OCTOBER 24, 1863:
Secretary
of War William Stanton issues U.S. Army General Orders Number 85, which defines
the status of blacks in Union service, and those liberated from bondage:
I. All freed negroes
who have sought the protection of the United States, or who have been brought
within our lines, are to be put to such labor as they may be competent to
perform, and all such as are absolutely retained, either in employment or
otherwise, within said lines will not be permitted to pass beyond the same.
Only such negroes will be permitted to pass outside the Federal lines as may be
in the military service of the United States, in the employ of the several
departments of government, or are voluntarily in the employ of lessees of
plantations authorized by the commissioners, or such as may be hired by men of
known loyalty, or such as may receive express authority from the local
commander to return to their former homes.
Domestic servants in the employ of loyal
citizens will, on application of the letter to military commandants, be
permitted to proceed to any Northern point.
II. Whenever cotton
may be picked, ginned, and baled by negroes on abandoned plantations, not leased
by the authorized commissioners, one-fourth of said cotton will be delivered to
the commissioners, to be disposed of by them for the benefit of these negroes.
III. Camps for freed
negroes are to be considered simply as places of temporary refuge for such
negroes incapacitated for military service as may come within our lines; and
these camps are to be occupied only by such until opportunities offer to place
them in position whereby they may support themselves. With this object in view,
the superintendents of all such camps will furnish, on the requisition of the
commissioners appointed by the Government, such hands, male, female, and
children, as may be called for by them for the cultivation of plantations
leased to authorized persons, including civilians of known loyalty to the
Federal Government.
IV. All officers now
serving in regiments of African descent who may have been mustered into the
service of the United States at a date subsequent to the complete organization
of their respective commands, according to regulations, are entitled to have
their muster roll dated from the time their commands actually numbered the
minimum prescribed by law; and all officers who are properly authorized to act
as mustering officers are hereby directed to make the necessary changes on the
muster-rolls of such commissioned officers and enlisted men as may have been
prevented by circumstances from being mustered in at the exact time they might
have been entitled thereto.
These changes will be
made only on the certificate of the regimental commanders that the officers and
men were actually entitled to be mustered into the service of the United States
on the dates set forth by them.
V. The interests of
the service rendering it important that the number of company officers in
regiments of African descent, already organized, should be kept to the maximum
number, commanders will immediately nominate such persons as may be deemed
fitted to fill vacancies in their regiments.
All such officers
when duly appointed will at once be mustered into service, regardless of the
actual strength of the company, provided such company should have at any
previous time numbered the aggregate prescribed by law. This becomes the more
necessary from the fact that these companies are liable to be filled at any
time.
VI. The
non-commissioned staff officers of the regiments of African descent will be
mustered into the service of the United States from the time that the
commanding officers of their regiments shall report their services as
absolutely necessary.
By order of the
Secretary of War:
L. THOMAS,
Adjutant General
