Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, 
Richmond, Nov. 6, 1863. 
GENERAL ORDERS, ) 
No. 144. 5 
To relieve prevalent misconceptions in regard to the policy and prac- 
tice of the Department on the subject of impressment, the following, be- 
ing extracts of General Orders of March 19th, is repeated: 
Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, 
Richmond, March 19,1863. 
GENERAL ORDERS, \ 
NO. 31. S 
In consequence of numerous applications made by various persons to the War 
Department, it is obvious that some misconception in regard to the Instructions of 
the Secretary of War in relation to the impressment of supplies, must exist on the 
part of the people, or that the agents of the government have violated their in- 
structions : Now, therefore, for the purpose of removing such misconception, and 
to prevent any violation of those instructions, it is hereby ordered: 
I. That no officer of the government shall, under any circumstances whatever, 
impress the supplies which a party has for his own consumption, or that of his fa- 
mily, employees, or slaves. 
11. That no officer shall at any time, unless specially ordered so to do by a Gene- 
ral commanding, in a case of exigency, impress supplies which are on their way to 
market for sale on arrival. 
111. These orders were included in the instructions originally issued in relation 
to impressment by the Secretary of War; and the officers exercising such authority- 
are again notified, that “ any one acting without or beyond” the authority given in 
those instructions, will be held strictly responsible. 
In conformity with the foregoing, to prevent any inconsiderate action 
on the part of officers or agents charged with the duty of impressment, 
they are enjoined, until further orders, which will not be given unless 
under imperative exigencies for the supply of the army, not to impress 
any necessaries of subsistence to man, owned by producers, in transitu 
to market, or after arrival at market, unless retained an unreasonable time 
from sale to consumers. 
order. 
S. COOPER, 
Adjutant and Inspector General.