GENERAL ORDERS, 
No. 79. 
WAR DEPARTMENT, 
Adjutant General’s Office, 
Washington, July 15, 1862. 
I..The following Acts of Congress are published for the information 
of all concerned: 
1..AN ACT making appropriations for the payment of the bounty 
authorized by the sixth section of an act entitled “An act to 
authorize the employment of volunteers to aid in enforcing the 
laws and protecting public property,” approved July twenty- 
second, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That the following sums be, 
and the same are hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the objects hereinafter 
expressed, viz: 
For payment of the bounty to widows, children, fathers, mothers, 
brothers, and sisters of such volunteers as may have died or been 
killed, or may die or be killed, in service, authorized by the sixth 
section of an act entitled “An act to authorize the employment of 
volunteers to aid in enforcing the laws and protecting public property,” 
approved July twenty-second, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, five 
millions of dollars, or so much thereof as maybe found necessary: 
Provided, 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 a widow or child or 
children, then, and in that case, such bounty shall be paid to the fol- 
lowing persons, provided they be residents of the United States, to 
wit: First, to his father; or if he shall not be living, or has abandoned 
the support of his family, then to the mother of such soldier; and if 
there be neither father nor mother as aforesaid, then such bounty shall 
be paid to the brothers and sisters of the deceased soldier, resident as 
aforesaid. 
For compensation of twenty additional clerks, hereby authorized to 
be employed in the office of the Commissioner of Pensions, to wit: 
For fifteen clerks of the first class, eighteen thousand dollars; for five 
clerks of the second class, seven thousand dollars. 2 
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the sum of three thousand 
dollars, or so much thereof as may be found nocessary, be, and the 
same is hereby, appropriated for the expenses of the committee on 
disloyal employees of the government, appointed by resolution of the 
House of Representatives, July eight, eighteen hundred and sixty-one. 
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That that part of the sixth section 
of the act “ to authorize the employment of volunteers to aid in en- 
forcing the laws add protecting public property,” approved July 
twenty-second, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, which secured to the 
widow, if tlieie be one, and if not, the legal heirs of such volunteers 
as die or may be killed in service, in addition to all arrears of pay and 
allowances, a bounty of one hundred dollars, shall be held to apply to 
those persons who have enlisted in tire regular forces since the first 
day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, or shall enlist in the 
regular forces during the year eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and be 
paid to the heirs named in this act, and that the bounties herein pro-: 
vided for shall be paid out of any money appropriated for bounty to 
volunteers. 
Approved July 11, 1862. 
2..AN ACT to provide for additional medical officers of the volunteer' 
service: 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled. That there shall be appointed 
by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, 
forty surgeons and one hundred and twenty assistant surgeons of vol- 
unteers, who shall have the rank, pay, and emoluments of officers of 
corresponding grades in the regular army: Provided, That no one shall 
be appointed to any position under this act unless he shall previously 
have been examined by a board of medical officers to be appointed by 
the Secretary of War, and that vacancies in the grade of surgeon shall 
be filled by selection from the grade of assistant surgeon on the ground 
of merit only: And provided further, That this act shall continue in 
force only during the existence of the present rebellion. 
Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and after the passage 
of this act brigade surgeons shall be known and designated as 
surgeons of volunteers, and shall be attached to the general medical 
staff under the direction of the Surgeon General; and hereafter such 3 
appointments for the medical service of the army shall be appointed 
surgeons of volunteers. 
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That instead of “one assistant 
surgeon,” as provided by the second section of the act of July 22d, 
1861, each regiment of volunteers in the service of the United States 
shall have two assistant surgeons. 
Approved July 2, 1862. 
II..Under the provisions of the foregoing act approved July 2, 1862, 
the Brigade Surgeons already appointed are transferred, according to 
their present rank, to the Corps of Volunteer Surgeons, which will 
accordingly consist of those officers and of the forty provided for by 
the act. 
The Surgeon General will appoint a Board to examine such persons 
as may he authorized by the Secretary of War to present themselves 
before it as candidates for the forty vacancies in the grade of Surgeon 
and one hundred and twenty in that of Assistant Surgeon. 
Applications for the appointments will be made to the Adjutant 
General of the Army, in the handwriting of the applicant, accom- 
panied by one or more testimonials from respectable persons in regard 
to moral character. 
The Board of Examiners will determine whether the candidate be 
fit for the position of Surgeon or Assistant Surgeon; but no one under 
thirty years of age will be appointed to the former grade, or under 
twenty-one years, to the latter grade. 
After all the vacancies have been filled in the manner here prescribed, 
future examinations will be for the grade of Assistant Surgeon only, 
and vacancies which may happen in the grade of Surgeon will be 
filled by the appointment of Assistant Surgeons who shall have shown 
themselves worthy of promotion by a faithful performance of duty and 
general good conduct. ' 
By order of the Secretary of War: 
L. THOMAS, 
Adjutant General. 
Official: 
Assistant Adjutant General.