be required to give up all arms and weapons of every description, of
which the commanding officer will require an accurate list to be made. When
prisoners are forwarded for exchange duplicate parole rolls, signed by the
prisoners, will be sent with them, and an ordinary roll will be sent to the
Commissary-General of Prisoners. When they are transferred from one station
to another an ordinary roll will be sent with them and a copy of it to the
Commissary-General of Prisoners. In all cases the officer charged with conducting
prisoners will report to the officer under whose orders he acts the execution
of his service, furnishing a receipt for the prisoners delivered and accounting
by name for those not delivered; which report will be forwarded without delay
to the Commissary-General of Prisoners.III.
The hospital will be under the immediate charge of the senior medical
officer present, who will be held responsible to the commanding officer for
its good order and the proper treatment of the sick. A fund for this hospital
will be created as for other hospitals. It will be kept separate from the
fund of the hospital for the troops, and will be expended for the objects
specified and in the manner prescribed in paragraph 1212,
Revised Regulations of the Army of 1863, except that the requisition of the
medical officer in charge and the bill of purchase before payment shall be
approved by the commanding officer. When this "fund" is sufficiently large
it may be expended also for shirts and drawers for the sick, the expense
of washing clothes, articles for policing purposes, and all articles and
objects indispensably necessary to promote the sanitary condition of the
hospital.IV.
Surgeons in charge of hospitals where there are prisoners of war will
make to the Commissary-General of Prisoners, through the commanding officer,
semi-monthly reports of deaths, giving name, rank, regiment, and company,
date and place of capture, date and cause of death, place of interment, and
number of grave. Effects of deceased prisoners will be taken possession of
by the commanding officer, the money and valuables to be reported to this
office (see note on blank reports), the clothing of any value to be given
to such prisoners as require it. Money left by deceased prisoners or accruing
from the sale of their effects will be placed in the prison fund.
V.
A fund, to be called "the prison fund" and to be applied in procuring
such articles as may be necessary for the health and convenience of the prisoners,
not expressly provided for by General Army Regulations, 1863, will be made
by withholding from their rations such parts thereof as can be conveniently
dispensed with. The abstract of issues to prisoners and statement of the
prison fund shall be made out, commencing with the month of June, 1864, in
the same manner as is prescribed for the abstract of issues to hospital and
statement of the hospital fund (see paragraphs 1209, 1215, and 1246, and
form 5, Subsistence Department, Army Regulations, 1863), with such modifications
in language as may be necessary. The ration for issue to prisoners will be
composed as follows, viz: Hard bread, 14 ounces per one ration, or 18 ounces
soft bread, one ration; corn-meal, 18 ounces per one ration; beef, 14 ounces
per one ration; bacon or pork, 10 ounces per one ration; beans, 6 quarts
per 100 men; hominy or rice, 8 pounds per 100 men; sugar, 14 pounds per 100
men; R. coffee, 5 pounds ground, or 7 pounds raw, per 100 men, or tea, 18
ounces per 100 men; soap, 4 ounces per 100 men; adamantine candles, 5 candles
per 100 men; tallow candles, 6 candles per 100 men; salt, 2 quarts per 100
men; molasses, 1 quart per 100 men; potatoes, 30 pounds per 100 men. When
beans are issued hominy or rice will not be. If at any time it should seem
advisable to make any change in this scale the circumstances will be reported
to the Commissary. General of Prisoners for his consideration.VI.
Disbursements to be charged against the prison fund will be made by the
commissary of subsistence on the order of the commanding officer, and all
such expenditures of funds will be accounted for by the commissary in the
manner prescribed for the disbursements of the hospital fund. When in any
month the items of expenditures on account of the prison fund cannot be conveniently
entered on the abstract of issues to prisoners a list of the articles and
quantities purchased, prices paid, statement of services rendered, &c.,
certified by the commissary as correct and approved by the commanding officer,
will accompany the abstract. In such cases it will only be necessary to enter
on the abstract of issues the total amount of funds thus expended.VII.
At the end of each calendar month the commanding officer will transmit
to the Commissary-General of Prisoners a copy of the "statement of the prison
fund," as shown in the abstract of issues for that month,
with a copy of the list of expenditures specified in preceding paragraph,
accompanied by vouchers, and will indorse thereon, or convey in the letter
of transmittal, such remarks as the matter may seem to require.VIII.
The prison fund is a credit with the Subsistence Department, and, at
the request of the Commissary-General of Prisoners, may be transferred by
the Commissary-General of Subsistence in manner prescribed by existing regulations
for the transfer of hospital fund.IX.
With the prison fund may be purchased such articles not provided for
by regulations as may be necessary for the health and proper condition of
the prisoners, such as table furniture, cooking utensils, articles for policing,
straw, the means of improving or enlarging the barracks or hospitals, &c.
It will also be used to pay clerks and other employés engaged in labors
connected with prisoners. No barracks or other structures will be erected
or enlarged and no alterations made without first submitting a plan and estimate
of the cost to the Commissary-General of Prisoners, to be laid before the
Secretary of War for his approval; and in no case will the services of clerks
or of other employés be paid for without the sanction of the Commissary-General
of Prisoners. Soldiers employed with such sanction will be allowed 40 cents
per day when employed as clerks, stewards, or mechanics; 25 cents a day when
employed as laborers.X.
It is made the duty of the quartermaster, or, when there is none, the
commissary, under the orders of the commanding officer, to procure all articles
required for the prisoners and to hire clerks and other employés.
All bills for service or for articles purchased will be certified by the
quartermaster, and will be paid by the commissary on the order of the commanding
officer, who is held responsible that all expenditures are for authorized
purposes.XI.
The quartermaster will be held accountable for all property purchased
with the prison fund, and lie will make a return of it to the Commissary-General
of Prisoners at the end of each calendar month, which will show the articles
on hand on the first day of the month the articles purchased, issued, and
expended during the month, and the articles remaining on hand. The return
will be supported by abstracts of the articles purchased, issued, and expended,
certified by the quartermaster and approved by the commanding officer.XII.
The commanding officer will cause requisitions to be made by his quartermaster
for such clothing as may be absolutely necessary for the prisoners, which
requisition will be approved by him, after a careful inquiry as to the necessity,
and submitted for the approval of the Commissary-General of Prisoners. The
clothing will be issued by the quartermaster to the prisoners, with the assistance
and under the supervision of an officer detailed for the purpose, whose certificate
that the issue has been made in his presence will be the quartermaster's
voucher for the clothing issued. From the 30th of April to the 1st of October
neither drawers nor socks will be allowed, except to the sick. When army
clothing is issued buttons and trimmings will be taken off the coats and
the skirts will be cut so short that prisoners who wear them will not be
mistaken for U.S. soldiers.XIII.
The sutler for the prisoners is entirely under the control of the commanding
officer, who will require him to furnish the prescribed articles and at reasonable
rates. For this privilege the sutler will be taxed a small amount by the
commanding officer, according to the amount of his trade, which tax will
be placed in the hands of the commissary to make part of the prison fund.
XIV.
All money in possession of prisoners or received by them will be taken
charge of by the commanding officer, who will give receipts for it to those
to whom it belongs. Sales will be made to prisoners by the sutler on orders
on the commanding officer, which orders will be kept as vouchers in the settlement
of the individual accounts. The commanding officer will procure proper books
in which to keep an account of all moneys deposited in his hands, these accounts
to be always subject to inspection by the Commissary-General of Prisoners
or other inspecting officer. When prisoners are transferred from the post
the moneys belonging to them, with a statement of the amount due each, will
be sent with them, to be turned over by the officer in charge to the officer
to whom the prisoners are delivered, who will give receipts for the money.
When prisoners are paroled their money will be returned to them.XV.
All articles sent by friends to prisoners, if proper to be delivered,
will be carefully distributed as the donors may request--such as are intended
for the sick passing through the hands of the surgeon, who will be responsible
for their proper use. Contributions must be received by an officer, who will
be held responsible that they are delivered to the person for whom they are
intended. All uniform clothing, boots, or equipments of any kind for military
service, weapons of all kinds, and intoxicating liquors, including malt liquors,
are among the contraband articles. The material for outer clothing should
be gray or some dark mixed color and of inferior quality. Any excess of clothing
over what is required for immediate use is contraband.XVI.
When prisoners are seriously ill their nearest relatives, being loyal,
may be permitted to make them short visits; but under no other circumstances
will visitors be admitted without the authority of the Commissary-General
of Prisoners. At those places where the guard is inside the inclosure persons
having official business to transact with the commander or other officer
will be admitted for such purposes, but will not be allowed to have any communication
with prisoners.XVII.
Prisoners will be permitted to write and to receive letters, not to
exceed one page of common letter paper each, provided the matter is strictly
of a private nature. Such letters must be examined by a reliable non-commissioned
officer, appointed for that purpose by the commanding officer, before they
are forwarded or delivered to the prisoners.XVIII.
Prisoners who have been reported to the Commissary-General of Prisoners
will not be paroled or released except by authority of the Secretary of War.(*)W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary. General of Prisoners. |