Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/252



such case to the first battalion court of inquiry, that shall sit thereafter. And the commanders of the respective legions shall direct by order, to the different commanders of battalions, to what battalions the different volunteer companies shall be attached, and shall parade with on battalion duty; and shall direct how they shall be posted on legionary parades, unless differently ordered by the brigadier-general.

. And be it further enacted, That where any battalion or company districts, or alteration in districts actually laid off, may hereafter be found necessary, the commanding officers of legions shall assemble the commanding officers of battalions and companies at some fit and convenient place, and may proceed to lay off or alter any such battalion or company districts, which districts shall in all cases be designated by certain lines and bounds, and recorded by the clerks of the respective courts of inquiry.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the commanding officers of the companies to proceed forthwith to divide their companies into divisions by ballot, from one to ten, for the purpose of a regular routine of duty when called into actual service, and to return a roster of each division, and its number or rotation, within fifteen days thereafter, to the commanding officer of his battalion, who shall forthwith transmit the same to the commanding officer of the regiment or legion, who shall direct the same to be recorded by the clerk of the court of inquiry. The same regulations shall be observed by every commanding officer of a company, battalion, and legion or regiment, on the subsequent enrolment of any person therein, unless such person shall produce a certificate of his having been before drawn for the above purpose, in which case he shall be enrolled accordingly; and any militia man removing out of the bounds of one company into another, shall apply to the commanding officer of the company to which he did belong, who shall give him a discharge, certifying the class wherein he was arranged, and whether he had performed his tour of duty or not, and also the time and date of such service, which certificate the said militia man shall produce to the captain or commanding officer of the company into whose bounds he shall so have removed, within ten days after his settlement, and such officer is hereby required to enrol him in the numerical class specified therein, and every militia man so removing, and failing to produce such certificate, shall be arranged and enrolled in the class destined to perform the next tour of duty; and if any captain or commanding officer of a company shall refuse to grant such certificate upon application to him made for that purpose, he shall for such refusal, incur a penalty of thirty dollars, to be assessed and applied as other fines imposed by this act.

. And be it further enacted, That each and every officer appointed, or who may hereafter be appointed, and commissioned, in manner aforesaid, shall, previous to entering on the execution of his office, take the following oath, (to be administered by a justice of the peace, or the court of the county in which such officer resides) to wit: “I do swear that I will support the constitution of the United States, and faithfully discharge the duties of  in the  of the militia of the district of Columbia, to the best of my skill and judgment; so help me God.” If the said oath be administered by a justice of the peace, it shall be his duty to certify the same to the court of his respective county, there to be entered of record by the clerk.

. And be it further enacted, That the commanding officers of companies shall enrol every able-bodied white male, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, (except such as are exempt from military duty by the laws of the United States) resident within his district; and that in all cases of doubt, respecting the age of any person enrolled