[encl. Sept 19, 1798, McHenry] By John Adams President of the United States. Rules & Regulations, Respecting the Recruiting Service 1 No indirect methods are to be employed to encourage men into the service of the United States: and it is particularly forbidden to enlist any individual who is in a state of Intoxication. [strikethrough: but the List by] No individual is to be enlisted, [Musician's excepted] who is not five feet four inches in height; for the Artillery who is not five feet [undecipherable] inches in height; for the Cavalry who is not less than five feet four inches in height, or more than five feet ten. Each recruit must not be less than eighteen or more than forty years old; unless he shall have served before in the army of the United States; nor of those who have served before shall there be more than eight admitted into a Troop or Company, exceeding from [undecipherable] not exceeding forty two years; each recruit must also be healthy raised of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] diseases or sore legs, survey and head and other infirmity that may render him unfit for service. 3 Natives of Character are always to be preferred for Soldiers. Foreigners of good Reputation for Sobriety, Honesty, may be enlisted; but negroes, Mulattos or Indians are not to be entitled 4 No recruit is to be enlisted, or attested in any other manner than as a Private Soldier. 5 Each recruit is to be enlisted for [strikethrough: during the term of [undecipherable] [undecipherable]] [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] the Bounty of [undecipherable] Dollars by the [undecipherable] payment of four dollars is to be deferred until after he shall have been sworn before the Head Quarter of his Regiment, but no part of the Bounty to which a recruit is entitled before joining his company or corps, is to be advanced, until he shall have been sworn before a magistrate according to the form herein prescribed — The recruiting Office will be careful to regulate the advances, agreeable to law. 6 Every recruit, at the time of his inlisting, or within six days afterwards, is to be brought before the Justices of the Peace, or the chief Magistrates of any County or Corporation, not being an Officer of the Army; or when access cannot be had to the civil Magistrates, before the Judges Advocate to be sworn. In their attestations, the day of their inlistments as well as the day and place of their enlisting must be distinctly specified according to the form annexed. (N^o 1.) The utmost care is to be taken to fill up the Blanks, in the attestations agreeable to directions from the Inspector General, correctly & truly. No recruit is to be sent to his Regimental corps, or general rendezvous, on any pretense whatsoever, whose inlistment & attestation have not been duly and formally executed; and all the attestation [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] of [undecipherable] to this service ought otherwise to [the [undecipherable]] name is to be invariably forwarded to the Officer commanding the district. These attestations must always be taken in the presence of, & certified by a Commissioned Officer, & must be forwarded to the Inspector General (there the Commanding Officer of a regimental unit where there is one) and must be duly by the Inspector General to the Department of War. The terms of any inlistment which may be submitted by recruits must Conform to the tenor of these Attestations. 7 The injunctions of Section 8^th article 1 of the articles of War are to be Obeyed to each recruit. 8 The recruiting Service will be distributed in districts, a Field Officer when one can be so employed will have the Supervision of Officers, stationed in each district. The Officer will have Command of all security appointed to this district under him; he will give a conditional advance [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] the Recruits, whom he may judge fit for service, except in those where regiments are at [undecipherable] so to render it in line of distance equally convenient for the recruits to be sent to their respective head Quarters. Each district will be divided into Sub-districts or qualities corresponding with the number of Companies to be raised therein; and whenever the Inspector General shall direct, the districts may be [undecipherable] into regimental Service each unit to be under the Superintendance of the Commandant of the Regiment. 9 The senior Offi[cer] in each [undecipherable] shall return weekly to the Office of the district, the number & strength of the parties therein; showing the names of the Commissioned Officers belonging to them; and whether they have been absent during the remainder of the week; the name of recruits under his Command, with the names of those enlisted since the last return; & a description of those persons the Bounty advances they may [undecipherable] attestations [undecipherable] described [undecipherable] their [undecipherable] also the incidents that have taken place during the week. The [undecipherable] to be drawn up according to the form annexed N^o 2. At the foot of such return, which shall have the name or address of any foreigners or foreigners by birth; there shall be a note or order [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] either he is still a citizen or, how and where; each such Foreigner became a Citizen, if he shall have become one while the Returns are in those [undecipherable], the returns shall be transmitted through the respective Commandants of districts, & shall be open to their Inspection. 10 He shall also keep a recruiting book in which he shall record: 1^st. The Names, Trades, Place of Birth, age, Size, Complexion and other particular descriptions of each Recruit — 2^d. The money advanced every recruit, either on account of Bounty or pay — 3^d. The articles of Clothing, arms & [undecipherable] &c. delivered to each recruit; & the day on which such articles shall have been delivered. 11 No party for the purpose of recruiting is ever to be detached from the head Quarter of the recruiting party, without a Commissioned Officer or faithfull non-Commissioned Officer. And no Officer is to leave his station even for one day without reporting it to the Commanding Officer of the district, or to be absent therefrom for more than one day, without the previous [undecipherable] of the said Officer. 12 Courts Martial, to consist of three Commissioned Officers, may be held at the discretion of the Officer Commanding a regimental [undecipherable] or a district for the trial of such offences as shall be committed by Non Commissioned Officers & Soldiers of the recruiting parties under his Command; and which would be cognizable by a regimental court martial; the said Officer to deliver when the sentence of such Court Martials and direct the punishments awarded to be executed or [undecipherable] as he shall thinks expedient. 14. All returns will pass through a form, the Inspector General to the Commandants of circles, where they are such; & from the Commandants of districts, specifying the Returns other than those mentioned, they are to send, to whom — returns and reports are to come from the Officers Commanding Circles who there are such, and if not from the Officers Commanding Districts and nothing direct from the recruiting Officers.— 15. To indemnify Officers commanding regimental circles or districts for the [undecipherable] expenses to which they are liable in pressing the Recruiting quarters, under their respective Commands; an allowance of [undecipherable] a day each in addition to their pay, [undecipherable] [undecipherable] from their rations or forages will be made them; and the actual expenses they are at, for Stationary Qualities when both officers will be reimbursed. Recruiting Officers will be allowed the actual expenses they are at for Stationary & Postage letters to be testified upon oath or Affirmation. 16 The Officer Commanding a District will be attend to obtain a Substitution Officer (not employed in the recruiting service) for the duty of [undecipherable] in a District, with and allowance of [undecipherable] pay. All expenses made will be placed under the order of each Officer Commanding a district, to examine the recruits when brought for Inspection; & to give such medical attendance as may be in his power, to the several recruiting parties within his power, to the several recruiting parties within his district. 17 All recruiting Officers & parties are to be subject to the [undecipherable] of the Officer appointed to superintend their district. 18 Whenever a Recruiting Officer shall send any recruits to the General Recruiting Rendezvous within his district, or wherever be his their Regiment or Corps, he must transmit an account in writing to the proper Officer, stating what bounty has been paid and to what period such recruits have returned their pay & [undecipherable]. 19 When recruits absent or refuse to go before a magistrate to be attested within the time [undecipherable], are attested certified of this fact, is to be immediately sent to the Officer Commanding in the district in order to its being transmitted to the Inspector General or Secretary of War; and also to the head quarters of their regiment or corps; as no allowance will be made to the recruiting Officer for recruits so abandoning or refusing to go before a magistrate and afterwards returned as a Deserter; although they shall be sent [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] to their regiment or corps or general rendezvous unless said certificate shall have been previously received. 20. The Officer that enlists a recruit who on joining his regimental corps, or upon inspection by the proper Officer, shall be found; so [undecipherable] under any disability which existed & might have been known before his enlistment, or incapacitates him from performing the duties of a Soldier, shall contribute to the United States all money or advances he may have paid to such recruit. And the proof that the disability existed before the enlistment shall be upon the Officer. 21. No Recruit is to be permitted to sleep in his [undecipherable] after being sworn any clothing except that which he may receive from the Public. The Officer is therefore to oblige him to dispose of his private clothing immediately, or to keep the keeping of it; when he will take an opportunity after to retire, for security of the recruit. 22. No recruit is to be allowed to absent himself from his quarters till such time as his [undecipherable] himself faithful [undecipherable] is a Corporal or trusty [undecipherable] to absence him. 23. Each recruit after being sworn is to be attached to a squad; each squad is to consist of a number sufficient to form a mess, who must live together and be under the inspection & command of a Sergeant or Corporal — 24. The Officer [undecipherable] regulates the hours of eating & will not suffer the Corporal, or any of the Squad to be absent from meals. 25. Every Recruiting Officer shall [undecipherable] the Roll of his recruits to be called 3 times a day, viz^t at nine O'clock in the morning, at noon & at Sun setting. 26 The progress to which recruits apply their money ought to be attended to, & will give indications to the Officers of their dispositions.— 27 No Recruiting Officer is to promise a recruit that he shall be any Non Commissioned Officer, but he is permitted to empower any recruit to act as a Non Commissioned [undecipherable] of a squad, or to the first or second class herein mentioned, until this recruit shall for this Company or regiment to which [undecipherable] they are destined for the future Companies or regiments to which the [undecipherable] conduct; whether he is really of [undecipherable] promotion, when it can take place in the course of Service. 28 The [undecipherable] to be enlisted must be of the following trades viz: Carpenters, Wheel Wrights, [undecipherable] — Recruiting Officers will receive written instructions, as the number of each trade they may enlist as such — No [undecipherable] is entitled for [undecipherable] [undecipherable] who are not [undecipherable] a Regular [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to be had, and who cannot produce a good character from two reputable Citizens for sobriety & Sobriety; and who will not agree that he may on his arrival at the Corps for which he is destined, be reduced to the rank & pay of a Private; if it shall appear that he is disqualified for the object for which he is enrolled. 29 Every recruiting Officer will cause his recruits to be operated into two Classes, and will begin to instruct them in [undecipherable] being [undecipherable]. The first class to consist of those recruits who have learned the use & management of their arms. The new recruits to form the Second Class and be instructed in their positions to march; and in the manual exercise at least one every day, [undecipherable] by a Staffs Surgeon [undecipherable] or Soldier. Instructions may be given to the [undecipherable] in a service Class in [undecipherable], on [undecipherable], or under Cover in Cover in bad weather; first one by one, than two by two, or lastly by [undecipherable]: But they are not to be taught the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of their arms, till after they have been habituated to the different positions & [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] commencing by the simplest & gradually advancing to the most Complex. When the Officer shall judge a recruit disqualified to pass to this first class, he will give orders accordingly. The exercise of the first class will be directed & superintended by this recruiting Officer and let be the same, as is usual for the [undecipherable] of a company [undecipherable] actual service. 30 Each recruiting [strikethrough: Officer] [undecipherable] shall transmit monthly to the Officer of the district a duplicate receipt signed by each recruit for that bounty he shall have received within that [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. This regulation is to be strictly observed, till the recruits have joined their respective companies, after which it is not allowable for the Officer to make them any [undecipherable] on account of this bounty. It is to be understood also that no credit will be allowed to a recruiting Officer in the settlement of his accounts which is not substantiated by such receipts thus transmitting; and that whatever part of this bounty remains due to a recruit in the service with the corps or company shall not be paid by the recruiting Officer, but to state in the first pay roll after his [undecipherable] is paid to him at the same time as his pay. 31. The Officer commanding each district will cause to be charged in the first instance, all the monies which shall be paid within his district for the recruiting service. He will using to demand districts [undecipherable] several recruiting parties from time to time to the Officers of [undecipherable] recruiting parties as the Service shall demand; enabling such recruiting Officers a [undecipherable] settlements on correct vouchers at the proper places. 32. The Officer commanding each district is required to account for all monies he may have expended every three months viz, on the 31 day, March 30^th June 30 September & 31^st of December. 33. The Commanding Officer of each unit will sign returns for the Space of all rations and other [undecipherable] supplies for the Troops and on the Saturday of each week, the returns made in the week are to be are to be let to keep up a general return made out & signed for the rations received in the course of the weeks noting the daily [undecipherable]. On the desertion of a recruit; besides the usual exertion made and means to be employed on such occasions, the recruiting Officer will transmit as soon as possible a description of the deserter to the Field Officer of the district and will cause all description of deserters that may be sent to him to be entered in a book kept for that purpose; and will use his endeavours to discover & apprehend all deserters. 34. The Officers commanding districts will on the first Monday of each month make, according to the form annexed (No 3.) a Return of the recruits enlisted within the preceding month, with the several sums advanced them & committed them to the respective recruiting Officer within the same time — This return shall contain all the particulars of broken periods, dates & circumstances necessary to be inserted in the Muster Rolls. 35. All officers engaged in new levies or raising men for the service of the United States are to Conform themselves, to the foregoing regulations in all points, not otherwise directed by special order from the President of the United States through the Secretary of War. Given at the War Office of the United States in the City of Philadelphia in this twenty-seventh day of August 1798. sign'd & James McHenry (Finis)