half pan and half kettle, an iron fork, folding on a hinge, with a hook on the handle, to attach to his cooking-vessel to put it on and take it off the fire, and a suitable knife, would seem to be sufficient to enable a soldier to do all the cooking that is absosolutely requisite for short campaigns. 704. With strong and well-made little bags for keeping the sugar, coffee, salt, pepper, flour, &c. separate, his pantry, kitchen, and bed-chamber would be wherever he halted for the night; and in such a case, with no waiting for wagons to come up before supper can be had, and none to load up after breakfast, the march of an army would be greatly facilitated. It is the necessity of subsistence that compels armies to move upon certain lines, and prevents them from marching where they choose. Every soldier should make the art of cooking his study: more disease and deaths are occasioned in an army by bad cooking than by any other cause. 705. It may not be out of place here to suggest to soldiers who have been deprived of food for an unusual length of time and are suddenly placed within reach of an abundance of provisions, that by satisfying their hunger at once they are very liable to do themselves a permanent injury. It is recommended to procure first a cup of moderate coffee or tea, and a cracker. After eating this, and allowing an hour or so for the stomach to gain strength from this nourishment, a moderately full meal may be eaten without injury. ON DETACHED SERVICE. 706. ENLISTED men on detached service, unattended by a commissioned officer, are frequently at a loss how to provide themselves with rations and transportation. The following general principles should be borne in mind under such circumstances. 707. When soldiers are detached from their companies for periods extending beyond a muster-day, they should be accompanied by their descriptive lists and clothing accounts. If this is not done, they cannot be mustered, or paid, or receive clothing, during their absence. It is always best to send descriptive lists, as the exigencies of the service may keep the men away from their companies longer than was originally intended. 708. Soldiers on detached service should always be accompanied by the order detaching them, and showing the duty they are on,-which order it is necessary to present to the commanding officers of posts and districts through which the men are required to pass, who will give the necessary orders in the case for the transportation and rations that they require. 709. Where it is very inconvenient to carry rations, or where they cannot be obtained, the soldiers can purchase their own food at their discretion, and will subsequently be reimbursed by the commutation of the ration. Under any circumstance, where a soldier does not receive his rations in kind, they can always be commuted at the cost-price of the ration, when due. (See paragraphs 36 and 37). 710. Where, from any circumstance, soldiers find themselves separated or detached from their commands, without the necessary means or authority for rejoining, in order to prevent their being reported as deserters, they should at once report in person to the nearest post or command, and state their case to the commanding officer, whose duty it is to provide for them and have them forwarded to their proper commands at the earliest opportunity. 711. The soldier should bear in mind that any failure to take proper steps to join his command, when separated from it, no matter what the cause, involves inconveniences and troubles that are not overcome without much difficulty. Sickness, insurmountable accidents, &c. all require to be established by conclusive testimony, to free him from the suspicions that always attend an unusual absence from his proper post. MEDALS. 712. By a resolution of Congress, approved July 12, 1862, the President was authorized to cause two thousand "medals of honor" to be prepared, with suitable emblematic devices, "to be presented to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldierlike qualities during the present insurrection.” 713. This is the only instance in our service of legislation for rewarding soldiers with medals for meritorious services. During the Mexican War, "Certificates of Merit" were given, that insured an increase of pay; and, as a rule, soldiers have generally been rewarded with money or land for extraordinary services. 714. Medals are lasting mementoes of meritorious actions: they survive changes of fortune and station, are cherished with pride and reverence by descendants, and are, therefore, commendable objects of a soldier's ambition. It is well at all times for soldiers to procure certificates from their immediate commander for whatever services they have rendered, and the manner in which they have been performed. It is recommended to enlisted men to provide themselves with a little blank-book, in which such certificates may be entered and preserved. 715. These certificates are particularly valuable to individual soldiers serving on expeditions where their proper companies or regiments are not represented, and where the muster-rolls and reports will fail to show that they participated. Such papers become exceedingly valuable in the lapse of time, and may, in many instances, involve extra pay or pensions. SOLDIERS' LETTERS. 716. By the 11th section of the act approved July 22, 1861, soldiers are allowed to send letters without prepayment of postage, the postage to be collected on the delivery of the letter. The Post-Office regulations require that such letter shall be endorsed "Soldier's Letter," and signed by the commanding officer or a field officer of the regiment to which the soldier belongs. PENSIONS. 717. THE following are the instructions published by the Pension Office, relative to the manner of procuring pensions by those who are entitled to them. They are plain and simple, and there is no necessity of feeing a lawyer to make out the applications for a pension. Any intelligent soldier can do it himself. "GENERAL PROVISIONS. "Under the act of Congress approved July 14, 1862, pensions are granted to the following classes of per sons: "I. INVALIDS, disabled since March 4, 1861, in the military or naval service of the United States, in the line of duty. |