musicians of companies will not be separated therefrom. The Coast Artillery Corps and Engineer bands will be assigned to stations by the War Department upon the recommendation of the chiefs of Coast Artillery and Engineers, respectively. Army bands, or members thereof, are prohibited by law from receiving remuneration for furnishing music outside the limits of military posts when the furnishing of such music places them in competition with local civilian musicians.

262. Musical instruments mentioned in paragraph 1179, extra parts therefor, and equipments for bands, including the issue quarterly of one-half ream of music writing paper, upright, 14 staves, size of paper 10 by 13 inches, and one-half ream of music writing paper, oblong, 16 staves, size of paper 13 by 10 inches, will be furnished by the Quartermaster Corps. Musical instruments other than those above referred to may be purchased from available regimental funds. The quartermaster will be accountable for band instruments furnished by the Quartermaster Corps; the adjutant for those purchased from the regimental funds.

263. Regimental commanders will notify The Adjutant General of the Army direct when field or band musicians are required.

264. Commanding officers will require bands to play national and patriotic airs on appropriate occasions. The playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as a part of a medley is prohibited.

ARTICLE XXX.

TROOPS, BATTERIES, AND COMPANIES.

265. The details of captains on detached service away from their arm of the service will be limited, as far as practicable, to those required by law.

266. The commanding officer of a company is responsible for the instruction, tactical efficiency, and preparedness for war service of his company; for its appearance and discipline; for the care and preservation of its equipment; and for the proper performance of duties connected with its subsistence, pay, clothing, accounts, reports, and returns.

267. In the absence of its captain, the command of a company devolves upon the subaltern next in rank who is serving with it, unless otherwise specially directed.

If

268. In the absence of all the officers of a company, the post commander will assign an officer, preferably of the same regiment, to its command. there be no officer available, the fact will be reported to the department commander.

269. Captains will require their lieutenants to assist in the performance of all company duties, including the keeping of records and the preparation of the necessary reports and returns.

270. Noncommissioned officers will be carefully selected and instructed, and always supported by company commanders in the proper performance of their duties. They will not be detailed for any duty nor permitted to engage in any occupation inconsistent with their rank and position. Officers will be cautious in reproving them in the presence or hearing of private soldiers.

271. Company noncommissioned officers are appointed by regimental commanders, or temporarily appointed by battalion commanders, under the conditions stated in paragraph 256, on the recommendation of their company commanders; but in no case will any company organization have an excess of noncommissioned officers above that allowed by law. The noncommissioned officers

of Coast Artillery Corps companies, upon the recommendation of the company commanders, will be appointed by coast defense commanders.

272. To test the capacity of privates for the duties of noncommissioned officers company commanders may appoint lance corporals, who will be obeyed and respected as corporals, but no company shall have more than one lance corporal at a time, unless there are noncommissioned officers absent by authority, during which absences there may be one for each absentee.

273. The captain will select the first sergeant, quartermaster sergeant, and stable sergeant from the sergeants of his company, and may return them to the grade of sergeant without reference to higher authority.

274. Each noncommissioned officer will be furnished with a certificate or warrant of his rank, signed by the regimental commander and countersigned by the regimental adjutant; but a separate warrant as first sergeant, quartermaster sergeant, or stable sergeant will not be given. A warrant issued to a noncommissioned officer is his personal property. Warrants need not be renewed in cases of reenlistment in the same company, if reenlistment is made the day following the day of discharge, but may remain in force until vacated by promotion or reduction, each reenlistment and continuance to be noted on the warrant by the company commander. The warrants for noncommissioned officers of the Coast Artillery Corps companies will be signed by the coast defense commander and countersigned by the coast defense adjutant.

275. Appointments of company noncommissioned officers and acting cooks of the Hospital Corps will take effect on the day of appointment by the authorized commander, and of first sergeants, quartermaster sergeants, stable sergeants, chief mechanics, cooks, artificers, farriers, horseshoers, mechanics, saddlers, wagoners, musicians, trumpeters, and first-class privates on the day of appointment by the company commander; but in case of vacancy in a company absent from regimental and battalion headquarters a company commander may make a temporary appointment of a noncommissioned officer, which will carry rank and pay from the date of such appointment. Information of the appointment will be promptly sent to the regimental commander, and if he disapproves it the increased rank and pay will cease upon receipt by the company commander of such disapproval.

276. A noncommissioned officer may be reduced to the ranks by sentence of a court-martial, or, on the recommendation of the company commander, by the order of the commander having final authority to appoint such noncommissioned officer, but a noncommissioned officer will not be reduced because of absence on account of sickness or injury contracted in the line of duty. If reduced to the ranks by sentence of court-martial at a post not the headquarters of his regiment, the company commander will forward a transcript of the order to the regimental commander. The transfer of a noncommissioned officer from one organization to another carries with it reduction to the ranks unless otherwise specified in the order by authority competent to issue a new warrant.

277. When a noncommissioned officer, while in arrest or confinement, is reduced by sentence of a court-martial, the date of the order publishing the sentence is the date of reduction. In all other cases reduction takes effect on the date of receipt of the order at the soldier's station.

The desertion of a noncommissioned officer vacates his position from the date of his unauthorized absence.

278. Chief mechanics, cooks, farriers, horseshoers, mechanics, artificers. saddlers, wagoners, musicians, trumpeters, and first-class privates are enlisted as privates, and after joining their companies are appointed by their respective company commanders. For inefficiency or misconduct they are subject to reduc

tion by the same authority.

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279. A soldier may, when necessary, be relieved from ordinary military duty to make, repair, or alter uniforms. The post exchange council will fix the rates to be charged, which will not exceed the cost of doing such work at the clothing depot, and company commanders will cause to be deducted from the pay of enlisted men and turned over to the proper person the amount properly due therefor. The provisions of this paragraph will be construed to apply to civilian tailors, who conform to prices fixed by post exchange council,, as well as to enlisted men detailed for that duty by proper authority.

280. The following-named books of record, reports, and papers will be kept in each company: A correspondence book, a sick report, a morning report, and, in companies supplied with public animals, a file of descriptive cards of public animals, all to be furnished by the Adjutant General's Department; also a company council book, a record of individual property responsibility of enlisted men, and a record of punishments awarded by the company commander under the provisions of paragraph 953, to be furnished by the Quartermaster Corps. There will also be kept, on blanks supplied by the Adjutant General's Department, a complete record, description, and accounts of all men who belong to or who have belonged to the company. A record of vaccinations will be kept on these blanks.

There will also be kept a document file, orders and instructions received from higher authority, and retained copies of the various rolls, reports, and returns required by regulations and orders.

Where copies of orders affecting the company are not supplied, the orders will be copied, if practicable, attested by the adjutant, and placed on the order file. 281. There will also be kept in each company or detachment retained copies of all returns of property pertaining to the company and full information respecting all quartermaster and all other supplies held on memorandum receipt, showing list of articles, date of receipt, from whom received, and the name of the officer who signed the memorandum receipt therefor; also an account of all articles turned in, expended, stolen, lost, or destroyed; and the company or detachment commander will have a settlement with the staff officers concerned quarterly and when relinquishing his command.

Of the books, reports, and papers referred to in this and in the preceding paragraph, the correspondence book, the document file, the records of enlisted men as kept in descriptive and deposit books or on loose leaves, the muster rolls, the monthly returns, and all other returns of the personnel, and the general orders and circulars of the War Department will be permanently preserved. Division and department orders, except extracts of special orders, will be disposed of under instructions of the division or department commander when the company is relieved from duty in the division or department.

The other books, reports, and papers will be kept five years, reckoned from the close of the period of their use in case of books and reports and from their dates in case of papers, when they will be destroyed under direction of the commanding officer.

The disposition of retained papers relating to an officer's accountability for public property is vested in the accountable officer.

282. A duty roster will be kept in each company on blank forms furnished by the Adjutant General's Department; used blank forms will be held one year and will then be destroyed.

INTERIOR ECONOMY OF COMPANIES.

283. Company, band, and detachment commanders will make a complete inspection of their organizations under arms every Saturday. They will also 2402°-13-5

make a daily inspection of the men's quarters and kitchens, giving particular attention to cleanliness and the proper preparation of food, and noting whether all lamps in use have been cleaned, filled, and made ready for lighting, before dark. No one will be excused from Saturday inspection except the guard and the sick in hospital. Cavalry and field artillery will habitually be inspected mounted.

284. The company commander will cause the enlisted men of the company to be numbered and divided into squads, each under the charge of a noncommissioned officer. As far as practicable the men of each squad will be quartered together.

285. In quarters the name of each soldier will be attached to his bunk, arms will be kept in racks, and accouterments and sabers will be hung up by the belts,

286. Strict attention will be paid by company commanders to the cleanliness of the men and to the police of barracks or tents. The men will be required to bathe frequently. In garrison, and whenever practicable in the field, they will be required to wash their hands thoroughly after going to the latrines and before each meal, in order to prevent the transmission of typhoid fever and other diseases by germs taken into the mouth with food from unclean hands. The hair will be kept short and the beard neatly trimmed. Soiled clothing will be kept in the barrack bag.

287. A thorough police of barracks will precede the Saturday inspection. The chiefs of squads will see that bunks and bedding are overhauled, floors, tables, and benches scoured, arms and accouterments cleaned, and all leather articles polished.

288. Chiefs of squads will be held responsible for the cleanliness of their men. They will see that those who are to go on duty put their arms, accouterments, and clothing in the best order, and that such as have passes leave the post in proper dress.

289. Soldiers will wear uniform in camp and garrison. When on fatigue they will wear suitable fatigue dress.

290. Company commanders will see that all public property in the possession of enlisted men is kept in good order, and that missing or damaged articles are duly accounted for.

291. Company commanders are responsible for text books and other official publications issued for the use of their companies.

292. Enlisted men will not take their arms apart except by permission of a commissioned officer under proper supervision, and only in the manner prescribed in the descriptive pamphlet of the arm issued by the Ordnance Department. The polishing of blued or browned parts of small arms, rebluing or rebrowning, putting any portion of an arm in a fire, or removing a receiver from a barrel, is prohibited. The mutilation of any part by filing or otherwise, and attempts to beautify or change the finish, are prohibited. Pieces will be unloaded before being taken to quarters or tents, and as soon as the men using them are relieved from duty, unless otherwise ordered. The use of tompions in small arms is forbidden. The prohibition in this paragraph of attempts to beautify or change the finish of arms in the hands of enlisted men is not construed as forbidding the application of raw linseed oil to the wood parts of the arms. This oil is considered necessary for the preservation of the wood, and it may be used for such polishing as can be given by rubbing in one or more coats when necessary. The use of raw linseed oil only will be allowed for redressing, and the application for such purpose of any kind of wax or varnish, including heelball, is strictly prohibited.

293. It is forbidden to use any dressing or polishing material on the leather accouterments or equipments of the soldier, the horse equipments for cavalry, or the artillery harness, except the preparations supplied by the Ordnance Department for that purpose.

294. Equipments will be fitted to the men under the direction of an officer; all other changes are prohibited.

295. Articles of public property issued to a company for its exclusive use will be marked, when practicable, with the number or letter of the company and number and arm of the regiment. Such articles issued to an enlisted man (arms and clothing excepted) will be marked, when practicable, with the number of the man, letter or number of the company, and number of the regiment. Haversacks, canteens, and similar articles of equipment will be uniformly marked on the outside as follows: Cavalry equipments, crossed sabers, with the number of the regiment above and the letter of the troop below the intersection; field artillery equipments, crossed field guns, with the number of the regiment above and the letter of the battery below the intersection; infantry equipments, crossed rifles, with the number of the regiment above and the letter of the company below the intersection; coast artillery corps equipments, crossed cannons, with the number of the company below the intersection of the cannons; and equipments of the special corps of the Army, according to their respective devices. The design will be stenciled in black, the letters and numbers in fullfaced characters. The design will be placed above the letters "U. S." on equipments, and the soldier's number in characters 1 inch high below the letters "U. S." Articles will not be marked with the number of the man in the Hospital Corps and Signal Corps, except the articles issued to men assigned to field companies of the Signal Corps.

MESSING AND COOKING.

296. In camp or barracks where companies are not joined in a general mess the company commander will supervise the cooking and messing of his men. He will see that his company is provided with at least two copies of the Manual for Army Cooks, and that suitable men in sufficient numbers are fully instructed in managing and cooking the ration in the field; also that necessary utensils and implements in serviceable condition, for cooking both in garrison and field, are always on hand, together with the field mess furniture for each man. At a post where all the companies are joined in a general mess the post commander will see that the instruction above mentioned is given. At such a post a company commander will confine his supervision of the mess of his company to observation and to notifying the officer in charge in writing of anything requiring remedy. Should this officer fail to apply proper remedy, report may then be made to the post commander. A department commander will see that each company of his command has the necessary field practice each year. The use in garrison of field ranges or utensils pertaining thereto is forbidden.

297. Kitchens will be placed under the immediate charge of noncommissioned officers, who will be held responsible for their condition and for the proper use of rations. No one will be allowed to visit or remain in the kitchen except those who go there on duty, or are employed therein. The greatest care will be observed in cleaning and scouring cooking utensils.

298. Special regulations for soldiers' fare can not be made to suit each locality and circumstance. Personal care and judgment on the part of company officers are relied on to prevent waste or misuse. By due economy the ration allowance will provide sufficient variety of diet.

299. The Manual for Army Cooks contains comprehensive instructions in cooking, which will be observed as far as practicable,