Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, Richmond, December 7, 1863. GENERAL ORDERS, ? No. 160. $ I. The following schedules of prices for'articles named therein, adopted by commissioners appointed pursuant to !awr, for the State of Virginia, are announced for the information of all concerned; and the special, at- tention of officers and agents of the government is directed thereto: II. lion. James A. Seddon: Richmond, Dec. 4, IB6J. Sin, In revising and preparing the schedules of prices for De- cember and January, we requested the aid of Mr. Wm. B. Hamsun, and it is proper to add that the prices agreed upon received the unanimous approval of the commissioners. We respectfully offer the accompanying schedules A and B, with the understanding that the prices therein indi- cated are to remain for the mouths'of December and January, unless in the interval it should he deemed by us necessary to modify them. The following schedules present the maximum prices to be paid lor the articles appraised, at all cities and usual places of sale, and when im- pressed elsewhere, the same prices are to be paid elsewhere, less the cost of transportation to the city or usual place of sale to which the article would go ordinarily for sale from that neighborhood, or less the cost of transportation to the point at which the government needs the article, and wishes it to be sent; provided, that in no case the amount deducted tor transportation as above, shall exceed 25 cents per bushel for grjnn, and 25 cents per cwt. for long forage, flour, bacon, iron, Arc. In addition to the established price of transportation, the government to pay all legal tolls; and where farmers cannot nails for baling forage, govern- ment to furnish the same at cost, which will he deducted from tho estab- Jifihed price for baling: 2 Schedule A. ARTICLES. QUALITY. DESCRIPTION. QUANTITY. PRICE. 1 Wheat, Prime, Good, White or red, Fine, Superfine, Extra sup’fine, Per bus. of 60 lbs. $5 00 8 Flour, bbl. of 196 lbs. 22 00 « “ 196 ibs. 25 00 it “ “ 196 lbs. 26 50 “ “ Family, “ 196 lbs. 28 00 3 Corn, Prime, White oryel’w, bus, of 56 lbs. 4 00 4 Unshelled corn. “ “ 56 Ibs. 3 95 5 Corn meal. Good, - “ 50 tbs. 4 20 6 Rye, Prime, - “ 56 Ibs. 3 20 7 Cleaned oats, “ - “ 32 lbs. 2 50 8 Wheat bran, Good, - “ “ 17 lbs. 50 9 Shorts, “ - “ 22 lbs. 70 19 Brown stuff, “ - “ 28 lbs. 90 11 Ship stuff, “ - “ “ 37 lbs. 1 40 18 Bacon, 13 Salt pork, Fresh “ “ Hog round, pound, 1 25 Fat and r 1 10 good, - Per lb. net weight, 80 14 Card, Good, — “ pound, 1 25 15 Horses, 16 Wool. First class, Fair or Artillery, &c. Av’ge price per head, 350 00 17 Wool, Merino, Fair or W ashed, Per pound, 3 00 Merino, Unwashed, 2 00 18 Peas, Good, - bus. of 60 lbs. 4 00 19 Beans. - “ 60 lbs. 4 00 20 Potatoes, Irish, “ 60 lbs. 4 00 2). Potatoes, Sweet, “ “ 60 lbs. 5 00 22 Onions, 11 - “ “ 60 lbs. 5 00 23 Dried peaches, “ Pealed, “ “ 38 Ibs. 8 00 24 Dried peaches, Unpealed, “ “ 38 lbs. 4 50 25 Dried apples, 96 Hay, baled, 27 Hay, baled, 88 Hay, nnbaled, “ Pealed, Timothy or clover, Orchard or herd grass, Orchard or “ “ 28 lbs. 100 pounds, 100 3 00 3 50 3 00 herd grass, “ 100 3 00 29 Sheaf oatg, baled, 11 - 100 4 00 30 “ “ unb’d, “ 11 100 3 50 31 Blade fodder,baled, - “ 100 3 50 32 “ “ urib’d, “ - it 100 “ 3 00 33 Shucks, baled, “ - “ 100 ■2 20 34 “ unbaled, 11 _ 100 “ 1 70 35 Wh eat straw, bl’d. 11 - “ 100 “ 1 80 36 “ “ unb’d, - “ 100 “ . 1 30 37 Pasturage, Interior, head per month, 3 00 38 Superior, “ U “ 4 00 39 “ . First rate, “ • U “ U 5 00 40 Good, Near cities, 11 C* it 5 00 41 Superior, " « “ 6 00 42 First rate, 11 7 00 43 Salt, Good, _ “ bus. of 50 lbs. 5 00 44 Soap, “ - pound, 40 45 Candles. (1 Tallow, 2 00 46 Vinegar, (( Cider, “ gallon, 2 00 47 Whiskey. (( Trade, 3 00 48 Sugar, tt Brown, pound, 1 50 49 Molasses, New Orleans, “ gallon, 10 00 50 Uice, - “ pound. 20 3 Schedule A—Continued. ARTICLES. QUALITY. DESCRIPTION. QUANTITY. PRICK.. 51 Coffee, Good, Rio, Per pound, $ 3 00 52 Tea, 44 Trade, 7 00 53 Vinegar, Manufactured, “ gallon, 50 54 Pig iron, No. 1 quality, “ ton, 150 00 55 Pig iron, No. 2 quality, 1C2 00 56 No. 3 quality, (( ll 120 00 57 Bloom iron, ll - ll ll 216 00 58 Smith’s iron, ll Round, plate and bar, ll ll 456 00 59 Rail road iron, _ U ll 190 00 60 Leather, ll Harness, “ pound. 2 60 61 ll Sole, 2 40 62 ll Upper, “ “ 2 80 63 Beef cattle, Gross weight, “ 100 pounds, “ 100 16 00 64 “ Superior, 18 00 65 “ “ First rate, 4 4 4 4 11 100 20 00 66 Sheep, Fair, - “ head, 30 00 67 Army woolen cl’th, 5 00 i yard, Good, 10 oz. per yd. “ yard, 68 Army woolencl’th, “ Pro rata as to greater or less Width or weight. 6!) Army woolen cl’ th, 10 00 6-4 yard, 14 20 oz. per yd. Per yard, 70 Army woolen cl’th, “ Pro rata as to greater or less Width or weight. 4 00 7i Flannels, J, 44 6 oz. per yd. Per yard, 72 Cotton shirting, f, 44 41- yds. to lb. 56 73 “ “ i. “ 3f vds. to lb. 44 44 84 74 “ sheet’gs, 4-4, 44 3 yds. to lb. 4 4 44 87 75 “ oznab’gs, f, 6 oz per yd. 44 4< 75 76 “ “ i, “ 8 oz. per yd. ti ll 88 77 “ drills, 44 3 yds. to lb. It ll 88 78 Cot. shirt’g stripes, 44 3 yds. to lb. ll H 88 79 “ tent cloths, 44 10 oz. per yd. 4 4 44 1 12 80 On the above enn merated cot ton cloths, pro rata as to greater or le ss width or weight. 2 00 81 Cotton warps, Good, _ Per pound, 82 Army shoes, 44 “ pair, 10 00 83 Shoe thread, 44 _ “ pound, 2 00 84 Wool socks, men’s, 44 - “ pair, Av’ge price per head, 1 25 85 Males, First rate. Wagon, &c. 300 00 86 Corntop fodder, 2 0C baled, Good, - Per 100 pounds, 87 Corntop fodder, unbaled, 41 _ “ 100 1 50 88 Wheat chaff, bal’d, 89 “ “ unb’d, 44 _ “ 100 2 00 44 “ 100 :i so 90 Sorghum molasses, 44 _ “ gallon, 8 eo 91 Pastu’ge for sheep, 92 44 Interior, “ head. 40 Superior, 50 i>3 First rate, U 44 44 60 In assessing the average value of “first class artillery and wagon horses at $350,” we designed that the term should be accepted and acted upon according to its obvious common sense import. In other words, that horses should be selected, and then impressed accordingly as their 4 working qualities and adaptation to army service, together with their in- trinsic value, would warrant a judicious purchaser in considering them as coming within the contemplation of the commissioners when they assessed the average value of such horses as the government needed, at $350. But cases might arise, however, when the public exigencies would be so urgent as to demand that all horses at hand should be im- pressed. Yet under ordinary circumstances; when family or extra blooded horses, or brood mares of admitted high value are impressed, wo respect- fully suggest to the Secretary of War to have instructions forwarded to the impressing officers to propose and allow the owners to substitute in their stead such, strong, sound and serviceable horses or mules as shall be considered and valued by competent and disinterested parties as first class artillery horses, or first rate wagon mules. The term “average value per head” was used in contradistinction to a fixed and uniform pri c for each horse or mule. Wo supposed that in impressing a number of horses or mules, whether owned by several per- sons, or one individual, that some might he estimated at $250, or even at less, and others at different advanced rates, according to their worth, up as high as $ 450, or above that amount—thus making an average value or price for a number of good, sound and efficient horses, $ 350 each, and mules S3GU each. In illustration of our views, we will add, that a horse with only one eye sound, might, in all other respects, be classed as a first rate artillery horse, yet the loss of cue eye would justly and considerably curtail his value. So a horse from 10 to 18 years of age might be deemed in all other particulars as a first class artillery horse, but of course, however efficient or able to render good service for a year or so, yet his advanced age would justly and materially impair his value. Any horse, however he may approximate the standard of a first class artillery horse, must, according to deficiencies, fall below the maximum price; and as few comparatively exactly come up to the standard, and therefore are entitled to the maximum price, so of course in all other instances the price should he°propcrtionately reduced, as imperfections place them below the standard of first class, &c. 5 Schedule B—Hire of Labor, Teams, Wagons and Drivers. • Quantity and Time. Price. 1. Baling long forage, 2. Shelling and bagging com, sacks fur- nished by government, - Per 300 pounds, $ 0 50 “ 58 “ 05 3. Hauling, “ cwt. pr. mile, “ bus. “ 08 4. Hauling grain, 04 5. Hire of two-horse team, wagon and driver, . rations furnished by .owner, 6. Hire of same, rations furnished by the government, - “ day, ■ 10 00 “ day, 5 00 7. Hire of four-horse team, wagon and'driver, ■ rations furnished by owner, “ day, 13 00 8. Hire of same, rations furnished by the government, “ day, 6 50 9. Hire ot six-horse team, wagon and driver, rations furnished by owner, 10. Hire of same, rations furnished by the government, “ day, 16 00 “ day, 8 CO 1!. Hire of laborer, rations furnished by owner, - - - 12. Hire of same, rations furnished by the government, “ day, 2 50 “-day, 3 50 13. Hire of same, rations and clothing fur- nished by owner, “ month, 50 f>0 14. Hire of same, rations furnished by the govemment, * - “ month. 30 00 15. Hire of teamsters, rations furnished by government, “ month, 40 CO 16. Hire of laborer, clothing and rations fur- nished by government, - “ year, 300 00 17. Hire of same, clothing and rations fur- nished by owner, “ year, 550 00 18. Hire of same, rations only furnished by government, - , - “ ypar, 400 00 Upon farther consideration, we have concluded to value sheaf oats, hay and blade fodder, east of the Blue Ridge mountains, when haled, at $5 per 100 pounds, and unbaled at $4 50 per 100 pounds. E. W. Hubahd, Robert Gibbonet, Wm. B. Harrison, Commissioners for Fa. order. S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General.