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Chapter XLIII.- An Act to raise for a limited time an additional military force. April 12, 1808

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in addition to the present military establishment of the United States, there be raised five regiments of infantry, one regiment of riflemen, one regiment of light artillery, and one regiment of light dragoons, to be enlisted for the term of five years, unless sooner discharged.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said regiments of infantry, riflemen, and artillery, shall consist of ten companies each, and the regiment of light dragoons of eight troops; and the field and staff officers of each regiment, of one colonel, one lieutenant colonel, one major, one adjutant, one quartermaster, one paymaster, one surgeon, one surgeon's mate, one sergeant major, one quartermaster sergeant, two principal musicians, and for the regiment of light dragoons, one riding master; each company of infantry and riflemen, to consist of one captain, one first and one second lieutenant, one ensign, two cadets, four sergeants, four corporals, two musicians, and sixty-eight privates; each company of artillery of one captain, one first and one second lieutenant, two cadets, four sergeants, four corporals, two musicians, eight artificers, and fifty-eight matrosses; and each troop of light dragoons, of one captain, one first and one second lieutenant, one cornet, two cadets, four sergeants, four corporals, two musicians, one saddler, one farrier, and sixty-four privates.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That when in the opinion of the President of the United States, a suitable proportion of the troops authorized by this act shall be raised, there may be appointed two additional brigadier generals, who shall be entitled to one aid-de-camp each, to be taken from the subalterns of the line; two brigade inspectors, and two brigade quartermasters; and such number of hospital surgeons, and surgeons' mates, as the service may require, but not exceeding five surgeons and fifteen mates, with one steward, and one ward-master to each hospital; the brigade inspectors appointed under this act shall be taken from the line; and the brigade quartermasters, the adjutants, regimental quartermasters, and paymasters from the subalterns of the line.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the compensation of the officers, cadets, non-commissioned officers, musicians, artificers and privates, authorized by this act, shall be, viz., to each brigadier general, one hundred and four dollars per month, twelve rations per day, or an equivalent in money, and sixteen dollars per month for forage, when not furnished by the public: each brigade inspector, thirty dollars per month, in addition to his pay in the line; each brigade quartermaster and aid-de-camp, twenty dollars, and each adjutant regimental quartermaster and paymaster, ten dollars per month, in addition to their pay in the line; and to each six dollars per month for forage, when not furnished as aforesaid; each hospital surgeon, seventy-five dollars per month, six rations per day, or an equivalent in money, and twelve dollars per month for forage, when not furnished as aforesaid; each hospital surgeon's mate, forty dollars per month, two rations per day, or an equivalent in money, and six dollars per month for forage, when not furnished as aforesaid; each hospital steward, twenty dollars per month and two rations per day, or an equivalent in money; each wardmaster, sixteen dollars per month, and two rations per day, or an equivalent in money; to the colonel of light dragoons, ninety dollars per month, six rations per day, and forage for five horses; to the lieutenant colonel of light dragoons, seventy-five dollars per month, five rations per day, and forage for four horses; to the major of light dragoons, sixty dollars per month, four rations per day, and forage for four horses; to each captain of light dragoons, fifty dollars per month, three rations per day, and forage for three horses; to each lieutenant of light dragoons thirty-three and one third dollars per month, two rations per day, and forage for two horses; to each cornet of light dragoons, twenty-six and two thirds dollars per month, two rations per day, and forage for two horses; to the riding master, twenty-six and two thirds dollars per month, two rations per day and forage for two horses; each saddler and farrier, ten dollars per month, one ration per day, and a suit of uniform clothing annually; and all other officers, cadets, non-commissioned officers, musicians, artificers and privates, authorized by this act, shall receive the like pay, clothing, rations, forage and other emoluments as the officers, cadets, non-commissioned officers, musicians, artificers and privates of the present military establishment: Provided, the officers and riding master furnish their own horses and accoutremenets, and actually keep in service the aforesaid number of horses to entitle them to the aforegoing allowance for forage, or its equivalent in money: And provided also, that the whole or any part of the regiment of light dragoons shall be liable to serve on foot as light infantry until by order of the President of the United States, horses and accoutrements shall be provided to equip the whole or any part thereof, as mounted dragoons.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the officers, cadets, non-commissioned officers, musicians, artificers, and privates, raised pursuant to this act, shall be entitled to the like compensation in case of disability by wounds and otherwise, incurred in the service, as the officers, cadets, non-commissioned officers, musicians, artificers and privates in the present military establishment, and with them shall be subject to the rules and articles of war which have been established or may be hereafter, by law, be established: And that the provisions of the act, intituled "An act fixing the military peace establishment of the United States," relative to the widow, child, or children of any commissioned officer who shall die, while in the service of the United States, by reason of any wound received in actual service of the United States, to courts martial, the regulation and compensation of recruiting officers, the age, size, qualifications and bounties of recruits, arrears of pay, the bonds and duties of paymasters, penalties for desertion, punishment of persons who shall procure or entice any soldier to desert, or shall purchase from any soldier his arms, uniform, clothing or any part. thereof; and the punishment of any commanding officer of any ship or vessel who shall receive on board of his ship or vessel, as one of his crew, knowing him to have deserted, or otherwise carry away any such soldier, or shall refuse to deliver him up to the orders of his commanding officer, to the oath or affirmation to be taken and subscribed by officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates, to the allowance for extra expense to any commissioned officer in travelling and sitting on general courts martial, to arrests of non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates for debts, to the allowance to soldiers discharged from service, except by way of punishment, shall be in force and applied to all persons, matters and things within the intent and meaning of this act, in the same manner as if they were inserted at large in the same.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the subsistence of the officers of the army, when not received in kind, shall be estimated at twenty cents per ration.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That there shall be appointed to each brigade one chaplain, who shall be entitled to the same pay and emoluments as a major in the infantry.

SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That in the recess of the Senate the President of the United States is hereby authorized to appoint all or any of the officers, other than the general officers, proper to be appointed under this act, which appointments shall be submitted to the Senate, at the next session, for their advice and consent.

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That every commissioned and staff officer to be appointed in virtue of this act shall be a citizen of the United States, or some one of the territories thereof.

APPROVED, April 12, 1808.

By Thomas Jefferson

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Source of Information

Library of Congress