Widows or children of commissioned officers dying from wounds received in actual service, entitled to half the monthly pay for five years.
Proviso.shall, while in the service of the United States, die, by reason of any wound received in actual service of the United States, and leave a widow, or if no widow, a child or children, under sixteen years of age, such widow, or if no widow, such child or children, shall be entitled to and receive half the monthly pay to which the deceased was entitled at the time of his death, for and during the term of five years: but in case of the death or intermarriage of such widow, before the expiration of the said term of five years, the half pay for the remainder of the time shall go to the child or children of such deceased officer: Provided always, that such half pay shall cease on the decease of such child or children.
Non-commissioned officers, musicians, or privates, deserting the service to make good the time of enlistment, &c.Sec. 12. And be it further enacted, That if any non-commissioned officer, musician or private, shall desert the service of the United States, he shall, in addition to the penalties mentioned in the rules and articles of war, be liable to serve for and during such a period as shall, with the time he may have served previous to his desertion, amount to the full term of his enlistment; and such soldier shall and may be tried by a court martial, and punished, although the term of his enlistment may have elapsed previous to his being apprehended or tried.
Oath to be taken by officers, musicians, and privates.
Form of the oath.Sec. 13. And be it further enacted, That every officer, non-commissioned officer, musician and private, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation, to wit: “I, A. B. do solemnly swear or affirm (as the case may be) that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America; and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against their enemies or opposers whomsoever; and that I will observe and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles of war.”
Extra expenses incurred by commissioned officers to be allowed, &c.Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That where any commissioned officer shall be obliged to incur any extra expense, in travelling and sitting on general courts martial, he shall be allowed a reasonable compensation for such extra expense actually incurred, not exceeding one dollar and twenty-five cents per day to officers who are not entitled to forage, and not exceeding one dollar per day to such as shall be entitled to forage.
Officers and soldiers discharged from service to be allowed travelling expenses.Sec. 15. And be it further enacted, That whenever any officer or soldier shall be discharged from the service, except by way of punishment for an offence, he shall be allowed his pay and rations, or an equivalent in money, for such term of time as shall be sufficient for him to travel from the place of discharge to the place of his residence, computing at the rate of twenty miles to a day.
A chaplain to be appointed to each brigade, &c.Sec. 16. 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.
No field or staff officer entitled to receive or pay emolument till called into actual service.Sec. 17. And be it further enacted, That no field or staff officer, who may be appointed by virtue of this act, shall be entitled to receive any pay or emoluments until he shall be called into actual service, nor for any longer time than he shall continue therein.
Certain acts relating to volunteer military corps repealed.
Act of Feb. 6, 1812, ch. 21.
Act of July 6, 1812, ch. 138.
Proviso.Sec. 18. And be it further [enacted], That the act, entitled “An act authorizing the President of the United States to accept and organize certain volunteer military corps,” and the act, entitled “An act supplementary to the act, entitled, An act authorizing the President of the United States, to accept and organize certain volunteer military corps,” be, and the same are hereby repealed, from and after the first day of February next: Provided, that nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to deprive the officers and men who may have entered the service as volunteers, under the said acts, of any rights, immunities, or privileges therein secured, or the United [States] of the services of such volunteers, agreeably to the provisions of said acts.
