>ZSa APCHWK / HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, January S, 1864.— Read first and secon'l times, and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs and ordered to be printed. [By Mr, Atkins.] A. J3ILL To be entitled An Act to increase the eftective force of the '* Pro- visional Army of the Confederate States." 1 SccTio.N 1 . The Con,s;res's of the Confederate States' of America 2 do enact. Hereafter it .s;ball not be lawful for the President, 3 Secretary of War or any officer of the Government, to detail any 4 able-bodied man, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five 5 years, to any employment whatever, in the service of any provost 6 marshal, commandant of a post or a^ a guard upon any rail- 7 road, except to guajd Federal and Confederate prisoners or in the 8 collection of tythes and array supplies of any kind, either in the 9 commissary or quartermaster departments, or in hospitals, or in 10 the nitre and mining bureau, and all details, heretofore granted, 1 1 for any such purpose is hereby revoked : Provided, That this act 12 shall not be so construed as to preclude the appointment of com- 13 missioned officor.s to superintend any such service. 1 Sec. 2., It shall be lawful, and it is hereby made the duty of 2 the Secretary of War, to employ for all such service, men unfit 3 by reason of corporeal disability for military duty in the field ; 4 and if a sufficient nuin1)er of that class, cannot be obtained, he 5 shall have power to enroll and enlist, under laws already made, 6 and provided, such number of men without families, over the age 7 of forty-five and under that of sixty year^, for such length of 8 time as he may think proper, not to exceed three years or during 9 the war ; and such men when thuj? enrolled and enlisted and placed 10 on duty, .shall be entitled to the same pay and allowances, rights 11 and privileges of soldiers in the field of the infantry arm. 1 Skc. 3. Any officer or other person, authoriztd to rai.se a 2 company, battalion, squadron or regiment, shall, upon penalty 3 of being reduced to the ranks, report to the officer commanding the 4 department within three months from the time his leave of ab- 5 sence is granted to go on such duty; except that the officer or 6 person authorized to raise a battalion, squadron or regiment, 7 shall be allowed four months time, to complete such organization. 8 All persons authorized to raised companies, before the 1st day of 9 December, 1863, shall report to the general commanding the 10 department, by the 13th day of Febiuary, next; and any such 1 1 officer or person failing to show his muster rolls, and have the 12 men in carop, shall be amenable to the penalty prescribed in th« 13 foregoing part of this section. 1 Skc. i. All persons purporting to be upon the staff of any 3 general or field officer, or in their special service, and who has :i not a commission setting forth their rank, shall immediately re- 4 port to the oflicer commanding the department, and take their 5 places in the ranks ms other soldiers, the privilege being allowed 6 them to select their arm of service. And all persons without 7 commissions, engaged in enrolling and enlisting eoldies and cap- 8 turiiig iuid returning stragglers an- Tart: