FORT UNION Historic Resource Study

The following rules relating to the performance of military duty at this post are hereby published for the information and guidance of all concerned; they will be strictly adhered to until modified or changed by competent authority:

GUARD DUTY, DISCIPLINE AND POLICE

1. In all matters pertaining to military ceremony and the performance of guard duty, Upton's Tactics and the Revised Army Regulations, together with instructions issued by the Commanding Officer from day to day shall govern.

2. Garrison prisoners who shall have been in confinement two days, without having charges preferred against them, shall be released by the old officer of the day.

3. Charges and specifications will be forwarded as soon as practicable after confinement of prisoners, to these Headquarters, through the officer of the day, to the end that he may make a note of the same on the guard report book.

4. Whenever a deserter, or general prisoner, not of the garrison, is placed in confinement, the officer of the day will ascertain the full name of such deserter or general prisoner, and the company and regiment, or other organization, from which he deserted, or to which he belongs, together with date and place of desertion, and any other data that may be necessary to a correct understanding of the case, and make a written report of the same to these Headquarters on the completion of his tour.

5. The officer of the day will make daily inspections of the company quarters and messes, and of the general police of the garrison, and render, on the completion of his tour, a report of said inspection. He will also make a written bill of fare of the dinners of the different company messes, and hand the same in with his report.

6. The officer of the day will be held responsible for the correctness and accuracy of the guard report, and for the safety of prisoners.

7. In entering the sentences of confinement in the guard report, the following rule shall apply: "In cases where the sentence of court-martial involves confinement for a definite period, the confinement shall be considered as commencing at the date of the promulgation of the sentence in orders, (if the person sentenced is in custody at the time,) unless the time for its commencement is otherwise expressly fixed by the sentence of the court, or in the order promulgating the proceedings." Should the person sentenced not be in custody at the date the sentence is published in orders, then the sentence shall be considered as beginning at such subsequent date as the person sentenced shall have been placed in custody.

8. When a man in confinement, (belonging to or attached for rations to any company of the garrison,) is admitted into the hospital, that fact will be noted on the guard report, and the company commander notified by the post adjutant.

9. No smoking will be allowed in any of the stables, nor in the corral, neither will matches be lighted in the same, except in rooms in which fires are authorized.

10. The officer of the day will be careful to note and report any neglect of duty or irregularity on the part of members of the guard posted as sentinels at stables.

11. All persons owning cattle, horses, or other stock, in the vicinity of the post, are hereby notified to take the necessary precautions to prevent their straying on the parade ground; and it is made the duty of the officer of the day, the commander of the guard, and the officer and sergeant of the general office, to turn such animals into the quartermaster's corral; where they will be held until a fine of one dollar per head shall have been paid; if held more than one day, an additional fine of one dollar will be charged for each animal each day.

12. The general police of the garrison shall be under the supervision of an officer specially designated for that purpose, and who will report daily to the commanding officer for orders.

13. Prisoners will be worked under charge of a police sergeant, who will report daily to the officer in charge of the general police.

14. Officers will procure, and place in rear of their respective quarters, in places accessible to the police party, barrels into which slops from the kitchens will be emptied.

15. No wood shall be taken from the wood-yard, nor coal from the coalshed, except upon order from the commanding officer or A.A.Q.M., or in presence of the provost sergeant.

16. Weather permitting, the troops garrisoning this post will be paraded under arms for the publication of orders every Monday evening: to indicate that the battalion is to be formed, camp colors will be placed on the line of formation. Should the weather be unfavorable for forming the battalion under arms, companies will close in on one previously designated by the adjutant, when orders will be read.

REPORTS, RECORDS AND RETURNS

17. Company commanders will see that the morning reports of their respective companies are handed into this office not later than 45 minutes after sick call.

18. The monthly returns of companies will be forwarded to this office not later than 9 o'clock a.m. on the first day of the succeeding month; monthly statements of ordnance and ordnance stores, no later than the third day of the succeeding month; and quarterly statements of ordnance and ordnance stores, no later than the fourth day of the succeeding month.

19. Official communications referred from these Headquarters to officers of the command, and which are required to be returned, will be returned by an endorsement.

20. Company commanders may report on daily duty one non-commissioned officer in charge of their respective company messes, and two privates as company cooks; kitchen police will not be reported on daily duty.

21. Company commanders may report an enlisted man on daily duty as company clerk during the first and last five days of each month.

22. Company commanders will see that their first sergeants report daily, at the proper call, at the adjutant's office, and make copies of all orders emanating from post Headquarters in relation to their respective companies.

23. Company commanders will forward to this office every Sunday morning, a report of the extra and daily duty men of their respective companies, giving their names, and describing the duty on which engaged.

24. The sick of each company will be marched, if practicable, at sick call, to and from the hospital by a non-commissioned officer detailed for the purpose daily.

25. Applications for the detail of enlisted men for extra and daily duty must be made in writing.

26. Staff officers under whose supervision enlisted men belonging to the several companies of the garrison are doing duty, will make written application to this office to have these men excused from such roll calls, drills, inspections, etc., with their respective companies, as the necessities of the case require, otherwise the men will attend to all duties.

27. When any officer of this post is temporarily relieved from duty with his own, and assigned temporarily to duty with another company, he will—while both companies remain at the post—be accounted for on the returns, etc., of the company to which he permanently belongs, as present on special duty.

Should the company to which he is thus temporarily attached leave the post during the continuance of the detail, he will be reported on the records of his own company as absent on detached service.

28. When an enlisted man is placed in confinement, or a non-commissioned officer in arrest, the soldier's immediate detachment or company commander shall be notified of the same as soon as practicable, by the officer or non-commissioned officer ordering the arrest or confinement.

29. Hereafter, when enlisted men are discharged at this post, they will be dropped on the company morning report of the day the discharge is forwarded to this office for the signature of the commanding officer.

30. To enable company and detachment commanders to comply with note on muster rolls, the post surgeon will enter on the company sick report book, the nature of sickness or injury in the case of any officer or enlisted man reported sick.

31. Recruits after joining their companies—if they have not served a previous term in the regular army—will be carried on the company morning reports as recruits for the period of one month, during which time they will not be subject to any duty but drills, police, and roll-calls; at the expiration of the month—or sooner, if the company commander shall deem them sufficiently instructed—they will be carried for duty as privates.

32. Officers desiring to be absent from the post for a less period than 24 hours will register their names in a book which shall be kept at the adjutant's office for that purpose, stating hour and date of departure, probable hour and date of return, and probably whereabouts during absence.

Company officers before absenting themselves under this order must first obtain permission of their company commanders.

In case there should be but one officer for duty with a company, special permission must be obtained from the commanding officer in person.

33. The line officer next in rank to the commanding officer shall be ex officio instructor in target practice, unless otherwise ordered.

34. Whenever there is but one officer for duty with a company, and he is officer of the day at the time, he shall attend Sunday morning, and monthly inspection, parade under arms, and muster with his company.

Should there be more than one officer for duty with a company, one of whom is officer of the day at the time, and the others are so engaged as to prevent their attendance with their company during the ceremonies referred to, then the officer of the day shall attend.

35. Previous to reviews the sergeant major shall ascertain from first sergeants the number of files with their respective companies, after which he will direct the transfer of files from one company to another, so as to equalize the companies for review. The review being over, company commanders will direct men thus transferred to fall out and join their proper companies for inspection.

36. The officer receiving reports of companies, detachments, etc., at roll-calls, shall take his position between the flag-staff and the barracks, on the walk leading from the commanding officer's quarters to the barracks; and officers and non-commissioned officers reporting the result of roll-calls shall take position in front of the officer receiving the reports and on the walk already indicated—first having dismissed their companies or detachments.

The officer of the day shall receive the reports of the guard, companies and detachments at reveille roll-call.

37. At fatigue call on Saturday mornings the several companies shall be reported, each by a non-commissioned officer, to the provost marshal for general police.

38. The old guard—non-commissioned officers and privates—on the day next succeeding that on which it marches off, shall constitute a fatigue party, and shall be reported at fatigue calls by the senior non-commissioned officer to the provost marshal; and for this purpose the several members of the old guard shall report at the hours fixed to the senior non-commissioned officer, on the walk leading from the flag-staff to the barracks. Should no non-commissioned officer of the old guard be present at the time fixed, then the police sergeant, who shall be present, shall take charge of the party.

39. At parades, reviews, and inspections, the line officer next in rank to the commanding officer shall command the battalion; he shall also take his post as reviewing officer, except when the commanding officer is on the ground.

40. The meal hours will be indicated by breakfast and dinner calls, when the men will fall into line, and be marched by the senior non-commissioned officer to the table. No soldiers will be permitted to be seated or take their meals prior to being marched to the table. The evening meal will be regulated by the captains of companies, who will not permit their men to take their supper for at least fifteen minutes after re-call from fatigue in the afternoon, and must not interfere with retreat roll-call.

RATIONS AND RATION RETURNS

41. In the column of remarks on the company ration returns, will be entered the strength present, from which will be deducted those who, although reported present, mess apart from the company; such as men in hospital from any cause; married men who are drawn for separately, etc., each class being entered under a proper heading.

42. When men are attached for rations and drawn for, a remark showing the number so attached will be made in the column of remarks. Men absent without leave will not be included on any ration return while they are so reported, nor will rations in any case be drawn to cover the time of such absence. Men reported on detached service will not be drawn for while so reported; when they return to their companies a return will be made out to cover the case.

43. As a rule, ration returns will be forwarded to this office for the signature of the commanding officer, on the 10th, 20th, and last day of each month, to cover the succeeding ten days.

44. When men are temporarily attached for rations, and are not likely to be at the post but a few days at a time, they should not be drawn for until after their departure; by this will be avoided the returning or deducting of rations which might otherwise be overdrawn in such cases.

45. When an enlisted man is admitted to the hospital, in the interval between regular issue days, his company commander will, on the first subsequent issue day authorize the A.A.C.S. to deduct from the company's ration return, and credit the same to the hospital, rations sufficient to cover the number of days (in the preceding ten days) during which the man has been in the hospital.

46. In like manner, when an enlisted man is returned from "sick in hospital" to his company, in the interval between regular issue days, the post surgeon will, on the first subsequent day of issue, authorize the A.A.C.S. to deduct from the hospital ration return, and credit the same to the proper company, a number of rations sufficient to cover the number of days (in the preceding ten days) that the man, although drawn far as "in hospital," has been messing elsewhere.

PASSES

47. Soldiers are hereby positively forbidden to go beyond one mile from the flag-staff of Fort Union, N.M., (except when upon military duty,) for any purpose whatever, without passes duly signed by their immediate commanding officer, and by other persons whose permission to be absent is required.

Hereafter, passes will be made out for each enlisted man, separately, specifying the place, or object of the pass, and be duly signed by the proper officers. Each soldier will carry with him, his pass, and, if found beyond the limits therein prescribed, or without such pass, will be liable to arrest for desertion.

Each soldier returning from pass will present himself at the guard house and deliver up his pass. The non-commissioned officer in charge of the guard shall inspect each soldier as to sobriety and cleanliness, note on each pass the facts in each case, and be responsible for the accuracy of each report by signing the same.

When required by citizens, in a civil and respectful manner to show their passes, soldiers will comply with such request, otherwise may be liable to apprehension as deserters.

Soldiers are hereby reminded that while the commanding officer is desirous of indulging all, when practicable, with passes, anyone returning in a demoralized condition, or who has behaved badly, will be deprived of the privileges of again leaving the post on pass.

MILITARY RESERVATION

48. Citizens will not be permitted to reside on the military reservation of Fort Union, N.M., except by proper written authority. A book shall be kept in the quartermaster's office in which shall be registered the names of all civilians living upon the reservation by authority.

All animals not authorized to graze within the limits of the reservation and found trespassing upon the same, will be proceeded against agreeably to the laws in such case made and provided, or by the authority vested in the commanding officer in charge of the reservation.

The post trader having civilians in his employ, and whose business renders the presence of such employees at or near the post necessary, will apply to this office for a pass in each individual case; and upon the discharge of such individual, said pass shall be returned to this office by the person at whose request it was issued.

POSTAGE

49. Officers desiring to have the postage on their official mail prepaid at this office, will endorse on the envelope the words "Official Business," and affix thereto their official signature, and cause the same to be handed in during office hours—i.e., between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

FIRES AND FIRE ALARMS

50. In case of an alarm of fire, a gun will be discharged; should the alarm occur at reveille or retreat, the gun will be discharged twice. The officer of the day will see that blank cartridges for the purpose herein indicated are in readiness.

51. Immediately on the alarm of fire being given, companies will fall in (with such fire buckets and axes as may be at hand) on their respective company parades; each company will then be marched in double time, by the senior commissioned officer present, (or by the senior non-commissioned officer present, should their be no commissioned officer of the company on the ground,) to the scene of the fire, where it will await further orders from the fire marshal.

52. The post quartermaster will at all times have everything arranged for moving the water wagons promptly to the place of fire.

53. The axes which are placed in quarters to be used in case of fire will not be used for any other purpose whatever.

54. The post quartermaster will provide if possible old coal scuttles, or other unserviceable tin or iron vessels, to keep the ashes in until removed by the police party. Wooden vessels should not be used.

55. As an additional precaution against fire, it is ordered that when ashes are taken from officers' quarters or other buildings a the post, particular attention be given to the extinguishment of the embers, and that water be poured on the ashes for this purpose if necessary. Officers will see that their servants and others under their charge comply strictly with the foregoing.

GARRISON COURTS-MARTIAL, BOARDS OF SURVEY, AND CORRESPONDENCE

56. Proceedings of garrison courts-martial will be forwarded to these Headquarters on the day following the completion of trial.

57. Official letters of every description forwarded to, or through these Headquarters, will be briefed as required by G.O. No. 22, A.G.O.; series of 1871.

58. Recorders of boards of survey, in making up proceedings of such boards, will be guided by instructions contained in G.O. No. 9, 22, and 25, 1880, and G.O. No. 4, current series, Headquarters Department of the Missouri.

59. All orders or parts of orders, heretofore issued from these Headquarters, and which conflict with the foregoing, are hereby revoked.

By order of COLONEL HALLER, Commanding

1. Orders No. 75, Nov. 6, 1881, HQ FU, FU orders, v. 44, pp. 133-136, RG 393, NA.