General Head-quarters — State of New York,
Adjutant-General's Office, Albany, April 18, 1861.
General Orders, No. 13.
- The President of the United States having made a requisition upon the State of New York for an aggregate force of 13,280 men, under the act of Congress approved February 28, 1795, "for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, repel invasions," &c., the Commander-in-Chief, in accordance with an act passed by the Legislature of this State, April 16th, 1861, entitled "An act to authorize the embodying and equipment of a volunteer militia, and to provide for the public defense," hereby directs the organization and enrollment of the quota so called for, in the following manner:
- The forces will be divided into:
- Two Divisions,
- Four Brigades,
- Seventeen Regiments, and
- One hundred and seventy Companies; and will comprise two Major-Generals, with two Aids-de-Camp (rank of Major); two Division Inspectors (rank of Lieutenant-Colonel); four Brigadier Generals, with four Aids (rank of captain); four Brigade Inspectors (rank of Major); seventeen Colonels; seventeen Lieutenant-Colonels; seventeen Majors; seventeen Adjutants (rank of Lieutenant); seventeen Regimental Quartermasters (rank of Lieutenant); seventeen Surgeons; seventeen Surgeon's Mates; seventeen Sergeant-Majors; seventeen Drum-Majors, seventeen Fife-Majors; and each Company will comprise one Captain, one Lieutenant, one Ensign, four Sergeants, four Corporals, two musicians and sixty-four privates.
- The force volunteering under the provisions of the said act, will be enrolled for the term of two years, unless sooner discharged.
- Privates and non-commissioned officers below the age of 18 years, or above the age of 45 years, will not be enrolled as volunteers, nor will any person of any age who is not "in physical strength and vigor."
- Company rolls, in the form prescribed by the Adjutant-General (who upon application will furnish the same), must be signed by those volunteering, who shall indicate upon these rolls the names of the persons they shall desire to be commissioned as Captains, Lieutenants and Ensigns of their respective companies. The persons thus indicated for the several company offices will, in like manner, specify upon the same rolls the names of the persons as field officers under whom they desire to serve. Whenever any such roll shall have been signed by at least thirty-two persons, and not more than seventy-seven, inclusive of the indicated commissioned officers of the company, it shall be transmitted to the Adjutant-General, who, upon its approval by the Commander-in-Chief, will direct some proper officer to inspect the company making the return, and to preside at an election, to be determined by written ballot, for the choice of persons to fill the offices of Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign, four Sergeants and four Corporals. Upon the return of such inspection and election, the Adjutant-General will transmit to the officers so elected their commissions and warrants, with a notification that the company has been accepted into the service of the State, pursuant to the above mentioned act, and will also direct the commandant of the company to report himself and his command to such Brigadier-General as he may designate in charge of a depot of volunteers.
- Upon the assembling, at any designated depot, of six or more companies, thus organized, who shall have indicated the same persons as their choice for the field officers of the regiment to which they desire to be attached, the Brigadier-General in charge, will direct the assembling of their commissioned officers for an election, at which he shall preside, to determine, by written ballot, the choice of persons to fill such field offices. Should it so happen that companies assembled at any depot, without having indicated a preference for their field officers, on the reporting of at least six of such companies, the Brigadier-General in charge will, in like manner, direct the assembling of their commissioned officers for an election to fill the field offices of such regiment, and make return of these elections to the Adjutant-General, for the commissions of the officers elected, who will at once be assigned to their respective regiments.
- Should any additional companies or men be necessary to complete the organization of a regiment, it shall be recruited to its full complement and be mustered by the Inspector-General, and turned over by him to the authorities of the United States.
- The pay and rations of the general officers, staff officers of the divisions and brigades, and of the field and staff officers and non-commissioned officers of regiments, shall commence from the date of their commissions or warrants. That of the company officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates, will commence from the date of the notification of the acceptance of the company by the Commander-in-Chief. The pay and rations will be the same as those of the officers and men of the same grade in the army of the United States, which will be discontinued on the part of the State when the force shall be mustered into the service of the General Government, and be resumed again by the State, on the return of the force to the State authorities. During the time the force is in the service of the United States the pay and rations will be furnished by the General Government.
- The requisite clothing, arms and accoutrements will be furnished at the expense of the State or the United States, to the non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates.
By order of the Commander-in-Chief.
J. Meredith Read, Jr., Adjutant-General.