ROUTINE ORDERS

Routine Orders preserve their normal tenor in peace or war. They have to do with the administration of the military service, so that a state of campaign has very little influence upon their character.

{ General Orders.
{ Special Orders.
They consist of{ Circulars.
{ Bulletins.
{ Memoranda.

General Orders “include generally, (1) all detailed instructions necessary in carrying out certain general regulations or orders issued from superior headquarters; (2) all standing instructions, to the end that frequent repetitions may be avoided; and (3) proceedings of general and special courts-martial.”

General Orders are issued by commanders of armies, field armies, corps, divisions, brigades, regiments, separate battalions, posts, departments, and districts.

“When necessary, orders are used by commanders of battalions forming parts of regiments, and for smaller units and detachments, for the same class of instructions as are promulgated by higher commanders in general orders.” In other words orders is a term used to designate those instructions issued by commanders of divisions and of separate brigades in regard to trains, and also a term used by battalions and smaller units to designate those instructions corresponding to general orders for higher units.

Here is an example of a General Order from the War Department.

GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 2 Washington, January 4, 1917.

1. An examination of majors, captains, and first lieutenants of the Regular Army, with a view to their selection for appointment to fill vacancies in the grade of major in the Judge Advocate General’s Department, will be held at the headquarters of the Eastern, Central, Western, Southern, Hawaiian Departments, the headquarters of the United States troops in the Panama Canal Zone, the headquarters of the Philippine Department, and the headquarters of the 15th infantry, Tientsin, China, beginning at 8 a. m., on May 10, 1917, or as soon thereafter as practicable. No officer who has not served as a commissioned officer of the Regular Army for at least eight years will be regarded as eligible to take the examination.

2. Eligible officers who desire to take the examination will make application to the commanding officer of that one of the commands mentioned in the preceding paragraph in which they are stationed, and each of such commanding officers is authorized to issue the necessary orders to assemble applicants at his headquarters on the date set for the examination. * * * *

3. The examination will be supervised at each headquarters by the judge advocate or the officer acting as such. If the acting judge advocate shall apply to take the examination and is the only judge advocate present at such headquarters, the commanding officer of the command will detail some other suitable officer to supervise the examination.

4. On the day and hour set for the beginning of the examination, each candidate will deliver to the officer supervising the examination a signed statement including:

(a) A brief statement concerning the candidate’s education and experience both legal and general;

(b) A list of persons who are familiar with the candidate’s qualifications along legal lines, with the address of each person;

(c) One or more briefs or other law memoranda, not exceeding ten, prepared by the candidate and made use of by him in the solution of legal questions, whether moot or practical;

(d) A specific list, as complete as practicable, of general court-martial or civil court trials in which the candidate has participated either as prosecutor or counsel;

(e) Copies of or specific references to the applicant’s published writings, whether of legal or other character, which he may desire to have considered;

(f) Outline of service of candidate since his entry into the military establishment;

(g) Any other matter the candidate may desire to present for consideration.

(2507125, A. G. O.)
By order of The Secretary of War:

H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.

Official:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.

Here is an example of a General Order publishing the result of a General Court-Martial.

GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 3 Washington, January 5, 1917.

Before a general court-martial which convened at Nogales, Ariz., October 25, 1916, pursuant to Special Orders, No. 268, October 14, 1916, as amended in Special Orders, No. 273, October 19, 1916, Southern Department, and of which Lieut. Col. George A. Skinner, Medical Corps, was president, and Capt. Sherman A. White, 12th Infantry, judge advocate, was arraigned and tried—

Capt. John Smith, U. S. Infantry.

Charge I.—“Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in violation of the 62d Article of War.”

One specification.

Charge II.—“Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman in violation of the 61st Article of War.”

Two specifications.

To which charges and specifications the accused pleaded “Not Guilty.”

FINDINGS

Of the Specification, 1st Charge, and of the 1st Charge, “Not Guilty.”

Of the Specifications, 2d Charge, and of the 2d Charge, “Guilty.”

SENTENCE

“To be dismissed the service of the United States.”

The sentence having been approved by the convening authority and the record of trial forwarded for the action of the President under the 106th Article of War, the following are his orders thereon:

The sentence of dismissal imposed by the general court-martial in the foregoing case of Captain John Smith, U. S. Infantry, is hereby confirmed and will be carried into execution.

Woodrow Wilson.

The White House,
3 January, 1917.

Capt. John Smith, U. S. Infantry, ceases to be an officer of the Army from January 6, 1917.

(2495592, A. G. O.)

By Order of The Secretary of War:

H. L. SCOTT.
Major General, Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.

Here is an example of a General Order of a Territorial Department.

GENERAL ORDERS, }HEADQUARTERS EASTERN
No. 1. } DEPARTMENT,

Governors Island, N. Y., January 1, 1916.

This order supersedes General Orders, No. 1, Headquarters Eastern Department, dated January 1, 1915, and all amendatory orders thereto, together with all bulletins published heretofore.

BY COMMAND OF MAJOR GENERAL WOOD:
EDWIN F. GLENN,
Colonel, General Staff,
Chief of Staff.

Official:
W. A. SIMPSON,
Adjutant General,
Adjutant.

The above order is the first page of an alphabetical list of general orders in force in the Department. Some of them have been originated by the Department Commander and some have been made to comply with War Department instructions.

The general order of a Department covering court-martial cases is the same as that of the War Department, with the exception of the caption which is given below.

General Court-Martial }HEADQUARTERS EASTERN
Orders, No. 6. } DEPARTMENT.

Governors Island, N. Y., Jan. 22, 1916.

Here is an example of a Post General Order.

Headquarters United States Military Academy,
West Point, N. Y., February 27, 1917.

General Orders, }
No. 7. }

1. A vertical filing system (the War Department Correspondence File, a subjective decimal classification for arranging and filing War Department correspondence) will be used exclusively in recording and filing correspondence at these headquarters and also in the offices of the Quartermaster and of the Treasurer on and after March 1, 1917.

2. The operation of General Orders, No. 92, War Department, 1909, as modified by subsequent orders, prescribing the card record system now in use generally at administrative headquarters, has been suspended by the War Department as far as these headquarters is concerned.

3. The name of the writer signing an original paper will be inserted on carbon copies that are forwarded. One carbon copy of all typewritten reports, letters, and indorsements (except short, routine indorsements), will be made on standard letter size paper (not perforated) for use in the records at these headquarters. Such copy will be distinctly marked “For Headquarters Records,” and will not be withdrawn at subordinate offices.

4. Copies of the publication entitled “War Department Correspondence File” and Circular No. 1, War Department, March 24, 1914, explaining and giving instructions as to the operation of this system, will be supplied by The Adjutant General of the Army upon application direct.

By order of Colonel Biddle:

C. C. CARTER,
Major, C. A. C.,
Adjutant.

If a Post General Order covers a court-martial case tried by a general court, the order number will appear thus:

General Court-Martial }
Orders, No. 4. }

If it covers one tried by a special court, it will appear thus:

Special Court-Martial }
Orders, No. 4. }

The separate battalion or company would issue orders on the same general plan as post general orders. The order number would appear thus:

Orders: }
No. 6. }

SPECIAL ORDERS differ from General Orders in that the former refer to individuals.

Here is an example of a War Department Special Order.

SPECIAL ORDERS }WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 289. } Washington, December 11, 1916.

1. The leave of absence on account of sickness granted John J. Nobbo, First Lieutenant, 13th Cavalry, in Special Orders, No. 196, War Department, August 22, 1916, is extended three months on surgeon’s certificate of disability, and upon the expiration of this leave Lieut. Nobbo will report to the commanding officer, Fort Riley, Kan., for examination as to his physical condition by the surgeon at the post.

These Special Orders then take up twenty different individuals in twenty paragraphs and end with,—

22. Capt. Alfred W. Perkins, Infantry, Detached Officers’ List, will repair to this city and report in person to the Chief of Staff for duty in connection with the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and upon completion of this duty will return to his proper station. The travel directed is necessary in the military service.

(2503282, A. G. O.)
By Order of The Secretary of War:

H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.

The separate paragraphs are also made up into extract copies as follows:

SPECIAL ORDERS, }
No. 289. }

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, December 11, 1916.

Extract

3. Private Clifford H. Worthington, Military Academy Detachment of Field Artillery, West Point, N. Y., is transferred as private second class to the Ordnance Department and is assigned to duty at that post.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Acting Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.

Departments, Posts, Regiments, Brigades, Divisions, Corps, Field Armies, and Armies follow the same scheme as above for their Special Orders.

CIRCULARS are issued seldom but have great force. They are signed directly by the heads of the War Department, Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance Department or of whatever bureau prints the circular.

Here is an example of a Circular issued by the War Department.

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, January 24, 1917.

CIRCULAR:

The following resolution was adopted by the Senate on January 16, 1908, and is now one of its standing rules:

Resolved, That no communications from heads of departments, commissioners, chiefs of bureaus, or other executive officers, except when authorized or required by law, or when made in response to a resolution of the Senate, will be received by the Senate unless such communications shall be transmitted to the Senate by the President.

Chiefs of bureaus and others, in preparing communications for the signature of the Secretary of War, will please conform to the foregoing rules and instructions.

NEWTON D. BAKER,
Secretary of War.

Here is a Circular issued by the Quartermaster Corps.

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Office of the Quartermaster General, U. S. Army,
Washington, D. C., August 27, 1917.

Circular, }
No. 9. }

Purchases of Supplies

1. During the continuance of the present emergency the following regulations are prescribed under the authority contained in the act of March 4, 1915:

(a) Where the time for delivery is not to exceed 30 days from date of acceptance of the award, irrespective of the amount involved, supplies may be procured by contract of brief form after the manner of proposal and acceptance agreement, in accordance with form to be authorized therefor.

(b) The regulations prescribed by Circular No. 7, Office of the Quartermaster General, March 23, 1915, so far as in conflict with the foregoing, are hereby suspended during the continuance of the present emergency.

HENRY G. SHARPE,
Quartermaster General, U. S. Army.

10916—17

BULLETINS are issued by the War Department and territorial Departments. Their purpose is the publication of information. They are more numerous than Circulars.

Here is the first page of a Bulletin of the War Department.

BULLETIN }WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 18. } Washington, April 6, 1917.

The following digest of opinions of the Judge Advocate General of the Army, for the month of March, 1917, and of certain decisions of the Comptroller of the Treasury and of courts, together with notes on military justice prepared under the direction of the Judge Advocate General, and a compilation of Federal and State laws prohibiting discrimination against the uniform, is published for the information of the service in general.

(2526413 B-A. G. O.)

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
89793-17—1

Then follow twenty-three pages of the opinions of the Judge Advocate General.

Here is another first page of a War Department Bulletin.

BULLETIN } WAR DEPARTMENT,
No. 14. } Washington, March 12, 1917.

The accompanying tabulated statement shows the standing of organizations of the Coast Artillery Corps based on figures of merit attained at target practice during the year 1916, and the hits by calibers at various ranges in 1916.

Slight errors in the figures of merit have been corrected without returning the reports to the organizations concerned.

(2537101, A. G. O.)

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:
H. L. SCOTT,
Major General, Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:
H. P. McCAIN,
The Adjutant General.
83601-17—1

What follows for nine pages is a table of statistics on Coast Artillery firing records.

Territorial Departments issue Bulletins seldom. The pamphlets when they do appear, follow the same plan as those of the War Department.

MEMORANDA, are issued by posts, regiments, and separate battalions—by the smaller units. Memoranda deal with subjects which are not so important in a military way as the foregoing orders. They may be numbered, as in the following case, when they are of a permanent nature.

HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY,
West Point, N. Y., October 8, 1917.

Memorandum, }
No. 34. }

To prevent damage and danger from fires, parents and others will exercise great care in allowing children under age of discretion to have access to, or to handle matches, or in allowing them to burn leaves or other combustibles in any part of the Post.

(680.23)

By order of Colonel Tillman:

D. H. TORREY,
Captain of Infantry,
Adjutant.

They may be unnumbered, as in the following case, when they are of a temporary nature.

West Point, N. Y., February 27, 1917.

MEMORANDUM:

Residents of the Post are informed that a case of chicken pox exists at the Hotel.

The usual precautions against spreading the disease are enjoined.

(Tel. memo. Surgeon.)

By order of Colonel Biddle:

C. C. CARTER,
Major, C. A. C.,
Adjutant.

NOTE.—The War Department issues also certain Special Regulations for particular General Orders to which it wishes to call attention, and puts out in pamphlet form Changes to Regulations. Both Special Regulations and Changes belong to the class of the General Order, and, therefore, are not taken up separately here.

CHAPTER XII
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE—EXPLANATIONS—LECTURES

Official Correspondence includes official letters, rolls, returns, estimates, requisitions, and routine reports.

The Official Letter includes (1) letters to persons in the military service, (2) letters to persons outside the military service, and (3) official telegrams.

Number 1 has its particular military form which must be precisely followed. It consists of

{ The Brief
{ The Body
{ The Ending
{ Indorsements
{ Enclosures

The Brief consists of the following in the order
{ The Heading
{ From Whom Sent
given { To Whom Sent
{ The Subject

An example of a Brief would be:

Hq. Eastern Department,
Governors Island, N. Y., May 21, 1940.

From: The Adjutant.
To: Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf.
(Through C. O. Madison Barracks, N. Y.)
Subject: Delay in submitting report.

Another example would be:

Company A, 99th Infantry,
Madison Barracks, N. Y., Jan. 9, 1940.

From: Commanding Officer, Co. A, 99th Inf.
To: The Commanding Officer.
Subject: Insufficiency of shoes.

Another example of a Brief would be:

Madison Barracks, N. Y.,
Jan. 10, 1940.

From: Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf.
To: The Adjutant General of the Army
(Through C. O. Madison Barracks, N. Y.)
Subject: Request for leave of absence.

The heading consists of the name of the office, place, and date. In the first example the name of the office was “Headquarters, Eastern Department.” In the second, “Company A, 99th Infantry.” In the third, there was no office named because the letter was written by an officer as an individual and not as an executive of an organization. The place is the post-office address of an officer’s station in any case. “Indefinite expressions of locality, which do not indicate where the letter was written,”[19] should never be used. The date is written on the same line as the place, except where no office is designated; and it is written not as in communications dealing with combat, but in the ordinary way.

The “From” in the From Whom Sent begins one line (if typed, two lines) below the heading and at the left-hand margin. It is followed by the official designation of the writer, or in the absence of any official designation, the name of writer with his rank and regiment, corps, or department. The rank is written before the name; and the regiment, corps, or department after the name.

Directly below the “From” is placed the “To” in To Whom Sent, followed by the official designation or name of the person addressed. What follows “To” is written in the same manner as what follows “From.”

Directly below the “To” comes the word “Subject” which is followed by an expression which will give the gist of the Body of the letter. This expression will be boiled to a minimum and will not exceed ten words.

The words “From,” “To,” and “Subject” will be immediately followed by colons, and the “F,” “T,” and “S” will be on the same vertical line.

The Body of the letter will comprise one subject only. A leave of absence and a decision, for instance, will not be requested in the same letter. Two separate communications will be written. This procedure is merely that of carrying out the principle of unity in the whole composition. A violation in this regard causes endless worry to the receiving office and a deserved rebuke for the writer.

When typewritten, the body of the letter will be single-spaced. Double spaces will be used between paragraphs. The body should begin on the second fold of the paper.

The paragraphs will be numbered, will each contain one topic, and will be arranged in a logical sequence of topics.

Thus if we were to write out the Body of the letter for the last illustration of the Brief, we should have it appear about as follows:

1.—I request a leave of absence for five months to take effect on or about February 1, 1940.

2.—My reasons for this request are very urgent at this time. I have had ten years of continuous service without a leave of any kind, and I feel the need of more than an ordinary rest. Besides, my private affairs are in such shape that the matter of straightening them out will require at least all of the period requested.

3.—My address while on leave will be care of Astor Hotel, New York City.

The Ending

{ The Signature.
consists of { The Rank.
{ The Regiment, Corps, or Department.

“Official communications will be signed or authenticated with the pen and not by facsimiles, and if written by order, it will be stated by whose order. Signatures will be plainly and legibly written. By virtue of the commission and assignment to duty, the adjutant of any command transacts the business or correspondence of that command over his signature; but when orders or instructions of any kind are given, the authority by which he gives the order must be stated.”[20]

“The Body of the letter will be followed by the Signature. If the Rank and the Regiment, Corps or Department of the writer appear at the beginning of the letter, they will not appear after his name; but if they do not appear at the beginning of the letter, they will follow under his name.”[21]

To illustrate fully what we have said, let us write the Body and Ending of the first illustration of the Brief:

The Department Commander directs that you submit without delay the report of your recent inspection of the Organized Militia of the State of New York, and that you also submit an explanation of your failure to comply with par. 6, S. O. 25, c. s., these headquarters.

J. L. Thurst,
Lieut. Col., 24th Cav.

One-half inch below the Ending of the letter comes the first of the Indorsements, and the succeeding Indorsements follow one another serially, with a space of about one-half inch between Indorsements.

Letters in the military service are not answered in the sense in which we use the term in civilian life. In other words, the person who receives a letter does not retain it and reply thereto by another. Instead he states what he has to say in an Indorsement, which is put down in continuation of the original letter. Thus everything which has been written in regard to the contents of a letter appears as a part of the letter when it is finally filed.

When Captain Douglas’ request for leave of absence, for example, reaches the headquarters of his regiment, it has added to it the Colonel’s indorsement which appears as follows, provided the Colonel wishes the Captain to obtain the leave:

1st Ind.
Hq. 99th Inf., Madison Barracks, N. Y., Jan. 11, 1940—
To the Comdg. Gen., Dept. of the East.

Approved recommended.

E. F. Hush,
Colonel, 99th Inf., Comdg.

The serial number of indorsements, the place, the date, and to whom written, will be written as shown above. When typewritten, they will be written single-spaced, with a double space between paragraphs.

Should one or more additional sheets be necessary for the Body or Indorsements, sheets of the same size as the first will be added. Only one side of the paper will be used for writing.

Indorsements of a routine nature such as referring, transmitting, forwarding, and returning papers, will not be signed with the full name, but with initials.

When the letter of the Department Commander to Captain Douglas reaches the Commanding Officer, Madison Barracks, N. Y., who is also Commanding Officer, 99th Infantry, the latter may do either of two things. He may simply forward the letter to Captain Douglas without comment, because he deems the letter sufficient for the purpose; or he may add a disciplinary word also.

In the first case the indorsement would appear as follows:

1st Ind.
Hq. 99th Inf., Madison Barracks, N. Y., May 23, 1940—
To Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf., Forwarded,
A. D. T.

In the second case the indorsement would appear as follows:

1st Ind.
Hq. 99th Inf., Madison Bks., N. Y., May 23, 1940—
To Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf.

For compliance.

By order of Colonel Maish,
A. D. Thomas,
Capt. 99th Inf.,
Adjutant.

The Body and Indorsements of letters are signed by the Adjutant when the letters are addressed to those lower in rank than the Commanding Officer. They are signed by the Commanding Officer himself when addressed to those higher in rank than the Commanding Officer. Letters are never addressed to adjutants.

In connection with indorsements it might be well to quote what Army Regulations say in their regard.

“Communications, whether from a subordinate to a superior, or vice versa, will pass through intermediate commanders. This rule will not be interpreted as including matters in relation to which intermediate commanders can have no knowledge, and over which they are not expected to exercise control. Chiefs of War Department bureaus are intermediate commanders between higher authority and the officers and enlisted men of their respective corps or departments, who are serving under the exclusive control of themselves and their subordinates. Verbal communications will be governed by the same rules as to channels as written communications. When necessity requires communications to be sent through other than the prescribed channel, the necessity therefor will be stated.

Communications from superiors to subordinates will be answered through the same channels as received.

Except as provided above, all communications, reports, and estimates from officers serving at a military post, and communications of every nature addressed to them relating to affairs of the post, will pass through the post commander.

Officers who forward communications will indorse thereon their approval or disapproval, with remarks. No communication will be forwarded to the War Department by a department commander or other superior officer for the action of the Secretary of War without some recommendations or expression of opinion.”

It may often be necessary to enclose other letters, certain documents, or even bulkier material with a letter. Such addition to a letter is called an Inclosure and is submitted as part of the letter. Inclosures to the original communication will be noted on the face of the letter at the left-hand margin opposite the signature, thus:

2 Incls.

J. L. Douglas,
Capt. 99th Inf.

The inclosures themselves will be numbered on the outside. The two inclosures of the above example would be marked 1 and 2.

If others are added when an indorsement is made, their number will be noted at the foot of the indorsement and upon themselves, as just described for the original communication.

If few in number or not bulky, inclosures may be kept inside the original paper; otherwise they should be folded together in a wrapper marked “Inclosures.” If kept within the paper they lie between folds a and b below.

Now that we have discussed in order the different parts of an official letter to a person in the military service, let us see how the various parts appear when assembled.

{
{2039Company B, 40th Infantry,
{Fort William H. Seward, Alaska, July 19, 1912.
{
a {From:The Commanding Officer, Co. B, 40th Inf.
{
{To:The Adjutant General of the Army.
{(Through military channels.)
{
{Subject:Philippine campaign badges.
Inclosed are lists in duplicate of enlisted men of Company B, 40th Infantry, entitled to the Philippine campaign badge.
{
{John A. Brown,
{2 Incls.Capt., 40th Inf.
{
b {8241st Ind.
{Hq. Ft. William H. Seward, Alaska, July 19, 1912— To the Comdg. Gen. Dept., of the Columbia.
{
{S. F. Thomas,
{2 Incls.Col., 40th Inf., Comdg.
{
{(Stamp)Rec’d Western Dept., July 30, 1912.
{80432d Ind.
{Hq. Western Dept., San Francisco, Cal., July 31, 1912— To The Adjt. Gen. of the Army, Washington, D. C.
{
c {Arthur E. Green,
{2 Incls.Col., Gen. Staff, in absence
{of the Department Commander.
{
{(Stamp)Rec’d A. G. O., Aug. 5, 1912.

19422863d Ind.
War Dept., A. G. O., Aug. 8, 1912— To the C. O., Co. I, 50th Inf., through the Comdg. Gen., Philippine Department.
1. Information is requested as to whether the records of the company show that Corporal Doe, Co. I, 50th Inf., served in the field against hostile natives on the Island of Panay during July, 1907.
2. The early return of these papers is desired.
By order of the Secretary of War:
Thomas H. Smith,
2 Incls.Adjt. Gen.
(Stamp)Rec’d Phil. Dept., Sept. 14, 1912.
799354th Ind.
Hq. Philippine Department, Manila, P. I., Sept. 15, 1912—To the C. O., Co. I, 50th Inf., through the Comdg. Gen., Dist. of Mindanao.
2 Incls.A. M. B.
(Stamp)Rec’d Dist. Mind., Sept. 24, 1912.
34675th Ind.
Hq. Dist. of Mindanao, Zamboanga, P. I., Sept. 25, 1912—To the C. O., Co. I, 50th Inf., Camp Keithley, Mind., P. I., through the Post Commander.
2 Incls.S. V. B.
11326th Ind.
Hq. Camp Keithley, Mind., P. I., Sept. 28, 1912—To the C. O., Co. I, 50th Inf.
2 Incls.E. F. H.
(Stamp)Rec’d Co. I, 50th Inf., Sept. 29, 1912.

5127th Ind.
Co. I, 50th Inf., Camp Keithley, Mind., P. I., Oct. 4, 1912— To the Comdg. Gen., Dist. of Mindanao, through the C. O., Camp Keithley, P. I.
1. Inclosed are extracts from the post orders and morning report of this company, which contain all that there is of record regarding the service of Corporal Doe referred to herein. Inclosed also is affidavit of Corporal Jones as to Corporal Doe’s service.
2. It is believed that the records of the headquarters, District of Mindanao, may contain the information desired.
(3 incls. added.)Edward French,
5 Incls.Capt., 50th Inf., Comdg.
(Stamp)Rec’d back, Camp Keithley, Oct. 5, 1912.
8th Ind.
Hq. Camp Keithley, Mind., P. I., Oct. 5, 1912— To the Comdg. Gen., District of Mind.
5 Incls.A. C. Douglas,
Maj., 50th Inf., Comdg.
(Stamp)Rec’d back, Dist. Mind., Oct. 6, 1912.
34679th Ind.
Hq. Dept. of Mindanao, Zamboanga, P. I., Oct. 12, 1912—To the Comdg. Gen., Philippine Department.
There is nothing on file at these headquarters bearing on the service of Corporal Doe referred to herein.
William Jones,
5 Incls.Brig. Gen., Comdg.
(Stamp)Rec’d back, Phil. Dept., Oct. 23, 1912.

7993510th Ind.
Hq. Philippines Department, Manila, P. I., Oct. 24, 1912— To the Comdg. Gen., Dist. of Mindanao, with directions to withdraw affidavit of Corporal Jones, it being proposed to inclose an affidavit from Sergeant Blank, who is on duty at these headquarters and who is prepared to furnish a more complete affidavit than that furnished by Corporal Jones. By command of Major General White:
Andrew Brown,
5 Incls.Adjt. Gen.
(Stamp)Rec’d back, Dist. Mind., Nov. 3, 1912.
346711th Ind.
Hq. Dist. of Mindanao, Zamboanga, P. I., Nov. 4, 1912— To the Comdg. Gen., Philippine Department, the foregoing directions have been complied with.
(Incl. 5 withdrawn.)William Jones,
4 Incls.Brig. Gen., Comdg.
(Stamp)Rec’d back, Phil. Dept., Nov. 15, 1912.
7993512th Ind.
Hq. Philippine Department, Manila, P. I., Nov. 16, 1912— To the Adjutant General of the Army, inviting attention to the preceding indorsements and to the accompanying inclosures.
(1 Incl. added.)
5 Incls.Maj. Gen., Comdg.
(Stamp)Rec’d back, A. G. O., Dec. 23, 1912.

The dotted lines on page 1 of the model represent the creases between the folds a, b, and c. a contains the Brief in the relative position shown and is folded away from b, the crease between the two being toward the reader. b begins the Body and may contain it or only a part of it according to its length. c contains the continuation of the Body or the whole or parts of indorsements, as the case may be. b and c are folded toward each other, the crease between the two being away from the reader.

Page 2 contains the body or indorsements of the letter. All pages are folded as page 1 in three equal folds.

When foolscap is used instead of the ordinary sized letter paper as above, the only difference is that there is an extra fold. Imagine this fold to be tacked on to the bottom of page 1 in the example and to be marked d. d and c would be folded just as b and c. The page would contain a third crease and be a fold longer. Otherwise the letter would be the same as the first one described.

The number at the upper left-hand corner is the filing number of the office.

It will be noticed in the seventh indorsement that three inclosures have been added. The whole transaction is noted in the proper place. The eleventh and twelfth indorsements should be noticed in the same regard.

Where “stamp” appears in parenthesis, the word does not actually occur in letters. It indicates that the office which received the letter noted by means of a rubber stamp at that particular place on the letter the date on which the communication was received or received back. In other words, what follows “(Stamp)” was placed there by some one of the office force as soon as the letter was received in that office.

The writing on all pages should begin one inch from the top. The pages, beginning with the first will be numbered serially. The number will be placed half way between the edges and one inch above the bottom of the page. In referring to an indorsement by number, the number of the page will also be given, thus: “5th Ind., page 3.”

All ceremonial forms at the beginning and end of letters such as “Sir,” “I have the honor,” “I would respectfully,” “Very respectfully” and the like will be omitted. In referring, transmitting, forwarding, and returning papers, the expressions “Respectfully referred,” “Respectfully transmitted,” “Respectfully forwarded,” and “Respectfully returned,” will also be omitted.

“An officer will not be designated in orders nor addressed in official communications by any other title than that of his actual rank.”[22] Wherever appropriate the name should be supplanted by the title, such as “Commanding Officer, Co. A, 99th Infantry” in place of “Captain James L. Douglas.”

“All letters and indorsements which are typewritten, excepting letters of transmittal, reports of taking leave of absence, periodical reports, and communications of a similar nature, will be made with two carbon copies. One copy will be retained for the records of the office in which the letter was written, and the other will be forwarded with the communication for the files of the first office in which a complete copy is required for the records, but such copy will not be regarded as an enclosure. It will be initialed by the person responsible for the communication.”

“In official correspondence between officers or between officers and officials of other branches of the public service, and especially in matters involving questions of jurisdiction, conflict of authority, or dispute, officers of the Army are reminded that their correspondence should be courteous in tone and free from any expression partaking of a personal nature or calculated to give offense. Whenever questions of such character shall arise between officers and officials of other branches of the public service, and it is found that they cannot be reconciled by an interchange of courteous correspondence, the officer of the Army, as the representative of the interests of the War Department in the matter involved, will make a full presentation of the case to the Secretary of War through the proper military channels, in order that the same may be properly considered.

In order to reduce the possibility of confidential communications falling into the hands of persons other than those for whom they are intended, the sender will enclose them in an inner and outer cover; the inner cover to be a sealed envelope or wrapper addressed in the usual way, but marked plainly “Confidential” in such a manner that the notation may be most readily seen when the outer cover is removed. The package thus prepared will then be enclosed in another sealed envelope or wrapper addressed in the ordinary manner with no notation to indicate the confidential nature of the contents.

The foregoing applies not only to confidential communications entrusted to the mails or to telegraph companies, but also to such communications entrusted to messengers passing between different offices of the same headquarters, including the bureaus and offices of the War Department.”

We have so far discussed in this chapter official letters to persons in the military service. We now come to consider the second form of official letter—the one to persons outside the military service. Often an adjutant or quartermaster is called upon to write to individuals or firms not conversant with the military forms. For a variety of reasons, the business form in that case is best.

In general the two forms present the following differences and likenesses. The headings are the same. The business form substitutes the Address of the Recipient and the Salutation for the From Whom Sent, To Whom Sent, and Subject of the military form. The Body in each case follows the principles of paragraphing, and unity and coherence of the whole, as set down for the military form. In the business form the paragraphs need not be numbered. The business form has a complimentary close before the signature, rank, and organization of the writer. Letters are retained by the recipient and answered by him with a new letter, the sender retaining a carbon copy. Indorsements are not used in the business form.

An example of a good business form appears below.

Office of the Quartermaster,
West Point, N. Y.,
August 7, 1930.

Messrs. D. C. Johnson and Company,
312 High Street,
Boston, Massachusetts.

Gentlemen:

In reference to your letter of the 5th inst., I desire to inform you that there is no need here at present for the roofing mentioned.

I regret that we cannot at this time become customers of your firm, but we shall hold you in mind when the necessity for roofing arises.

Yours very truly,
J. H. Smith,
Major, Q. M. Corps, U. S. A.
Quartermaster.

The entire address of the recipient had best be written before the salutation.

Other proper salutations are:

My dear Sir:
My dear Madam:
Ladies:

Other proper Complimentary Closings are:

Yours truly,
Yours respectfully,

Stick close to the forms of the model above. A very slight departure will make you appear crude. For instance, to say

D. C. Johnson,
Boston, Mass.
Messrs.—

would be entirely wrong.

As to the Body of the letter, however, write it your own way so long as you use words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs, of a kind we have striven to attain throughout this work. Do not make your letter telegraphic; complete your sentences.

The instructions given for the attainment of the proper forms in ordinary business communications are in no sense as rigid as those given for the military communication. Many officers now use the military forms for their correspondence with business firms, and, indeed, many of these firms have themselves adopted the military form.

The third type of official letter is that of the official telegram. It does not differ in principle from the ordinary telegram, and therefore does not require separate practice. Those who have conquered the field message should have no trouble in its composition.

It is written on an official telegraph blank which may be obtained from the Quartermaster. The blank is for the purpose of having the message go at Government expense. Army Regulations state that “telegrams will be followed by official copies sent by the first mail in cases of financial transactions of more than trifling importance, and in cases in which chiefs of bureaus of the War Department may deem it necessary themselves to send, or to require officers serving under their immediate control to send them, such copies.” It is a good thing in any case to mail a copy of a telegram.

The other kinds of official correspondence which need no letters to accompany them are Rolls, Returns, Estimates, Requisitions, and Routine Reports. A study of these forms of communication belongs properly to the subject of administration. They are, therefore, simply mentioned here.

The principal Rolls with which the novice in the military service is confronted are the Muster and Pay Rolls. The former is rendered every two months and the latter every month.[23] Full instructions as to what is required in each set of rolls are found on the last page of each form. On application to the Adjutant General of the Army, a list of model remarks for the rolls will be furnished.

The principal Returns with which the novice should become familiar are the Ration, Clothing, Ordnance, Company (monthly), and Field Returns.

Estimates and Requisitions are used most frequently by the Supply Departments. But organizations must prepare Estimates of what they will need, and must prepare Requisitions for the desired articles when needed. The Clothing Estimate and Clothing Requisition are two common and important forms.

Among the Routine Reports in the military service should be mentioned the Morning, Inventory and Inspection, Sick, and certain Reports in official letter form.

The form of Routine Report which is most common is the Morning Report.