September 23, 1862, the Secretary of the Treasury was authorized to issue such amount of bonds, certificates of stock, and Treasury notes," in addition to those already issued, as might be required to pay the appropriations made by the first congress in its first and second sessions. The bonds issued under the act of April 18, 1862, were also increased from fifty to one hundred millions. Treasury notes under the denomination of $5 were increased to ten millions." September 23, 1862, the officers of engineers in the Provisional Army, authorized by the law of April 21, were given the same rank as officers of the same corps in the Regular Army of the Confederate States. The strength of the provisional corps of engineers was fixed at 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 6 majors, 40 captains, 30 first lieutenants, and 20 second lieutenants; total, 100." September 27, 1862, the Signal Corps was increased by 1 major, 10 first lieutenants, 10 second lieutenants, and 20 sergeants, making in all 1 major, 10 captains, 10 first lieutenants, 10 second lieutenants, and 30 sergeants." FORMATION OF A SECOND RESERVE. The same day, September 27, a second reserve for the Confederate armies was formed by the extension of the age of conscription from 35 to 45. The law prescribed as an amendment to the original conscription act of April 16, 1862: That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized to call out and place in the military service of the Confederate States for three years, unless the war should have been sooner ended, all white men who are residents of the Confederate States between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five years at the time the call or calls may be made, and who are not at such time or times legally exempted from military service, or such part thereof as, in his judgment may be necessary to the public defence, such call or calls to be made under the provisions and according to the terms of the act of which this is an amendment; and such authority shall exist in the President during the present war as to all persons who now are, or may hereafter become, eighteen years of age, and when once enrolled, all persons between the ages of eighteen and forty-five shall serve their full time: Provided, That if the President, in calling out troops into the service of the Confederate States shall first call for only a part of the persons between the ages hereinbefore stated, he shall call for those between the ages of thirty-five and any other age less than forty-five: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be understood as repealing or modifying any part of the act to which this is amendatory, except as herein expressly stated: And provided further, That those called out under this act, and the act to which this is an amendment, shall be first and immediately ordered to fill to their maximum number the companies, battalions, squadrons, and regiments from the respective States at the time the act to further provide for the public defense, approved sixteenth April, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, was passed, and the surplus, if any, shall be assigned to organizations formed from each State since the passage of that act, or placed in new organizations to be officered by the State having such residue, according to the laws thereof, or disposed of as now provided by law: Prorided, That the President is authorized to suspend the execution of this act, or the act to which this is an amendment, in any locality where he may find it impracticable to execute the same, and that in such locality, and during said suspension, the president is authorized to receive troops into the Confederate service under any of the acts passed by the Confederate Congress prior to the passage of the act to provide further for the public defense, approved sixteenth April, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.d October 8, 1862, the Confederate President was authorized to establish camps of instruction for persons enrolled in the military service, in such places in the several States as he might deem necessary. He was also authorized to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, officers in the Provisional Army, with the rank of major, to superintend and command the camps." This costly expedient was rendered absolutely necessary by the want of regimental depots. A second act, October 8, 1862, amended the conscription law of April 16, so that few persons could escape enrollment. It prescribed: That all persons subject to enrollment for military service may be enrolled under instructions from the War Department and reported by the enrolling officer wherever found, whether within the State or county of their residence or not, and when so enrolled shall be subject to the provision of law as fully as if enrolled within the county and State of which they may be residents: Provided, That this act shall not extend to any member of a military organization under any State law while he remains in actual service within the limits of his State: And provided further, That the President is authorized to suspend the execution of this act, as regards the residents of any locality where he may find it impracticable to execute the act entitled “An act to further provide for the public defense," approved April sixteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and the act to amend the last-mentioned act, approved September twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and sixty-two.b A third act added to the Adjutant and Inspector-General's Department of the Regular Confederate Army, one Assistant Adjutant-General with the rank of colonel. October 9, 1862, the Confederate President was authorized to organize a permanent military court to attend each army corps in the field. The court consisted of three members having the rank and pay of colonels of cavalry, the members to hold their offices during war, or until the court should be abolished by Congress. A judge-advocate was also appointed for each court with the rank of major. Each court was authorized to appoint its own provost-marshal with the rank of captain of cavalry, who was charged with attending its sittings and executing its orders. It could also appoint a clerk, and was granted the same authority as courts martial to punish contempt, compel attendance of witnesses, and enforce the sentences and judgments. Two members of the court constituted a quorum. The jurisdiction of the court extended to all offenses previously cognizable by courts-martial, and also to murder, manslaughter, arson, rape, robbery, and larceny when committed by any private or officer in the Army of the Confederate States against any other privates or officers in the Army, or against the property or person of any citizen or other person not in the Army. Offenders above the grade of colonel were not included in the jurisdiction of the courts, which were authorized to inflict the same punishments as courts-martial.c October 11, 1862, the Confederate President was authorized to accept such regiments or battalions, as prior to October 1, 1862. had been organized in good faith, under authority of the Secretary of War or any general officer-this notwithstanding the regiments were composed in part of persons between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. The same authority was extended to battalions or regiments composed of conscripts organized by general officers west of the Mississippi. The third section authorized the acceptance of regiments or battalions raised in middle and west Tennessee (then occupied by Union troops). a Chap. XXIX. Chap. XXXIV. с Chap. XXXVI. The men in the original organizations were granted permission to elect their officers, but thereafter all appointments and promotions were to be made by the Confederate President, in conformity with the act of April 16.a A second law, October 11, 1862, directed that a place of rendezvous be established in each county, parish, or district where persons enrolled for military duty should report for examinations by surgeons employed by the Confederate Government. The second section recognized the Congressional district as the natural limit for territorial recruitment, by prescribing that there should be appointed in each, an examining board consisting of three surgeons, who were to conduct the examinations at the rendezvous designated. Persons who through sickness were unable to attend for examination, were reported to the commander of the nearest camp of instruction, to whom they were to present themselves as soon as their disability was removed. A third act, October 11, 1862, increased the rigors of conscription by diminishing the number of exemptions. Persons exempted on account of religious scruples, were compelled to furnish substitutes or pay a tax of $500. October 13, 1862, the Confederate President was authorized to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in case of arrests made by the authorities of the Confederate government, or for offenses committed against it, the act to continue in force for thirty days after the next meeting of Congress. A second act gave commutation in lieu of quarters to the "superintendent of the army intelligence office." A third act made the pay of cadets of the service of Confederate States the same as that of second lieutenants." EXAMINING BOARDS. A third act, and one of the most important of the session, authorized every general commanding a Department, whenever the good of the service and the efficiency of his command" required it, to appoint an "examining board" to inquire into the qualifications of such officers as might be brought before it. The report of the board was to be forwarded by the Department Commander, through the War Department, to the Confederate President, who was authorized to honorably retire without pay or allowances, or drop any officer found unfit for his position. The fourth section, recognizing the importance of personal reports, and also relieving them of the odium of being "confidential," prescribed: That in order to secure reliable information of the efficiency and competence of officers, it is hereby made the duty of each officer commanding a regiment, separate battalion, company, battery, or squadron to make to his immediate commanding officer, who shall transmit the same to the brigadier-general commanding, a monthly report, in tabular form, a copy whereof shall be retained by the reporting officer, subject to the inspection of all officers interested therein, containing a list of all commissioned officers of such regiment, separate battalion, company, battery, or squadron, in which shall be stated the number of days each officer has been absent from his command, with or without, or on sick leave, the number of times each officer has been observed to have been absent from his command, when on march or in action, wehn and where each officer has been observed to have performed signal acts of service, when and where negligent in the performance of duty and inattentive to the security and economy of public property, printed blank forms of which said reports, shall be furnished by the Secretary of War, for the use of the officers whose duty it is to make such reports.a The fifth section, while continuing the objectionable principle of company promotion, reaffirmed the right of the Confederate President to make the appointments and promotions in the Provisional Army. It prescribed: That whenever any officer of a company, battalion, squadron, or regiment shall have been dropped or honorably retired, in accordance with the provisions of this act, then the officer next in rank shall be promoted to the vacancy, if competent, such competency to be ascertained as provided in the first and second sections of this act, and if not competent then the next officer in rank shall be promoted, and so on until all the commissioned officers of the company, battalion, squadron, or regiment shall have been gone through with, and if there be no officer of the company, battalion, squadron, or regiment competent to fill the vacancy, then the President shall, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, fill the same by appointment: Provided, That the officer appointed shall be from the same State as that to which the company, battalion, squadron, or regiment belongs: And provided further, That nothing herein contained shall be construed as limiting the power heretofore conferred upon the President by existing laws, to fill any vacancy by the promotion of officers or the appointment or privates "distinguished in the service by the exhibition of extraordinary valor and skill:" And provided further, That vacancies arising under the operation of this act in regiments or battalions which were organized under the laws of a State for the war, or for a period not yet expired, shall be filled as in case of death or resignation. MEDALS OF HONOR AND BADGES OF DISTINCTION. A fourth act authorized the Confederate President to bestow medals upon officers "conspicuous for courage and good conduct on the field. of battle," and also to confer a badge of distinction upon one private or noncommissioned officer of each company after every signal victory it shall have assisted to achieve." The principle of election which throughout the war proved so detrimental to the discipline of the Confederate armies, was recognized in the manner of bestowing the badge of distinction. The law prescribed: That the noncommissioned officers and privates of the company who may be present on the first dress parade thereafter may choose, by a majority of their votes, the soldier best entitled to receive such distinction, whose name shall be communicated to the President by commanding officers of the company, and if the award fall upon a deceased soldier, the badge thus awarded him shall be delivered to his widow, or if there be no widow, to any relative the President may adjudge entitled to receive it. The principle of bestowing rewards by election is recognized in the regulation for conferring the Victoria Cross. As a practical application, it is reported that when one was given to a battery of horse artillery which had achieved great distinction in the siege of Delhi, the men unanimously bestowed it upon the cook. By a fifth act, of October 13, 1862, "for the purpose of local defense in any portion of the Confederate States," any number of persons not less than twenty, who were over 45 years of age or were not otherwise liable to military duty, were authorized— to associate themselves as a military company, elect their own officers, and establish rules and regulations for their own government. a Sec. 4, Chap. LVII, second session, first congress. Chap. LXI. The local volunteers, who could be disbanded at any time by the Confederate President, were declared to be a part of the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, "serving without pay or allowances, and entitled, when captured by the enemy, to all the privileges of prisoners of war." The sixth act, of October 13, 1862, and the last of the second session of the First Congress, authorized the appointment of twenty general officers, to be assigned to such appropriate duties as the Confederate President might deem expedient. a THIRD SESSION, FIRST CONFEDERATE CONGRESS. The third session of the First Confederate Congress began at Richmond, January 12, 1863, and ended May 1, 1863. The extravagance of the Confederate military policy may be inferred by a few extracts from the act making appropriations for the support of the Government for the period from February 1, 1863, to June 30, 1863, as also to supply deficiencies prior thereto: Quartermaster's Department: Pay of the Army Transportation of troops, stores, purchase of horses, etc For bounty of $50 to soldiers in service for three years or the war, $119, 270, 771 47, 708, 308 3, 000, 000 48, 656, 500 15,900, 000 3,540, 000 3, 000, 000 241, 075, 579 February 20, 1863, the Secretary of the Treasury was authorized to adjust the true amount of "war tax" due from the State of Alabama and to refund any amount overpaid by the State." March 20, 1863, the Secretary of War was authorized to select one company of engineer troops from each infantry division in the service; the companies to be organized into regiments of ten companies, with the usual field and staff. Mounted engineers were also authorized to be selected from the cavalry. IMPRESSMENTS. At no time did the Confederate Congress permit the war to languish, through hesitation or fear to exercise its constitutional powers. When volunteer enlistments failed, it boldly resolved to raise armies by conscription, and when, in consequence of an exhausting policy, its notes became so depreciated that the people refused them supplies, it as boldly resolved to support its armies by taxes in kind and impressments. The first section of the act of March 26, 1863, regulating impressments, prescribed That whenever the exigencies of any army in the field are such as to make impressments of forage, articles of subsistence, or other property absolutely necessary, then such impressments may be made by the officer or officers whose duty it is to furnish such forage, articles of subsistence, or other property for such army. cases where the owner of such property and the impressing officer cannot agree a Chap. LXIII. Chap. VI. c Chap. VII. In |