Adjutant and Inspector General’s Officb, 
Richmond, September 28, 1863. 
GENERAL ORDERS, ) 
No. 126. 5 
I. In order to avoid all difficulty with respect to payment of officers 
absent from their commands, and who have not received commissions or 
letters of appointment, it is ordered, that all such officers shall, before 
leaving their companies, be furnished with a transcript from the muster 
rolls, or a certificate in lieu thereof, as may be convenient; setting out 
the full name, rank and date thereof of such officer, and that he is borne 
on the muster roll as such. These transcripts or certificates will be 
signed by the commanding officer of the regiment and company, and 
will be equivalent with the pay officer to the commission or letter of ap- 
pointment referred to in paragraph I, General Orders, No. 121, of 1863. 
This provision, however, is not designed to dispense with the require- 
ments of General Orders, No. 28, pars. II and 111, current series. 
11. Paragraph I, General Orders, No. 116, Adjutant and Inspector 
General’s office, is so modified as to read.as follows : 
“Generals, or other officers commanding departments, armies in the 
field, posts or garrisons, will cause all deserters, stragglers or other absen- 
tees from duty, and all persons liable to military service, found within 
their lines, and not belonging to their command, to be forthwith arrested 
and turned over to the nearest enrolling officer, whose duty it shall be to 
forward such absentees to their proper commands; or in case of con- 
scripts, to assign them to service, at the discretion of the commandant of 
conscripts of the state.” 
order. 
Adjutant and Inspector General. 
S. COOPER,