quainted with

who has made and subscribed the foregoing declaration, and know that he is the identical person who performed the service therein named; that their knowledge of his identity is derived from That they are disinterested

in the claim, and reside at the place above named.

[Signatures of Witnesses.]

NOTE.-Bounty money can only be claimed at the expiration of two years from the time of enlistment, or at the end of the

war.

Sworn to, and subscribed before me; and I certify that I am not interested in the claim, nor concerned in its prosecution; and I further certify that I know the affiants to be credible witnesses, and that the declarant is the person he represents himself to be. [Officer's Signature.]

Power of Attorney for Drawing Bounty or Pay.

a

of the

Know all men by these presents: That I, company commanded be Captain volunteers, commanded by Colonel of

ment of

in regido

hereby make, constitute, and appoint -, my true and lawful attorney, for me, and in my name, place and stead, to ask, demand, receive and receipt for any and all bounty, pay, or other money due me from the United States Government, for services in said company. And I do hereby authorize my said attorney, for me, to sign the pay roll of said regiment, and perform any and all other acts necessary to be done in the premises as fully, to all intents and purposes, as I, myself, if personally present, could do, hereby ratifying all that my said attorney shall or may do in the premises.

In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand and seal, day of, A. D. 18—.

On this

this

day of, A. D. 18-, before me, a

within and for said county, personally came

to me well known to be the identical person he represents himself to be. and acknowledged the signing and sealing of the foregoing power of attorney for the purposes therein expressed.

And I certify that I have no interest whatsoever in the claim of the said

[Officer's Signature.]

FORMS AND REGULATIONS RELATING TO PAY AND ALLOWANCES FOR SERVICES IN THE ARMY.

Claims for pay, extra pay, allowances and bounties, for services in the army, during the war of 1812, should be presented to the Third Auditor; for services rendered since that time the Second Auditor; and for services in the navy or marine corps, whether in the war of 1812 or since that time, to the Fourth Auditor of the Treasury. A volunteer or soldier should receive, at the time of his discharge, a regular discharge, and two duplicate pay certificates.

With these papers he can be paid by any paymaster of the army on their presentation. If the discharged volunteer or 30ldier has failed to obtain such certificates, and the regiment to which he has belonged is disbanded or beyond his reach, or if he has obtained such certificates, and payment has for any reason been refused upon their presentation to a paymaster of the army, he should make a declaration over his signature according to the Form of Application for Arrears of Pay and Bounty, and forward such declaration, together with his pay certificates and discharge [if he has them, if not, their absence must be accounted for in said declaration] to the Second Auditor of the Treasury Department, at Washington. Such claim will be audited by the Department, and the result communicated to claimant or his attorney.

Soldiers not entitled to Pay.

The 1,638th section of the United States Army Regulations provides as follows: "In case any individual shall be discharged within three months after entering the service, for a disability which existed at that time, he shall receive neither pay nor allowances, except subsistence and transportation to his home.

Soldiers not Discharged.

A volunteer or soldier at home on a furlough, or for any other cause absent from his regiment on pay day, should send power of attorney to some member of his regimen: [captain preferred], authorizing such person to draw his pay.

Official Instructions of the Second Auditor of the Treasury Department in Preparing Claims for Soldiers' Pay and Bounty.

To enable those who may have claims upon the United States, for money due deceased officers and soldiers, on account of services rendered, whether in the regular or volunteer service, to obtain the same, with the least delay, the following informatio is furnished.

Order of Payment:

ORDER FIRST.-If the deceased was married, payment will be made: first, to the widow; second, if no widow, to his child or children (if minors, to the guardian).

ORDER SECOND.-If he died unmarried: first, to the father; second, if the father is dead, to the mother; third, if both parents are dead, to the brothers and sisters collectively; lastly, tc the heirs general (to be distributed in accordance with the laws of the State in which the deceased had his domicile).

Application, Proof, and Authentication:

APPLICATION.-The claimant or claimants must make a written application, under oath, and over his, her, or their own signature, stating his, her, or their name, age, residence, connection to the deceased, with the letter or name of the captain of the company and regiment to which he belonged; time of his death and the nature of the pay claimed-whether " arrears of pay," etc., and the "$100 bounty," under the act of July 22, 1861.

An application by a guardian should give the name and ago of the ward or wards, and should be accompanied by letters of guardianship, or an authenticated copy thereof. In the applica tion of a mother, claiming bounty, her husband being alive, the facts upon which the claim is made should be clearly stated and proved. If the soldier die unmarried, leaving no child, it must be stated by the applicant, and also by the disinterested wit

nesses.

PROOF.--To satisfy the accounting officers that the person or persons thus claiming is or are entitled to the money in the character he, she, or they may claim, the depositions of two credible witnesses will be required, stating that they are 84%

quainted with the claimant or claimants, the connection held to the deceased, and that they (the deponents) are disinterested. AUTHENTICATION.-The application and depositions above required to be subscribed and sworn to before a judge, commissioner, notary public, or justice of the peace, duly authorized to administer oaths, accompanied by the certificate and seal of a court of record as to the fact of the said judge, etc., being duly commissioned and acting in his official capacity at the time of the execution of the foregoing papers.

If the soldier died unmarried, it must be so stated in the application of those claiming to be his father, mother, brothers or sisters, as well as by the witnesses.

Proof of marriage (record evidence) if possible, must always accompany the applications of those claiming to be widows.

ADMINISTRATION.-As the taking out of "letters of adminis tration" is attended with considerable expense (often unneces sary), it is suggested that it be done only when required by the Auditor.

DISCHARGED SOLDIERS.-When a soldier or volunteer is discharged, he is (or should be) furnished with a regular "discharge," and two (duplicate) "pay certificates," and one or more disability certificates if discharged on account of disability. Upon these papers he can be paid by a paymaster of the army upon their presentation. Should he fail to present them for payment to a paymaster, or, having presented them, and payment refused, and they are sent to this office, the applicant must state the reasons for such refusal, accompanied by proof of identity and authentication, as in the case of deceased soldiers. In no case should the "oath of identity," on the back of the " 'discharge" be filled up, as the "discharge" is returned to the soldier after his claim has been acted upon. Where "pay certificates" and certificates of disability have been withheld, he must send all other papers given to him at the time of his discharge, together with the certificate of his captain that no such certificates were given to him, and the reasons for withholding them. In case the certificates are claimed to have been lost, an affidavit of such loss must be furnished, stating the circumstances under which it occurred; that he has diligently searched for them without success, and

that he has not received payment thereon, nor assigned them to any person

MODE OF PAYMENT.-Payments will be made by an order from the accounting officers on any paymaster of the army. Such order will require the signature of the claimant on its face to fore it will be paid.

No

MODE OF PRESENTING CLAIMS.-All claims of arrears of pay and bounty may be sent directly to this office. When received they are entered upon the register; as soon as practicable they will be examined, and if found correct in form, they are placed upon the files for settlement, and their receipt acknowledged. If incorrect, the party sending it is immediately notified "special cases" will be made at the solicitation of attorneys, but when evidence can be obtained, cases will be audited in the order in which they are received. The only exception to this rule is when, in settling a case in its order, evidence is found upon the same rolls by which to settle other claims of soldiers deceased in the same company. Letters of inquiry in relation to a claim, should specify the name of the deceased, and the company, regiment, and State to which he belonged; and in all cases, to secure an answer, the name, post-office, and State of the writer should be distinctly written.

FORMS. The form accompanying this circular is intended only as a guide, and must be varied to suit special cases. No claim is rejected on account of the form in which it is presented, if it substantially complies with the instructions.

TO CORRRESPONDENTS.-Letters of inquiry, relating to the pay of soldiers in hospital or on furlough, should be addressed to the Paymaster General. Inquiries relating to the pay of deceased · teamsters or other employees of the Quartermaster's Department or for horses killed in the service, to the Third Auditor: and relating to the pay and bounty of persons in the marine or naval service, to the Fourth Auditor.

General Order for Payment of Prisoners of War.

Payment will be made to persons presenting a written author ity from a prisoner to draw his pay; or, without such authority, to his wife, the guardian of his minor children, or his widowed