In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and officia seal, this

day of

18-. "

[Signature of the Clerk.]

NOTE.-In all cases where a mark is substituted for the written signaturo, twi disinterested witnesses are required.

Discharges, both from the army and navy (if the claimant be not still in the latter service), should always be sent with this paper, after its execution, to the Fourts Auditor's Offica

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING CLAIMS FOR BOUNTY MONEY.

The following instructions and forms are extracted from a cir cular of the Second Auditor of the Treasury, relating to claims for pay and bounty:

OF BOUNTY.-The act, approved July 11, 1862, provides "that said bounty shall be paid to the following persons, and in the order following, and to no other person, to wit: First, to the widow of such deceased soldier, if there be one. Second, if there be no widow, then to the children of such deceased soldier, share and share alike. Third, if such soldier left neither widow, nor child, nor children, then, and in that case, such bounty shall be paid to the following persons, provided they be residents of the United States, to wit: First, to his father, or it he shall not be living, or has abandoned the support of his family, then to the mother of such soldier; and if there be no father nor mother, as aforesaid, then such bounty shall be paid to the brothers and sisters of the deceased soldier, resident as aforesaid."

By the same act, the bounty of one hundred dollars to widows, etc., of volunteers, is also given to the widows, etc., of those per sons who have enlisted in the regular forces since the first day of July, 1861, or shall enlist in the regular forces during 1862, to be paid to the heirs named in this act. Widows of commis sioned officers, and of soldiers dying after being discharged, are not entitled to bounty, nor are the widows of deceased threemonths volunteers.

DISLOYALTY.—In section four of "an act to grant pensions," approved July 24, 1862, it is provided, "that no moneys shali

ད

be paid to the widow, or children, or any heirs of any deceased soldier, on account of bounty, back pay, or pension, who have in any way been engaged in, or who have aided or abetted the existing rebellion in the United States; but the right of such disloyal widow, or children, heir or heirs, of such soldier, shall be vested in the loyal heir or beirs of the deceased, if any there be."

Information in regard to such cases will receive the attention of the accounting officers.

. 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 claim-whether "arrears of pay," etc.; and the "$100 bounty," under act of July 22, 1861.

An application by the guardian should give the name and age of the ward or wards, and should be accompanied by letters of guardianship, or an authenticated copy thereof. In the application 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 died 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 acquainted with the claimant or claimants, the connection held to the deceased, and that they (the deponents) are disinterested. Proof of marriage (record evidence if possible) must always accompany the applications of those claiming to be widows. If the soldier died unmarried it must be so stated by the applicant and also by the disinterested witnesses.

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 Edminister oaths, accompanied by a 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.

BOUNTY. No discharged soldier can, under any circumstan ces, receive the bounty provided by the act of July 22, 186.. unless he shall have served for a period of two years, or during the war, if sooner ended;" but, "the widow, if there be one, and if not, the legal heirs of such as die, or may be killed in the service, in addition to all arrears of pay and allowances, shall receive the sum of one hundred dollars."

MODE OF PRESENTING CLAIMS.-All claims for arrears of pay and bounty money 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. No "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 be longed, and in all cases, to secure an answer, the name, postoffice 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. Nc claim is rejected on account of the form in which it is presented, if it substantially complies with the instructions.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.-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 the pay of horses killed or lost in the service, to the Third Auditor; and relating to the pay and bounty of per sons in the marine or naval service, to the Fourth Auditor.

POSTAGE.-The Government pays all postages on such busi

ness communications, whether received or transmitted by this office.

Form of Application for Arrears of Pay and Bounty.

of the

regiment of

and died it

on the

day of

in company the service of the United States at 18. If the soldier died unmarried, leaving no child. it should be here stated. If the application is by the mother, she shoula also state the name of the father of the deceased, his death or abandonment of the support of his family, giving the date and all facts necessary to a proper understanding of the case. If the application is by the widow of the deceased, she should here state her maiden name, when, where, and by whom she was married to him, and whether or not there is record evidence of such marriage.] I make this application to recover all arrears of pay or other allowances due to the deceased from the United States, and the bounty provided by the sixth section of the act of July 22, 1861. [Signature of Claimant.]

STATE OF
County of

88.

Personally appeared the above-named

and subscribed and made oath to the foregoing statement, on day of, 18—, before me.

this

to me well known,

[Name and Official Title.]

on oath, say that years well acquainted with said —, deceased, who was a regiment

and know

and

we are and have been for
the applicant, and with the
in company - of the
of the said

to be the

deceased [if he died unmarried, leaving no child, it should be here stated; and if the application is by the mother, the fact of her widowhood, or the abandonment of her husband, should be stated as in the application]; and that we have no interest whatever in this application.

[Signatures.]

Certificate of the magistrate as above, also that of the clerk of the court under seal, in the usual form.

This application must be accompanied by the following proof:

IN THE CASE OF A WIDOW:

1. Her marriage with the deceased.

This proof must be

made in the same manner as in applications for pensions.

2. Widowhood and identity. These may be proved by the affidavit of the witnesses above given.

IN THE CASE OF CHILDREN:

1. The marriage of the parents.

This must be proved in

like manner as in applications by widows. 2. Death of widow.

3. That they are the children, and all the children, of the docased.

Items two and three may be proved by the affidavit of two witnesses, according to the form furnished by the Second Auditor.

If the application is made by the guardian of minors, a certified copy of his letters of guardianship must be sent, and a certificate from the proper court that he is still acting as guar dian.

IN THE CASE OF A FATHER:

1. That he is the father of deceased.

2. That the deceased left neither widow nor child.

These facts may be proved by the affidavit of witnesses aocording to the form.

IN THE CASE OF A MOTHER:

1. The death of her husband, the father of the deceased.

2. That she was the mother of the deceased.

3. That he left neither widow nor child.

4. In the case of abandonment by her husband, he being still living, that fact must also be proved.

These items of testimony may all be proved by the affidavit of two witnesses as above.

IN THE CASE OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS:

1. The marriage and death of their parents. This must be proved as in the case of widows.

2. That they are the brothers and sisters of the deceased.