CHAPTER CVI. An act to amend an act, entitled, "An act making further provision for military services during the late war, and for other purposes." dren of soldiers SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re- Widows and chil presentatives of the United States of America in Congress of militia, volunassembled, That the widows and children of soldiers of teers, rangers, and sea-tencibles, the militia, the volunteers, the rangers, and the sea- &c. placed on an fencibles, who served during the late war, and for equality. whom half pay for five years was provided, by an act passed on the sixteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, entitled "An act making further provision for military services during the late war, and for other purposes," shall be placed on an equality as to their annual allowance, that is to say: Rate of annual Such widows, and in case of no widow, such children, allowance, as may be embraced in the before-recited act, shall be entitled to receive, (as the half pay to which they are entitled,) at the rate of forty-eight dollars per annum, and no more; and the widows and children aforesaid, of the officers of the different corps aforesaid, shall be entitled to the half pay of the officers of the infantry. act fixing the mi 3d March, 1815, tional pay, ex masters, &c. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the provi- Provisions of the sions contained in an act, entitled "An act fixing the litary peace es military peace establishment of the United States,"+tablishment, of passed on the third of March, one thousand eight hun- concerning addidred and fifteen, granting to the commissioned officers tended to wagonof the regular army, who were deranged by said act, three months' pay in addition to the pay and emoluments to which they were entitled by law at the time of their discharge, shall equally extend to wagon-masters, forage-masters, barrack-masters, and other warrant officers of the staff of the regular army, who were deranged by the before-recited-act, except those provisionally retained by the president of the United States. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the further Further time to time of two years shall be allowed to the guardians of funds for linquishment of the minor children of deceased soldiers, to relinquish bounty lands,&c. their claims to bounty lands for five years' half pay, according to the second section of the before-recited act, to which this is a supplement, passed the sixteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen.t SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the widows Widows and chil *For original act, see chapter 96. †See chapter 95. The time allowed to relinquish claims to bounty lands, is further extended for three years, by act of 3d March, 1819, chapter 117. missioned officers dren of non-com- and children of the non-commissioned officers of the of the rangers, rangers, shall be placed on the same footing as to half pay, for five years, with the widows and children of the infantry. &c. Provisions of the 2d section of the 1816, extended, &c. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the provisions act of 16th April, of the second section of the act to which this is a supplement, shall be, and the same are hereby, extended to all cases where either of the children therein mentioned shall have been under sixteen years of age at the time of the Proviso; as to as- father's decease: Provided, The guardian of such minor children shall, in addition to the relinquishment by said act required, file, in the office of the department of war, evidence of the assent of all the other heirs, if any there be, of said deceased soldier, or of their guardians, to such relinquishment. sent of other heirs. Relinquishment of title to bounty SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That in all cases land entitles chil- where the child or children of a regular soldier, desoldiers to four ceased, have the right, under the laws of the United dolls. per month. States, to relinquish their bounty in land for five years' dren of regular half pay, the said child or children shall be entitled to the same amount as is given by the act to the widows of the militia soldiers who died in service during the late war, viz: four dollars per month. [Approved, March 3, 1817.] The 2d section of the act referred to the heirs, &c. && CHAPTER CVII. An act extending the time for obtaining military land warrants in certain cases. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Reto, not to apply presentatives of the United States of America in Congress of persons killed, assembled, That the provisions of the second section of the act, entitled "An act to provide for designating, surveying, and granting, the military bounty lands,"* passed on the sixth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, which limits the time within which persons entitled to military bounty lands shall make their application for a land warrant, to five years from and after such person shall become entitled thereto, shall not be construed to apply to, affect, or bar, any application for a military land warrant, which may be made by the heirs and representatives of a deceased person, who was entitled thereto by services performed in the late war, or application by the heirs and repre*See chapter 68. sentatives of any non-commissioned officer or soldier killed in action, or who died in the actual service of the United States, and entitled by existing laws to a bounty in lands; but the heirs and representatives of such per- The heirs, &c. ofa sons shall be allowed to make their applications there- such persons may for at any time before the first day of May, one thou- tions until 1st sand eight hundred and twenty; any act to the contra- May, 1820, ry notwithstanding. [Approved, March 27, 1818.] make applica CHAPTER CVIII. An act to establish the flag of the United States. to be 13 stripes SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re- After the 4th Jupresentatives of the United States of America in Congress, 1818, the flag assembled, That, from and after the fourth day of July and 20 stars." next, the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be twenty stars, white in a blue field. new state, SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, on the ad- A star to be admission of every new state into the union, one star be ded for every added to the union of the flag; and that such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission. [Approved, April 4, 1818.] CHAPTER CIX. An act regulating the staff of the army.* of 3d of March, 1815, and of 24th April, 1816, re pealed. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re-Part of the acts presentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That so much of the act "fixing the military peace establishment of the United States," passed the third of March, one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, as relates to hospital stewards and wardmasters, and so much of the "Act for organizing the general staff, and making further provision for the army of the United States," passed April twenty-fourth, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, as relates to hospital surgeons, hospital surgeons' mates, judge advocates, chaplains, and forage, wagon, and barrack, masters, and their assistants, be, and the same is hereby, repealed. *Superseded by the provisions of the act of 2d March, 1821, chap ter 122. †See chapter 95. +See chapter 98. A surgeon general. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, there shall be one surgeon-general, with a salary of two thousand Assistant surgeon five hundred dollars per annum, one assistant surgeongeneral, with the emoluments of a hospital surgeon, one Judge advocate, judge advocate, with the pay and emoluments of a topoChaplain, &c. graphical engineer, to each division, and one chaplain, general. Eight póst surgeons to a division. department to stationed at the military academy at West Point, who shall also be professor of geography, history, and ethics, with the pay and emoluments allowed the professor of mathematics; and that the number of post surgeons be increased, not to exceed eight to each division. SEC. S. And be it further enacted, That so much of the act of the twenty-fourth of April, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, aforesaid, as relates to the quartermaster general of division, shall be repealed; and the Quartermaster's quartermaster's department shall consist, in addition to consist of one the two deputy quartermasters-general, and the four asgeneral, in addi- sistant-deputy quartermasters-general, now authorized, tion to deputies, of one quartermaster-general, with the rank, pay, and Assistant depu emoluments, of a brigadier-general, and as many assisdent deems pro- tant deputy quartermasters-general as the president per, we exceed shall deem proper, not exceeding, in the whole number, quartermaster. &c. ties as the presi not ing twelve. Three months' and emoluments to deranged commissioned offi. cers. twelve. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That to each comadditional pay missioned officer who shall be deranged by virtue of this act, therc shall be allowed and paid, in addition to the pay and emoluments to which they will be entitled by law, at the time of their discharge, three months' pay and emoluments; and that the provisions of this act shall be carried into effect on or before the first day of June next. This act to go into effect on or before 1st June, 1818. Pay, &c. of inspector-generals of divisions raised. A commissarygeneral to be ap pointed by the the consent of president, with the senate. neral's rank, SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the pay and emoluments of the inspector-generals of divisions be, and is hereby, raised to be equal to the pay and emoluments of the adjutant-generals of division. SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That, as soon as the state of existing contracts for the subsistence of the army shall, in the opinion of the president of the United States, permit it, there shall be appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, Commissary-ge one commissary general, with the rank, pay, and emoluments, of colonel of ordnance, who shall, before enBond and secu- tering on the duties of his office, give bond and security, in such sum as the president may direct; and as many Assistant commis- assistants, to be taken from the subalterns of the line, subalterns of the as the service may require, who shall receive twenty line, their pay, dollars per month in addition to their pay in the line, pay, &c. rity. saries from the &c. bond & security. and who shall, before entering on the duties of their office, give bond and security, in such sums as the presi- Assistants to give dent may direct. The commissary-general and his assistants shall perform such duties, in purchasing and is- Duties of comsuing of rations to the army of the United States, as &c. the president may direct. missary-general, contract, on pub delivered in SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That supplies for Supplies to be the army, unless, in particular and urgent cases, the purchased by secretary of war should otherwise direct, shall be pur- lic notice, and chased by contract, to be made by the commissary-ge- bulk, under reneral on public notice, to be delivered, on inspection, prescribed by the in the bulk, and at such places as shall be stipulated; secrets by other. which contract shall be made under such regulations as wise directs. the secretary of war may direct. gulations to be may of war, make alter SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That the president The president may make such alterations in the component parts of ations in the the ration as a due regard to the health and comfort of component parts the army and economy may require. of the ration neral and assis trade, &c. in ar into the ration, except, &c. nor SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That the commis- Commissary-gesary-general and his assistants shall not be concerned, tart to be directly or indirectly, in the purchase or sale, in trade concerned in or commerce, of any article entering into the composi- ticles entering tion of the ration allowed to the troops in the service of the United States, except on account of the United receive emoluStates, nor shall such officer take and apply to his own law. use any gain or emolument for negotiating or transacting any business connected with the duties of his office, other than what is or may be allowed by law; and the commissary-general and his assistants shall be subject neral, &c. subto martial law. ment, except by Commissary.ge ject to martial law. free of postage. 10th sections of SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That all letters Commissary-geto and from the commissary general, which may relate neral's letters to his office duties, shall be free from postage: Provided, Proviso; the 6th, That the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth, sec- 7th, 8th, 9th, and tions of this act shall continue and be in force for the this act in force for five years, term of five years from the passing of the same, and &c. thence until the end of the next session of congress, and no longer.* [Approved, April 14, 1818.] CHAPTER CX. An act regulating the pay and emoluments of brevet officers. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Brevet officers to See chapter 124, by which, the last four sections of this act are con tinued. receive pay, &c. of brevet rank |