GENERAL ORDERS, 
No. 72. 
WAR DEPARTMENT, 
Adjutant General’s Office, 
Washington, March 24, 1863. 
Commanders of regiments, battalions not included in regiments, 
independent companies or batteries, and detachments, surgeons in 
charge of hospitals or detachments, and all persons in the military- 
service commanding or controlling commissioned officers or enlisted 
men on special or detached service, will report upon the last day of 
each month to Colonel James B. Fry, Provost Marshal General of 
the United States, at Washington, D. C., the names- of all deserters 
from their respective commands who have deserted since their last 
report, or who have not previously been reported. These reports will 
be made in the form of descriptive lists, setting forth, in case of each 
deserter, his name, rank, regiment or company, description, place of 
birth, residence, occupation, place of enlistment, date of last payment, 
amount of bounty due, date and place of desertion, and the place 
where he can probably be found, with such other remarks as may be 
pertinent in the matter, or may aid iu the arrest and punishment of 
the offender. Where no desertions have taken place during the month, 
the regular form of descriptive list will be forwarded, and the fact will 
be noted upon it. The lists will in all cases be mad6 in duplicate: 
one copy will be forwarded direct to the Provost Marshal General, and 
the other, through the ordinary military channels, to the Adjutant 
General, at Washington, who will refer the same to the Provost Marshal 
General. When lists are rendered by surgeons, one copy will be sent 
direct to the Provost Marshal General, and the duplicate, through the 
regular channel, to the Surgeon General, who will refer the same to 
the Provost Marshal General. 
By order of the Secretary of War: 
L. THOMAS, 
Adjutant General. 
Official : 
Assistant Adjutant General.