Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 2.djvu/255



fixed by the first legionary court of inquiry, which is held next after the passing of this act, subject to such changes as future legionary courts of inquiry may think proper; and there shall be a muster for exercise and inspection of each battalion, in the month of May, in every year, to be appointed by the commanding officer of the brigade, to which such battalions respectively belong, at such places as he may think proper within the county. There shall also be a muster of each legion in the month of October, in each year, to be appointed by the commanding officer of the brigade, to which such legion belongs, at such place as he may think most convenient within the legionary district; which said company, battalion, and legionary musters, shall continue one day, and no longer; the time and place of such legionary, company, and battalion musters, shall be notified to the commanding officers of legions, thirty days previous thereto; the commanding officers of legions shall give notice to the commanding officers of battalions, of such brigade, legionary, companies, and battalion musters, at least twenty days; the commanding officers of battalions, to the commanding officers of companies, at least fifteen days; and the commanding officers of companies to their sergeants, at least ten days; and the sergeants to each person in his company, at least three days before such musters, respectively; the notices to be given by the commanding officers of brigades, legions, battalions, and companies shall be in writing, delivered to each person to be notified, or left at his usual place of abode, and every sergeant failing to give notice, agreeably to the orders of the commanding officer of his company, to each person therein, shall forfeit and pay for each and every offence, five dollars, to be assessed and recovered as other fines imposed by this act, nevertheless all notices publicly given by the commanding officers of companies, at their respective musters of any subsequent muster, shall be held and deemed as legal notice, as to all persons present at such musters. Every officer and soldier shall appear at his respective muster field, on the day appointed, by ten o’clock in the forenoon, armed and equipped. At every muster, the commanding officer of the company shall cause his roll to be called, and shall examine every person belonging thereto, and note down all delinquencies accruing therein, and shall personally inspect the arms, ammunition, and accoutrements, of all under his command, and make accurate return of the whole thereof, to the commanding officer of his battalion, in five days thereafter; and moreover, it shall be the duty of the commanding officers of companies, to have their companies respectively prepared, at the battalion musters, for inspection, by means of returns, the forms of which, to be furnished them by the brigade inspector, through the commanding officers of the legion and battalion, to which they respectively belong, which returns shall be filed, ready to be delivered to the inspector, as shall commence the inspection of each company. And the commanding officers of legions and battalions shall, at their respective legionary and battalion musters, (as the case may be) take notice of all delinquent officers, and shall lay the same, together with returns of delinquencies, from the commanding officers of companies, before the courts of inquiry, appointed under this act to take cognizance of, and determine on them: and to each of the said returns, shall be annexed the following certificate, to wit: “I do certify, that the returns hereunto annexed, contain all the delinquencies which have occurred since my last return, having duly examined the same.”

. And be it further enacted, That every commanding officer of a company shall, within five days after every battalion and legionary muster, make up and report to the commanding officer of his battalion, a return of his company, in such manner and form as shall be furnished by the adjutant, from time to time; it shall be the duty of commanding officers of battalions, to make like returns to the commanding officers