The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Series 4, Volume 2. Page: 897

                                
CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES.                 897
[Indorsement.]
Approved and special attention requested.
J. A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War.
GENERAL ORDERS,        ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE,
No. 138.                      Richmond, October 24, 1863.
The following instructions are published for carrying into effect the
ninth section of the act of 26th of March, 1863, to regulate impress-
ments in respect to labor on fortifications and other public works in
States in which provisions have not been made on this subject:
1. The commanding general or the officer of engineers in charge of
the work shall have power to decide upon the necessity for making
impressments of slaves for this purpose, after making suitable efforts
to secure the necessary laborers by contract. He must be satisfied of
the necessity of the measure before he resorts to it.
2. He may authorize the impressment of male slaves between the
ages of seventeen and fifty years, but before the 1st day of December
next shall abstain from impressing slaves from plantations exclu-
sively devoted to the production of grain and provisions, without the
consent of the owner, except in cases of urgent necessity.
3. No impressments shall be made of the slaves employed in the
domestic and family service exclusively, nor upon farms or planta-
tions where there are not more than three slaves of the age specified,
and not more than 5 per cent. of the population of slaves shall be
impressed in any county at the same time, unless the necessity is very
great, and after consultation with this department or the Governor of
the State in which the impressment is to be made.
4. The ordinary period for impressment shall be sixty days, but if
the owner of any slave shall fail to bring the slaves impressed to the
place of rendezvous within five days after the time appointed, the
slaves so withheld may be detained for ninety days, and for a longer
term of ten days for every day of default, unless a reasonable excuse
be given for the delays that have occurred.
5. It shall be the duty of the commanding general in charge of any
lines requiring fortification to acquaint himself with the resources of
slave labor within his department, and to consider with care the
manner in which he may obtain the control of whatever is necessary
for the public service, by fair and equitable apportionment among
the owners of such property. He will consult with the Governor of
the State and other State authorities as to the best mode of proceed-
ing, so that his impressment may cause the least embarrassment to
the industrial pursuits of the community.
6. Notices shall be given of the number and character of the slaves
required, the time and place of their delivery, the time for which the
service is required, and of the arrangements made for the subsist-
ence, management, and custody of the slaves so required; and if the
masters of slaves shall agree to furnish subsistence for their slaves
and a suitable overseer or agent to superintend them, they shall have
the privilege of so doing. But such overseers shall be subject to the
control of the officer in charge, and may be dismissed for any mis-
conduct by him.
7. The sum of $20 per month for each slave delivered in pursuance
to requisition, and $15 per month for each slave held in consequence
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