GENERAL ORDERS, 
NO. 86. 
WAR DEPARTMENT, 
Adjutant General's Office, 
Washington, May 9, 1865. 
Lists to be made of Volunteer Officers. 
For the information of the War Department, lists will at once be 
prepared and forwarded of all officers in the volunteer service, made 
out separately for each arm of the service and each branch of the 
staff, showing the relative merit of the officers in their regiments or 
departments, as determined by boards of officers, to be appointed for 
the purpose by corps and other independent commanders. The reports 
of the boards will include the names of all officers belonging to a 
particular command, whether present or absent; and in the cases of 
the absent officers, the reports will be based upon the best information 
attainable. The reports will also state what officers, in the opinion of 
the boards, should be discharged. 
These lists will be forwarded through the prescribed channel, and 
the several commanders through whom they may be transmitted will 
endorse thereon their recommendations, based on their own knowledge 
of the character of the officers. 
The lists will specify the rank and arm for which the officer is deemed 
competent, and whether he desires to remain in the military service. 
For all officers below the grade of Colonel, these lists will be consoli- 
dated and arranged by Brigade, Division, and Corps Commanders, (or 
independent commands of less than a Corps,) so as to include all 
officers in the Corps. 
The lists of Colonels, Generals, and Staff officers will also be consoli- 
dated at Army or Department and Military Division Headquarters. 
In addition to the lists thus furnished through the ordinary military 
channels, the Chiefs of Staff Departments at Washington will at once 
obtain from their subordinates similar lists, conveniently consolidated, 
and forward them to this Department. 
order of the Secretary of War : 
E. D. TOWNSEND, 
Assistant Adjutant General, 
Official : 
Assistant Adjutant General.