Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, 
Richmond, May 28, 1863. 
GENERAL ORDERS, ? 
' No. 69. S 
I. In places where there are three or more hospitals, three surgeons in 
charge of hospitals, or divisions in hospitals, shall constitute a Board of 
Examiners for the hospitals to which they belong, whose duty it shall be, 
twice in each week, to visit said hospitals, and examine applicants for 
furloughs; and in all cases where they shall find an applicant unfit for 
military duty, either from disease, or wounds, and likely so to remain for 
thirty days or upwards, they shall, provided his life or convalescence will 
not in their opinion be endangered thereby, grant a furlough for such 
time, not to exceed sixty days, as they shall deem he will be unfit for 
duty. 
11. There will be detailed for each board herein constituted, from one 
of the hospitals visited by them, a competent clerk, who will issue fur- 
loughs, to be signed by the senior member of the board; which will spe- 
cify therein the length of furlough, the place of residence of the soldier, 
his company, regiment and brigade: and no further formality shall be re- 
quired of the soldier, and no passport other than his furlough. 
111. In every case furloughed under the provisions of this order, a 
medical certificate, stating the name, company, regiment and,brigade of 
the soldier, his place of residence, and the length of furlough, with the 
full particulars of the disease, wound or disability, and the period during 
which he has suffered from its effects, with an opinion of the time which 
will elapse before he can resume duty, must be furnished by the Board of 
Examiners to the Surgeon General: and if such furlough has been im- 
properly granted, the derelict officer will be held responsible before a mili- 
' tary tribunal. 
IV The board aforementioned will also examine applicants for dis- 
charge from the service, in hospitals visited by them, and may recom- 
mend a discharge when a soldier is deemed permanently unfit for service 
in the field or in any department of the army, in consequence of wounds, 
disease or infirmity: in which case certificates of disability, signed by 
the senior member of the board, and approved by the General command- 
4ng the army or department to which the soldier belongs, or by the Sur- 2 
geon General, will entitle him to a discharge, to he granted hy the com- 
mand: nt of the post, who will complete and forward the “ certificates of 
disability” to the Adjutant and Inspector General’s office. The surgeon 
in charge of the hospital will make out “ final statements.” The soldier 
will receive transportation to the place of his enlistment or residence. 
Y. In places where there arc but two hospitals, two surgeons in charge 
of a hospital or division shall constitute a hoard for the purposes afore- 
said : and in places where there is but one hospital, the surgeon in charge 
and two assistant surgeons, it there be two, and if not, then one, shall 
constitute a board for the purpose aforesaid, and may furlough, and re- 
commend discharges as herein prescribed. 
YI. Where a soldier has been discharged under the provisions of this 
order, and bis “ descriptive list” and “ final statements” cannot be pro- 
cured, he. will mustered by the surgeon in charge on the hospital rolls, 
for payment, upon his affidavit, taken before one or more witnesses, that 
he has not received pay for the period for which he claims it to he due, 
and that he is not indebted to the Confederate States beyond the amount 
stated by him. 
VII. Notices of all furloughs issued under these orders will be for- 
warded weekly hy the Board of Examiners, and notices of all discharges 
from service, by commandants of posts, to the immediate commander of 
the company to which the soldier belongs, and to the Adjutant and In- 
spector General. 
VIII. The hopge surgeon in all hospitals shall see each patient under 
his charge once every day. 
IX. Paragraphs 111, IV and V, General Orders, No. 51, current scries, 
from this office, pertaining to matters herein regulated, are rescinded. .< 
X. Boards of examiners and post commaudarits have no power to 
grant an officer leave of absence. They can only recommend it, upon 
the usual surgeon’s certificate, for the consideration of the commanding 
officer of the army or department to which the officer belongs. 
order. 
S. COOPER, 
Adjutant and Inspector General.