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DETACHED SERVICE.
368. DETACHED Service and the Service of Detachments are
frequently confounded. Whilst the former is a general term, applicable to any duty which
separates an officer from his command proper, the latter is applicable only to a fractional portion of
any command, doing duty separate from the body to which it belongs, no matter whether in the field
or garrison.
369. The Service of Detachments will be treated under the head of
"Commanding Officer." Nearly all the duties that have already been described may
constitute "Detached Service," and are so reported on the returns and reports, when the officer is
thereby separated from his command proper One important duty remains to be alluded to, that
does not come under any of the heads already given, but may be introduced here as
appropriately as elsewhere, under the head of "Recruiting Service."
370. There are other duties which may fall to the lot of
officers, under the head of "Detached Service," that are not strictly military, and, therefore,
out of place here, as the officer often is when called upon to perform them. Such are special missions of a
civil or diplomatic nature, and sometimes the duty may have a political bearing, wherein the
officer is an unfortunate, or it may be a willing, agent of the Administration.
371. It is possible, however, for the duty to be very
appropriate, although not military in its characte. r Such would be negotiations with Indian tribes on the frontier,
the survey of public lands, or other duty in connection with the public domain on remote
frontiers. The reconnaissance and selection of highways through unsettled regions. Such matters
have in times past been entrusted to officers of the Army, and may often be again in the future.
372. "All officers on detached service must report monthly
to the commanders of their posts, of their regiments or corps, and to the Adjutant General, their
stations, the nature of their duties, and the authority placing them thereon, likewise each change of
address." (Reg. 468.) This report is made by letter in the following form:.
FORT COLUMBUS, N.Y. HARBOR,
July 31st, 1865.
ADJUTANT GENERAL, U. S. A.,
Washington, D. C
Sir: I have the honor to report that I am on duty at this port,
with recruits awaiting transportation to the Department of the Pacific, in obedience to
Special Orders No. 100, dated Headquarters Department of the East, July 20th, 1865.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
A._______ B.______
1st Lieut. — th Infantry.
373. RECRUITING SERVICE.—In
order to keep up the Army a certain number of officers and men are detached from each regiment for the purpose of
enlisting men in the service. The different regiments each furnish a certain number of officers,
according to the size of the regiment, to report to one or more field officers who are placed
on duty at favorable points for depots. The field officer is usually called a Superintendent of
the Recruiting Service for a certain designated district.
374. A permanent Recruiting party, composed of noncommissioned
officers and soldiers, who have seen long service, and who are noted for their military
bearing and good conduct, and a proper proportion of musicians are kept at the depots, from which
details are made to be sent to favorable points within the district. The Recruits obtained by
this plan are collected at the depots, and finally forwarded to regiments where most needed throughout
the whole Army. Officers and men on this duty are said to be on the General Recruiting
Service, and the whole is under the direction of the Adjutant General at Washington.
375. In addition to the General Recruiting Service, Recruiting is
also carried on regimentally. The Commanding Officer of the Regiment is the Superintendent of
the Recruiting Service for his Regiment; he details any number of officers as he may think
necessary to recruit for the Regiment wherever it may be stationed. Usually the Adjutant is
the Recruiting officer at Regimental Headquarters, and if the Regiment is divided about at
various posts, there is usually a Recruiting officer for each post, who performs that duty in
addition to the other proper duties of his position. The same principles and rules apply in both systems
of Recruiting. (Reg. 985.)
376. Officers of the Recruiting Service must be well informed in
all matters of accountability, as they have generally to account for all kinds of property, and to
all the respective departments, including the Quartermaster, Commissary, Ordnance, and in
addition the Adjutant General’s Department. From the last he draws his Recruiting funds through
the Superintendent of the Recruiting Service. The same principles apply in the making of
returns to these various departments as if he was an officer of
each.
377. The regulations for the Recruiting Service are very
complete, and no officer who devotes proper time and study can fail to understand them. The general
principles do not vary, but there are constant changes taking place in the details of enlistment as
to the term, the bounty, the premium, the subsisting and clothing, etc., that require to be
specially remembered.
378. The mode of raising troops also varies with the emergency.
The Regulations provide only for the raising of the Regular Army and for a time of peace. In
time of war special acts of Congress govern, or, in the absence of such acts, the temporary
orders of the War Department. Heretofore the people have, in the main, supplied the military
force with men by voluntary enlistment.
379. The system of Regimental Recruiting is likely to be adopted.
Since the adoption of the three battalion formation, each Regiment of the new organization
has a depot for its headquarters, where the invalided soldiers of the Regiment form
the permanent party, the Commanding Officer of the Regiment acts as the Superintendent of
the Recruiting Service for his Regiment, and the depot is the rendezvous from which the
Regiment is kept supplied with men.
380. The old Regiments are still supplied as formerly. There is a
superintendent for the Artillery, Cavalry and Infantry each, and one or more depots as rendezvous
are established throughout the country. Fort Columbus, N. Y., has generally been the depot for
the Infantry in the East, and Newport Barracks, Ky., in the West. Carlisle Barracks has been
the principal depot for the Cavalry. The Artillery has always been favorably situated for
recruiting, and no special depot has been organized for this arm. Remote detachments of the Artillery
arm have been generally supplied with men from the Infantry depot.
381. When a Lieutenant receives a detail for the Recruiting
Service it is followed by an order to report to some superintendent from whom he receives his
instructions as to where he shall establish his recruiting party. He may have several auxiliary
recruiting parties under his charge, each consisting of a non-commissioned officer, two privates and a
drummer and fifer. (Reg. 913.)
382. The essential point in recruiting is to get good serviceable
men; men who are not fit for soldiers are worse than no men at all. Success in recruiting not
only requires that the men shall be obtained, but they must be such men as are contemplated by the
Regulations. The duty must not be left exclusively to the men, the officer must be active
and attentive himself, and not absent himself from his recruiting station without permission. (Reg.
925.) Like every other duty, it requires attention, application and industry.
383. Recruits must not be enticed into the service by deception
or fraud, nor should the recruit be permitted to exercise such means to get into the service. The
rules should be strictly observed in the examination of recruits, and the regulations concerning
minors strictly carried out. Married men are ordinarily, in time of peace, excluded from enlisting.
The oath should not be administered until the eligibility of the recruit has been fully
established. When the oath has been administered the recruit is duly
enlisted.
384. The Recruiting Officer should be provided with clothing with
which to supply his men, he must either have quarters and fuel and provisions furnished by
the Quartermaster and Commissary Departments, or he must obtain them by contract. (Reg.
1204.) Various ways are authorized by Regulations, all of which involve an accountability
that the officer must fully comprehend, as he will be held strictly responsible.
385. He must provide medical attendance for the men when they get
sick, if there is not a medical officer of the Army present to attend them. (Reg. 939.)
Physicians are not to be employed for the purpose of examining Recruits only; if it is
necessary to employ a physician on account of sickness, he may also be required to examine Recruits
as to their physical condition for the service. (Reg. 938.)
386. A variety of accounts are involved in the enlistment of
soldiers which must be kept separate, to enable the auditing officer to give due credit to
the various appropriations from which the accounts are paid, notwithstanding that the officer may
be authorized to pay them from the Recruiting funds in his hands. The general rules for making
out accounts must be well studied and adhered to. (Reg. 963; par. 395.)
387. In the case of a detachment of Recruits for a length of time
the same duties and responsibilities that pertain to a Company Commander, are
performed by the Commanding Officer of the detachment; like the Captain, he is accountable
for the clothing, subsistence and instruction of the men; they should be supplied and governed in
the same way the men of a company should be.
388. Great care is to be observed in the making of the original
record of the Recruit; his correct name in full, age, and description, and a count of bounty,
clothing, advance pay, etc., etc., correctly entered. The man’s future history depends greatly
upon the correctness of his descriptive roll, and, perhaps, a great deal of inconvenience may
be saved him, for if his papers are not correct in this respect, it may stop his pay for a long
time until his record, or what is now commonly called his descriptive list or roll, can be corrected.
389. It must be remembered that from the moment a soldier is
enlisted, his military history should accompany him in the form of his descriptive list, and his
immediate commander is made responsible for this. He starts from the station where be was
enlisted with it, and if it is wrong then it is likely to be wrong throughout until corrected. Should
the error continue for any great length of time it will be very difficult to correct it.
390. A descriptive book is required to be kept at each Recruiting
station wherein the name of each Recruit is entered, and his history up to the time of his
leaving the station, and then a copy of this record accompanies him to his new post. This constitutes
the usual muster and descriptive roll that is required to accompany every detachment of Recruits
sent forward. (Reg. 982.)
391. The stationery and blank books required at a Recruiting
station are purchased by the Recruiting officer. The blanks, money, etc., for carrying on his
duty at the station, are obtained
by timely requisition on the Superintendent of the Recruiting
Service, whose duty it is to obtain the necessary blanks from the proper bureau. (Reg. 954.)
392. When an officer is relieved from the Recruiting Service, or
when the Recruiting station is broken up, he turns over to the person directed to relieve him,
or such other person as may be indicated in the order, all the property and funds in his
possession. If no one is directed to relieve him, he will usually receive the necessary orders as to the
disposition to make of such funds and property as he may be responsible for. In the event that no one
is designated, he can turn over his funds to a paymaster, or to an assistant treasurer to the credit
of the United States. Property that cannot be turned over should be sold, and the sales accounted
for, and the proceeds taken up to the credit of the United States.
393. It may occur that, from some cause, the necessary funds may
be delayed. In such a case the liabilities incurred are provided for, as in all other cases,
certified accounts in the required form are given, and these can be paid by the successor, or by the
department to which the account appertains, should the officer be relieved, or any event occur
that would prevent him from settling the account, before funds arrive. It is the officer’s
duty to guard against any event that might deprive the creditor of his just dues.
394. The following are the accounts, returns, etc., to be
rendered by officers on Recruiting Service: (Reg. 962.)
To the Second Auditor of the Treasury.
1. Recruiting Accounts
Current, monthly, with
abstracts, vouchers, and one set of enlistments. An account will be rendered by every officer who may receive
funds, whether he makes expenditures or not during the month. To
the Third Auditor of the Treasury.
2. (When required to disburse quartermaster’s or subsistence
funds,) such money accounts as may be required by the regulations of those departments
respectively.
To the Adjutant General.
3. Monthly estimates for
funds, by superintendents.
4. Recruiting account current, monthly,
with an abstract of disbursements (no vouchers). An account will be rendered by every officer who may receive funds,
whether he makes expenditures or not during the month.
5. A quarterly return of
stationery, books, fuel, straw, and such other property as may have
been purchased with the Recruiting funds, with vouchers.
6. A monthly summary
statement of money received,
expended, and remaining on hand, to be transmitted on the last day of each month.
7. A muster roll of
all enlisted men at the rendezvous, including the names of all who
may have joined, whether by enlistment or otherwise, died, deserted, been
transferred or discharged, during the two months embraced in the muster roll.—(See section 11.)
8. Tri-monthly reports of
the state of the Recruiting Service by Recruiting Officers,
according to the prescribed form.
9. Depot tri-monthly
reports of the state of the
Recruiting Service by Superintendents, according to prescribed form..
To the Superintendent.
10. A monthly return of
Recruits and of the Recruiting party, accompanied with one copy of
the enlistment of every Recruit enlisted within the month.
11. Duplicate muster rolls
for pay of the permanent
Recruiting party, which may be sent direct to the nearest paymaster, when authorized by the superintendent. A
triplicate of this roll will be retained at the station.
12. Muster and descriptive
rolls and an account
of clothing of every
detachment of recruits ordered to the principal depot. If the recruits be ordered to
proceed from the Rendezvous direct,
to join any Regiment or Post, these rolls and accounts of
clothing will be delivered to the officer in command of the detachment, a duplicate of each muster and
descriptive roll only being then made and sent to the superintendent
13. Monthly abstract of
disbursements on account of
contingencies of the Recruiting Service. Copy to be forwarded within three days after the expiration of
each month.
14. Monthly estimates for
funds.
15. Estimates for
clothing, and camp and garrison equipage, and for arms and
accoutrements for six or twelve months, or for such times as may be directed by the
Superintendent.
16. Quarterly return of
clothing, camp and garrison equipage, and of all Quartermaster’s property in his possession, not including property, purchased
with recruiting funds. Copy to be sent to superintendent.
17. Tri -monthly report. Copy
sent to the Superintendent.
To the Quartermaster General.
18. (When required to disburse Quartermaster’s funds, or to
receive property belonging to that department,) such money and property accounts as may be required
by the regulations of that department.
To the Commissary General of Subsistence.
19. (When required to disburse subsistence funds, or to receive
property belonging to that department,) such money and property accounts as may be required by the
regulations of that department.
To the Chief of Ordnance.
20. A quarterly return of
arms, accoutrements, ammunition, and of all Ordnance stores.
395. The following rules must be observed in making out and
forwarding accounts and papers: (Reg. 963.)
1. Letters addressed to the Adjutant General "on
Recruiting Service." will
be so endorsed on the envelopes, under the words "official business;" if on
recruiting service for volunteers, they will be endorsed "on
Volunteer Recruiting Service," under
those words.
2. The funds of one department must not be used to liquidate the
debts of another.
3. If an officer’s station is changed, or he is temporarily
relieved from recruiting duties, his
money accounts will not be closed; they will be kept open till
the end of the quarter, so that all money received and disbursed in the quarter may be embraced in
one account.
4. Officers, in signing accounts and papers, must give their rank
and regiment or corps.. 99
5. Each voucher must be separately entered on the abstract of
contingent expenses, and only the gross amount of the abstract must be entered on the account
current.
6. No expenditure must be charged without a proper voucher to
support it.
7. The receipt to the voucher must be signed, when practicable,
by a principal. When this is not practicable, the recruiting officer will add to his own
certificate a statement that the agent is duly authorized to sign the receipt.
8. When an individual makes "his mark," instead of
signing his name to the receipt, it must be witnessed by a third person.
9. Expenditures must be confined to items stated in the
regulations. In an unforeseen emergency, requiring a deviation from this rule, a full explanation must be
appended to the voucher for the expenditure; and, if this be not satisfactory, the account will
be charged in the treasury against the Recruiting Officer.
10. In all vouchers the different items, with dates and cost of
each, must be given. To vouchers for transportation of officers, a copy of the order under which
the journey was performed, must be appended.
11. In vouchers for medical attendance and medicines, the name of
each patient, date of, and charge for, each visit, and for medicine furnished, must be
given, and the certificate of the physician added, that the rates charged are the usual rates of
the place.
12. To each voucher for notices inserted in newspapers or
posters, a copy of the notice or poster will be appended.
13. Monthly accounts current must exhibit the numbers of treasury
drafts and dates of their receipt; and when funds are transferred, the names of officers
from whom they are received, or to whom they are turned over, with the dates of transfer.
14. Fractions of cents are not to be taken up on accounts
current. Enlistments must be filled up in a fair and legible hand. The real
name of the recruit must be
ascertained, correctly spelled, and written in the same way wherever it occurs; the Christian
name must not be
abbreviated. Numbers must be written, and not expressed by figures. Each
enlistment must be endorsed as indicated on the blanks furnished, the number in each
month to correspond with the
names alphabetically arranged.
15. Whenever a soldier re-enters the service, the officer who
enlisted him will endorse on the enlistment, next below his own name and regiment, "second
(or third) enlistment," as the case may be, together with the name of the regiment and the letter of
the company in which the soldier last served, and date of discharge from former
enlistment. This information the recruiting officer must obtain, if possible, from the soldier’s discharge,
which he should, in all cases, be required to exhibit.—(See 22d Art. of War.)
16. Re-enlistments must be forwarded with Recruiting accounts,
although any bounty due on them may not be paid. When the bounty is subsequently paid, the
soldier’s receipt is to be taken on a voucher showing date and place of re-enlistment, company and
regiment, and by whom re-enlisted.
17. The filling up of, and endorsement on, the enlistment, will
be in the handwriting of the Recruiting Officer, or done under his immediate inspection.
18. To facilitate the final settlement of accounts of discharged
soldiers, the name of the State,
as well as the town, where each recruit is enlisted, will be
recorded on all muster, pay, and descriptive rolls.
19. Rolls, returns, and accounts will be accompanied by a letter
of transmittal, enumerating them, and referring to no other
subject..
20. All copies of papers to
accompany letters or accounts should be certified by an officer
as "true copies."
21. Each voucher should
be complete in itself, being accompanied by all orders and
explanations necessary to make it fully understood.
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