GENERAL ORDERS, 
NO. 76. 
WAR DEPARTMENT, 
Adjutant General's Office, 
Washington, April 27, 18G5. 
The following revised instructions concerning the Veteran Reserve 
Corps are published for the information and guidance of all concerned: 
I.. Revised list of physical infirmities that incapacitate enlisted men for 
field service, but do not disqualify them for service in the Veteran Reserve 
Corps. 
1. Epilepsy, if the disease has not impaired the mental faculties. 
2. Paralysis, if confined to one upper extremity. 
3. Hypertrophy of the heart, unaccompanied with valvular lesion; 
confirmed nervous debility, or excitability of the heart, with palpita- 
tion, great frequency of the pulse, and loss of strength. 
4. Impeded respiration following injuries of the chest, pneumonia, 
or pleurisy. Incipient consumption. 
5. Chronic dyspepsia or chronic diarrhoea which has long resisted 
treatment. Simple enlargement of the liver, or spleen, with tender or 
tumid abdomen. 
6. Chronic disorders of the kidneys or bladder without manifest 
organic disease, and which have not yielded to treatment. 
7. General physical debility acquired in service, which has long 
resisted treatment. 
8. Chronic rheumatism, if manifested by positive change of structure, 
wasting or contraction of the muscles of the affected limb, or puffiness 
or distortion of the joints. 
9. Loss of sight of right eye; partial loss of sight of both eyes; or 
permanent disease of either eye affecting the integrity or use of the 
other eye, vision being impaired to such a degree as clearly to incapaci- 
tate for field service. Loss of sight of left eye, or incurable disease, or 
imperfections of that eye not affecting the use of the right eye, nor 
requiring medical treatment, do not disqualify for field service. 
10. Myopia, if very decided and depending upon structural change 
of the eye. Hemeralopia, if confirmed. 
11. Purulent otorrhoea. Deafness, if in degree sufficient to prevent 
hearing words of command as usually given. 2 
12. Stammering, unless excessive and confirmed. 
J3. Chronic aphonia, which has long resisted treatment, the voice 
remaining too feeble to give an order or alarm. 
' 14. Incurable deformities of either jaw, sufficient to impede but not 
prevent mastication or deglutition. 
15. Loss of a sufficient number of teeth to prevent proper mastication 
of food. 
16. Torticollis, if of long standing and well marked. 
17. Hernia. 
18. Internal haemorrhoids; prolapsus ani. 
19. Stricture of the urethra. 
20. Loss or complete atrophy of both testicles ; permanent retraction 
of one or both testicles within the inguinal canal. 
21. Varicocele, or circocele, if excessive or painful. Simple sarcocele, 
if not excessive nor painful. 
22. Loss of arm, forearm, or hand. 
23. Wounds or injuries of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or back, 
that have impaired the health, strength, or efficiency of the soldier. 
24. Wounds, fractures, injuries, tumors, atrophy of a limb, or chronic 
diseases of the joints or bones that would impede marching or prevent 
continuous muscular exertion. 
25. Anchylosis of the shoulder', elbow, wrist, or knee. 
2G. Irreducible dislocations of the shoulder, elbow, or wrist, in which 
the "bones have accommodated themselves to their new relations. 
27. Muscular or cutaneous contractions from wounds or burns, in a 
degree sufficient to prevent useful motion of a limb. 
28. Total loss of a thumb; loss of ungual phalanx of right thumb; 
permanent contractions or extensions of either thumb. 
29. Total loss of any two fingers of the same hand. Total loss of 
index finger of right hand; loss of second and third phalanges of index 
finger of right hand, if the motion of the first phalanx is impaired. 
Loss of the third phalanx does not incapacitate for field service. 
Loss of the third phalanges of all the fingers of either Land. 
30. Permanent extension or permanent contraction of any finger, 
except the little finger. 
31. Total loss of a great toe; loss of any two toes on the same foot, 
Other defects or deformities of the feet sufficient to prevent marching. 
32. Varicose veins of inferior extremities, if large and numerous 
accompanied with chionic swellings. 3 
33. Extensive, deep, and adherent cicatrices of upper or lower 
extremities. 
11.. 501diers having nervous debility, or excitability of the heart, 
impeded respiration from curable causes, chronic diarrhoea, chronic 
disorders of the kidneys, or bladder, aphonia, hemeralopia, or other 
diseases or infirmity not incurable, are not to be recommended for the 
Veteran Reserve Corps until they have been under medical treatment 
or observation a sufficient length of time to make it extremely probable, 
if not certain, that they will not be fit for active field service during 
any considerable portion of their period of enlistment. 
111.. 501diers who have lost an arm, forearm, or hand, may be dis- 
charged from the army on Surgeon's certificate, if they so elect. 
IV--The foregoing disabilities, or the loss of an inferior extremity, do 
not disqualify officers for service in the Veteran Reserve Corps. 
V. all cases where the physical infirmities of enlisted men come 
within the provisions of the above list, they will be recommended for 
transfer to the Veteran Reserve Corps, or, if out of service, enlisted in 
the Veteran Reserve Corps; but no one will be admitted, into this 
Corps whose previous record does not show that he is meritorious and 
deserving, and that the disease or disability has been contracted in the 
service. 
VI. Revised list of physical infirmities that disqualify enlisted men for 
service in the Veteran Reserve Corps: 
J. Manifest imbecility or insanity. 
2. Epilepsy, if the disease has impaired the mental faculties. 
3. Paralysis or chorea. 
4. Organic disease of the brain or spinal chord; of the heart or lungs; 
of the stomach or intestines; of the liver or spleen; of kidneys or 
bladder; so extensive and long continued as to have seriously impaired 
the general health, or so well marked as to leave no reasonable doubt 
of the man's incapacity for service in the Veteran Reserve Corps. 
5. Confirmed consumption, cancer, aneurism of important arteries. 
6. Inveterate and extensive disease of the skin. 
7. Scrofula, or constitutional syphilis, which has resisted treatment 
and seriously impaired the general health. 
8. Habitual or confirmed intemperance. 4 
9. Great injuries or diseases of the skull. 
10. Partial loss of sight of both eyes, or permanent disease of either 
eye affecting the integrity or use of the other eye, vision being so greatly 
impaired as to leave no reasonable doubt of the soldier's incapacity for 
service in the Veteran Reserve Corps. 
11. Loss of nose, or deformity of nose, if sufficient to seriously 
obstruct respiration; ozaena, dependent upon caries. 
12. Decided deafness. 
13. Dumbness; permanent loss of voice. 
14. Partial loss of tongue; hypertrophy, atrophy, mutilation, or chronic 
ulceration of the tongue, if sufficient in degree to interfere seriously 
with the use of the organ. 
15. Stammering, if excessive and confirmed. 
16. Incurable deformities of either jaw, such as necessarily greatly 
impede mastication or speech. 
17. Tumors or wounds of the neck impeding respiration or degluti- 
tion ; fistula of larynx or trachea. 
18. Deformity of the chest, or excessive curvature of the spine, 
sufficient to prevent the carrying of arms or military equipments; caries 
of the spine, ribs, or sternum, attended with ulceration; lumbar abscess. 
19. Artificial anus; severe stricture of the rectum. Fistula in ano, if 
extensive or complicated with visceral disease. 
20. Total loss, or nearly total loss of penis; epispadia or hypospadia 
at middle or near the root of the penis. 
21. Incurable, permanent, organic stricture of the urethra, in which 
the urine is passed drop by drop, or which is complicated by disease of 
the bladder; urinary fistula. 
22. Confirmed or malignant sarcocele; hydrocele, if complicated with 
organic disease of the testicle. 
23. Loss of inferior extremity. 
24. Anchylosis of hip or ankle joint. 
25. Irreducible dislocation of the hip, knee, or ankle joint. 
26. Large chronic ulcers of lower extremities. 
VII..In all cases where the physical infirmities of an enlisted man 
come within the provisions of this list, (insanity excepted,) or where 
his previous record shows that he is not meritorious or deserving, or 
has not contracted the disease or disability in the service, he will, if in 
service, be discharged. 5 
VIII. .The "Second Battalion" Companies of the Veteran Reserve 
Corps will be composed of officers and enlisted men who are not able to 
perform the duties of the "First Battalion" Companies, but are suitable 
for Guards, Clerks, Nurses, Attendants, «and Cooks at Hospitals, and 
of such enlisted men, unfit for field service, as may be specially recom- 
mended, on account of their fitness for hospital duty, by the Boards, as 
hereinafter provided. 
IX. All Second Battalion Companies with proper officers and non- 
commissioned officers are placed under the control of the Surgeon 
General, and will be assigned by him to duty at hospitals. The rolls 
and returns of these companies, heretofore required to be sent to the 
Provost Marshal General, will be sent to the Surgeon General. 
X. transfers to the Veteran Reserve Corps will hereafter be 
effected only at U. S. General Hospitals, and Department and Corps 
Commanders will cause all men who are proper subjects for such transfer 
to be sent to General Hospitals, with the necessary muster and de- 
scriptive rolls. The invalid rolls heretofore furnished by Corps Com- 
manders and Surgeons in charge of hospitals are no longer required. 
XI. The selection of enlisted men to be transferred to the Veteran 
Reserve Corps from patients in U. S. General Hospitals will be made 
by Boards of Examination, to be appointed by the Adjutant General, 
consisting of one or two Field Officers of the Line of the Army and one 
Medical Officer. 
All men in each General Hospital will be inspected by these Boards 
once in two months, and they will in all cases confer with the Surgeons 
in charge, and obtain from them such information relative to the actual 
condition of the men as they can furnish. After each inspection, the 
Boards will accurately prepare the following sets of transfer rolls: 
1st, of those selected for transfer to the First Battalion; 2d, of those 
selected for transfer to the Second Battalion; and 3d, of those who, 
while physically fit for duty in the First Battalion, are, by reason of 
special qualifications as Clerks, Nurses, Cooks, &c., considered by the 
Board as necessary to the hospital. The first set of rolls will be trans- 
mitted to the Provost Marshal General, the second and third to the 
Surgeon General, and by them will be forwarded to the Adjutant 
General's Office, where the transfers will be ordered. 6 
XII. Commissioned Officers will be assigned to the Second Battalion 
Companies by the Provost Marshal General, on requisition of the 
Surgeon General, not to exceed, however, the authorized number and 
grades to each company. 
XIII. In case any men of the Second Battalion become unfit for 
hospital duties, they will be discharged on the usual certificate of 
disability; but so much of Circular No. 65, A. G. O., August 18, 
1864, as directs that certain men of the Veteran Reserve Corps "may 
be discharged if they so elect," is hereby revoked. 
XIV. .Enlisted men of the Volunteer service having less than six 
months to serve, in U. S. General Hospitals, or in the field, who are 
proper subjects for transfer to the First Battalion, Veteran Reserve 
Corps, shall be sent for duty to such hospitals as the Surgeon General 
may direct, to be retained in hospital until expiration of enlistment, 
unless they become proper subjects for discharge or the field. While 
at hospital they will be temporarily attached to and mustered with the 
Second Battalion Company, or detachment at hospital. 
XV. The following is the organization of Regiments and Companies 
of the First Battalion, Veteran Reserve Corps, as Infantry: 
One Regiment of First Battalion. 
Ten Companies. 
One Colonel. 
One Lieutenant Colonel. 
One Major. 
One Adjutant. 
One Quartermaster. 
One Sergeant Major. 
One Regt'l Q. M. Sergeant. 
One Regt'l Com. Sergeant. 
Two Principal Musicians. 
One Company of First Battalion. 
Ono Captain. 
One First Lieutenant. 
One Second Lieutenant. 
One First Sergeant. 
Four Sergeants. 
Eight Corporals. 
Two Musicians. 
And eighty-two (82) Privates. 7 
The Commander of a regiment will appoint the Adjutant from the 
subalterns of the regiment, nominate the Quartermaster to the Secretary 
of War for appointment, and appoint the Non-commissioned Staff of the 
regiment. When non-commissioned officers are required for a company, 
its commander shall make a requisition upon the Provost Marshal 
General, through his regimental commander. Non-commissioned 
officers may also be appointed to companies by the Provost Marshal 
General, upon application and approval of company and regimental 
commanders. 
XVI. Companies of the Second Battalion, Veteran Reserve Corps, 
shall be organized in the same manner and contain the same number of 
commissioned and non-commissioned officers and privates as those of 
the First Battalion. When non-commissioned officers are required in a 
company, its commanding officer shall make a requisition for them upon 
the Provost Marshal General, through the Surgeon General. When 
they cannot be thus obtained, they may be appointed to companies by 
the Surgeon General, upon application of the company commander, 
approved by the Surgeon in charge of the hospital at which they are 
stationed and the Medical Director of the Department. Non-com- 
missioned officers' warrants shall be furnished by the Surgeon General. 
XVII. All orders, parts of orders, or circulars heretofore published at 
variance with the foregoing, have been revoked. 
By order of the Secretary of War: 
W. A. NICHOLS, 
Assistant Adjutant General. 
Official: 
Assistant Adjutant General.