Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, 
Richmond, September 29, 1862 
GENERAL ORDERS, \ 
No. 72. $ 
I. The President having approved an Act of Congress requiring the 
Secretary of War “to transfer any private or non-commissioned officer, 
who may be in a regiment from a State of this Confederacy other than 
his own, to a regiment from his own State, whenever such private or 
non-commissioned officer may apply for such transfer, and whenever 
such transfer can be made without injury to the public service, and that 
the Secretary of War shall make regulations to facilitate such transfer, 
provided that this act shall not apply to any person who has enlisted as 
a substitute”—it is ordered, that all such applications for transfers as are 
contemplated by the foregoing act, shall be addressed to the General 
commanding the army in which the applicant is serving, and shall be 
granted by him, without reference to the War Department, whether the 
transfer is within his own military department or not, provided the written 
consent of the commandant of the company to which the transfer is 
sought to be made, shall first be given, and the transfer can be made 
without injury to the public service. In all cases in which the Com-, 
manding General shall think proper to refuse such application, he shall 
endorse the reasons for such refusal, and forward the application to the 
department. 
11. Paragraph 11, General Orders, No. 31, current series: paragraph 
IX, General Orders, No. 38, current series, and clause 3, paragraph I, 
General Orders, No. 58, current series, are hereby revoked. 
111. The ration issued to hospitals will not hereafter be subject to the 
reduction authorized April 28th, 1862, but will remain as prescribed by 
paragraph 1107, General Regulations. « 
IV. For the prompt relief of the sick and wounded of posts and ge- 
neral hospitals, not including those in the City of Richmond, it is ordered: 
1 That the commandant of the post shall cause to be established a 
board, to consist of two or more medical officers at each post or general 
hospital, for the examination of all soldiers who may bo considered fit 
•subjects for furlough or discharge. 2 
2. That in the absence of any regularly appointed officer, the Senior 
Surgeon of the post or general hospital will act as commandant of the 
post. 
3. That a certificate of disability, with a recommendation for furlough, 
signed in due form by the Examining Board, and approved by the Senior 
Surgeon of the post, shall entitle the soldier to a furlough, to be granted 
by the commandant of the post. 
4. That a certificate of disability, with a recommendation for dis- 
charge, signed in due form by the Examining Board, and approved by 
the Senior Surgeon of the post, shall, if the soldier is declared to be unfit 
for service in the field, or in any department of the government, entitle 
him to his discharge, which will be signed by the commandant of the 
post; and in all cases where the descriptive list and final papers cannot 
be obtained, the patient will be mustered for payment upon hospital rolls, 
by the Surgeon in charge, orvhis affidavit that he has not received pay 
for the period for which he claims it to be due, and that he is not indebted 
to the C. S. government beyond the amount stated by him. 
V. In all cases of application for furlough or discharge under the fore- 
going paragraph, the applicant will be required to explain satisfactorily 
his absence from the regiment, battalion or squadron to which he belongs. 
VI. Due notice of all furloughs and discharges granted under this 
order, will be forwarded through department commanders, to the Adju- 
tant and Inspector General. 
By, order. 
S. COOPER, 
Adjutant and Inspector General.