D C HQ553772 HEAD-QUARTERS DEPARTMENT N T . C. AND SO. VA., ) Inspector General's Office, August 3rd, 1864. > CIRCULAR. T. The following extracts from General Instructions of the War Department are republished for infonRition of Staff officers: Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, j»_ Richmond, June 4'.h, 1864. ) Circular. The following General Instructions are published for the guidance of Inspeetors in the performance of their duties. Duties of Inspectors Serving with Armies. Inspect troops in the manner prescribed by Article XXX, and for the purposes indicated in paragraphs 459 and 460 of the Army Regu^ lations, published by authority of the War Department in 1862. The number, appearance and bearing of officers and men present at inspection, and of their arms and accoutrements, should be ascer* tained, also that all arms, or parts of arms and accoutrements lost, have been properly accounted for, in accordance with General Or* ders, No. 148, of 1863, and No. 6, current series, from the Adjutant and Inspector General's office. ******* The company, regimental and brigade records should be next ex- amined with reference to the strength, present and absent — reporting by name all officers, and numerically, all enlisted men improperly absent from inspection or their commands ; and ascertaining if lists required to be furnished by General Orders, Nos. 125 and 130 of 1863, from the Adjutant and Inspector General's office, are regularly for* warded. ******* See that regimental returns and reports of ordnance are regularly made. Knowing, from inspection, the number of arms in the hands of the men inspected, they, with those in charge of the ordnance scrgeant,and others accounted for by certificates of boards of survey, should cover the responsibility of the regimental commanders. Learn whether the Orders issued from the W T ar Department and the different head quarters of the army are duly promulgated, under- stood and observed throughout the commands inspected. Examine the Medical Department with reference to provision made for Ihe sick, their hospitals, medical supplies, the sanitary conv dition of their commands, iha efficiency and capability of the medical officers, aud that all required returns and reports are promptly ren- dered. The property and money accounts of quartermasters and commissaries should nest bs examined, seeing that they are correct and promptly rendered ; that all public property is properly appropri- ated ; that forage received and issued is only given to animals legiti- mately within thecommaud, and subsistence ouly to troops actually present, and that sales to officers are limited to Regulation allowance — reporting all irregularities and inefficiency or neglect of duty on *he part of officers, aud all employees, vehicles and animals in excess over those authorized in Orders. The Ordnance Department will be similarly examined. The em- ployees in all these departments 3hould be men unfit for active duty in the ranks, as far as the nature of the duties to be performed will permit. ***** Tnspec'ors will frequently ride through and about the neighborhood of their camps, jobserve the condition of enclosures, private proper- ty, crops, &c, &c; repress all irregularis or depredations, and where committed, cause prompt indemnity to the injured and pun- ishment of offenders. * * * * ' * * * Roll calls and an examination of arms, which should be invaria- bly made in every company at the commencement and at the end of each day's march, would measurably prevent both straggling and the loss of arms, and every inspector should secure within his command the publication of an Order enjoining this duty, and look to its strict observance. He will pass frequently along the line of march, cause the ranks to be kept properly closed, and all stragglers, whether of his own or other commands, to rejoin their companies ; or if this ia impracticable, turn them over to the nearest provost guard, to be marched forward and returned at the end of the march. See that the second officer in rank, with one of the medical officers of each 3 regiment or battalion, is in rear of bis command, to preserve order, prevent straggling, and to give written authority to the sick and broken down to ride in the wagons or ambulances moving with the brigade. Note the names of stragglers, and those of their regimental and company commanders, who will beheld responsible for their neglect of duty in permitting such irregularity, and required to give their immediate attention to its correction. See that staff officers in charge of trains or public property are with their respective trusts, and hold them responsible for all irregularities committed by their employee*. Preparatory to battle, inspectors will locate Iheir provost gnai at eligible points for arresting ,vl stragglers; acquaint themselve with the localities of the ordnance, supply and ambulance trains', p.nd of the field hospital?, the character of the grounds in the vicin>« ity of their command?, front and rear, and of all roads to and from the line of battle, and connecting with the main traveled roads in rear; the troops supporting both flanks; the position of reserves; the watchfulness observed by pickets and skirmishers thrown to the front, and report this, and all other information, derived from the examina-* tion, of prisoners or other sources, which may prove important in aidiug his commander in the intelligent performance of hh duties. In the intervals of the fight, where practicable, he will cause to be collected all arms, accoutrements or other movable property left by eur own men or the enemy, to points in rear easily accessible for the wagons. They will keep an account of all captures made by their commands, whether of prisoners or property — sending in a tabular statement of the same alter the battle, in order that each command may receive due credit for its service ; and cause all property cap- tured or collected to be turned over en public account to the officers of the department to which it pertains. * * * * * * * To perform efficiently their duties, inspectors will acquaint thems pelves with the Regulations and Orders governing all branches of liie service, issued from the War Department, or the head quarters of the array with which they are serving. This knowledge is indis*< pensable, as it is the duty of the inspector to see that all orders are understood and obeyed by the command with which he is serving, or which he is inspecting. * * * * * Inspections arc intended to secure greater efficiency ihroughout the service, in procuring the strict observance of orders, the correc- tion of abuses, and in bringing to tbe notice of the authorities tbe merits and demerits of all military officers and organizations; and fcucb other information as will ''acquaint them with the condition of the different commands, and enable them to act advisedly in making any changes necessary for the advancement of the publis interests. gL .By order, (Signed,) S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General. II. Inspectors will make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the following orders from these Head-Quarters : General Order No. 1, Paragraph VII, VIII, and IX. General Order No. 2, Paragraph I to VI. General Order Ncs. 7, 8 and 9, entire. ■ General Order Np. 11, Paragraph I, II, III, and VIII. General Order No. 12, Paragraph III. General Order Nos. 15, 16, 11 and IS, entire. III. In causing property to be collected which has been left by the enemy or our own men after a fight, inspectors will see that brigade and division ordnance officers perform their duty as required by tho General Orders of the War Department and Regulations of the Ord* nance Bureau. Inspectors will also look to the collection of all ordnance store-a v. inch may be lying in the trenches, and its removal by proper oidnance officers. HENKT BRYAN Major and Acting Chief Inspector. Approved. By command of General Beauregard. GEO. WM. BRENT, 'Col. and A. A. Q. Hollinger Corp, P H8.5