War  Department,
Adjutant-General's  Office,

Washington,  March  10,  i86j,

I.  The  following  is  the  twenty-sixth  section  of  the  act  ' '  for  enrolling  and  calling
out  the  national  forces,  and  for  other  purposes,"  approved  March  3,  1863:

"Sec.  26.  And  be  it  further  enacted.  That  immediately  after  the  passage  of  this
act  the  President  shall  issue  his  proclamation  declaring  that  all  soldiers  now  absent
from  their  regiments  without  leave  may  return,  within  a  time  specified,  to  such  place
or  places  as  he  may  indicate  in  his  proclamation,  and  be  restored  to  their  respec-
tive regiments  without  punishment,  except  the  forfeiture  of  their  pay  and  allowances
during  their  absence;  and  all  deserters  who  shall  not  return  within  the  time  so  speci-
fied by  the  President  shall, upon  being  arrested, be  punished  as  the  law  provides."
\  II.  The  following  places*  are  designated  as  rendezvous  to  which  soldiers  absent
without  leave  may  report  themselves  to  the  officers  named  on  or  before  the  ist  day
of  April  next  under  the  proclamation  of  the  President  of  this  date.
III.  Commanding  officers  at  the  above-named  places  of  rendezvous,  or,  in  the  absence
of  commanding  officers,  superintendents  of  recruiting  service,  recruiting  officers,  and
mustering  and  disbm-sing  officers,  will  take  charge  of  all  soldiers  presenting  them-
selves as  above  directed  and  cause  their  names  to  be  enrolled,  and  copy  of  said  roll
will,  on  or  before  the  loth  day  of  April,  be  sent  to  the  Adjutant-General  of  the  Army.
