[Senate Bill, No. 129.] 
 
 SENATE, Dee. (>, 1864. — Read tirsi iiiid necond tinier, and placed 
 on the calendar. December 12, 1864. — Amended, read a iliird time, 
 Hnd passed. Dccembei' 1 8, IStM-. — Reconsidered, amended, en^r<>;sed, 
 read a tliird time, and passed. 
 
 JAME8 H. NASH, So'vciary. 
 
 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Dec. U>. 1864.~Read first 
 and second times, referred io the Committee on Military affairs, and 
 ordered to be printed. 
 
 A. BILL 
 
 To provide for the employment of free negroes and slaves to work 
 upon fortifications and perform other labor connected with the 
 defences of the country. 
 
 1 Section 1. Whereas, The efficiency of the army is at times 
 
 2 greatly diminished by the withdrawal from the ranks of soldiers 
 
 3 to perform labor and duties which can as well be done by free 
 
 4 negroes and slaves — 
 
 1 The Congress of tip (fonfedrraU Stairs of Am, rioa do ^nrrct, 
 
 1 Tliai all frc'i- nudi' nogruo, between the ages of t;ightei'n :md fifty 
 
 o voai-s, shall be held liaitle to pert'onu any labor or dischiirge any 
 
 4 duties with the army, or in connection with tlie military defencen 
 
 5 of the (Ntimtrj, such as working upon fortifications, })roducing and 
 G preparing materials of war, building and repairing loads and 
 
2 
 
 7 bridges, and doing other %rork usually done by engineer rroopfc' 
 
 8 and pontoniers, actintr as cooks, teamsters, stewards and waiters 
 
 9 m military hospitals, or other like labor, or similar duties which 
 
 10 may be required or prescribed by the Secretary of War or the 
 
 11 or the general commanding the Trans-Mississippi department, 
 
 12 Irom time to time. And said free negroes, whilst thus engaged, 
 
 13 shall receive rations and clothing, under such regulations as the 
 
 14 Secretary of War may prescribe, and shall receive pay at the 
 16 rate of eighteen dollars per month. 
 
 1 Skc. '2. That the Secretary of War and the general com- 
 
 2 manding the Trans-Mississippi department are each authorized 
 '6 to employ, for duties like those named in the first section of this 
 
 4 act, uo many male negro slaves, between the ages of eighteen 
 
 5 and forty-five years, not to exceed thirty thousand in the States 
 t) east of the Mississippi river, and ten thousand in the States west 
 
 7 of the Mississippi river, as the wants of the service may require. 
 
 8 And the said slaves, whilst so employed, shall be furnished ra* 
 i« tioLB and clothing as provided in the preceding section, and the 
 
 10 <nviiers paid such liire for their services us may be agreed upon ; 
 
 It and in the event of the loss of any slaves whilst so em- 
 
 12 ployed, by the act of the enemy or by escape to the enemy, or by 
 
 \.o Wound.- 01' sleuth infiicted b}' the enemy, or by disease contracted 
 
3 
 
 14 whilst in any scryice required of said slaves, and by reason of 
 
 15 said service, tlicn the owners thereof, respectively, shall be enti- 
 
 16 tied to receive the full value of Buch slaves, to be ascertained and 
 
 17 fixed by agreement at the time said slaves are so hired, under 
 
 18 rules to be prescribed by the Secretary of War. 
 
 1 Sec. 3. That whenever the Secretary of War or the j^eneral 
 
 2 commanding- the Trans-Mississippi dej^artmenl shall ])e unable to 
 
 8 procu)-o the services of slaves by hiring them, as above provided, 
 
 4 in sufficient numbers, then it shall be lawful for the said Secre- 
 
 5 tary or General to order the impressment, and to impress as many 
 
 6 male slaves, within the ages named in the second section of this 
 
 7 act, and for the purposes and uses above stated, not at any time 
 
 8 to exceed thirty thousand in the States east of the Mississippi 
 
 9 river, and ten thousand in the States wo«t of <-ho Mi8«ip'^ipj>i 
 
 10 river, as may be necessary : Provider/^ That slaves so Jnipresst^d 
 
 r 
 
 11 shall, whilst in the government employment, rr(?eive the <»arar' 
 
 12 clothing and rations allowed to slaves hired from their o^vno^>, 
 
 13 and in the event of their loss or death in the manner or from the 
 II causes above stated, their value shall be estimated and fixed n^ 
 15 provided by the law regulating impressments, and paid a« in 
 Ifi tlie ease of slaves hir<'d from their r.wners, and the valu<^ of the 
 17 hire of said slaves shall be fixed in like manuor. 
 
4 
 
 1 Six. 4. That the Secretary of War and the general comman- 
 
 2 dinfr the trans-Mississippi department shall, in ordering the iin- 
 
 3 prt-a.sment of slaves, regulate the eame, as far as practicable, so 
 
 4 that slaves shall be taken froir. each State in proportion to the 
 
 5 number ]iaV»le to impressment therein under this act, but not 
 fi morr than one in every five male slaves, within the said ages of 
 
 7 eighteen and forty-five years, shall be taken from any one owner 
 
 8 if said slaves are employed by said owner or his lessee uniformly 
 in agriculture or in mechanical pursuits, nor, where an owner lias 
 
 10 but (*ue male slave within said agea, shall said slave be im- 
 
 11 pressed, and all impressments under this act shall, as far as prac- 
 I'j ticat>le. be taken in ecpial ratio from all owners in the same lo- 
 18 cality. city, county, or district; but when the slaves in any 
 14 hioality <»r of any person or per>ons have been or shall be 
 If. exeuipted by the laws or regulations of any State from impress- 
 It; MKMit ro lal'or uu the fortifications or other [)ublic works of the 
 
 17 Confederate States, then the said slaves shall not be impressed 
 
 18 f'-r an V purpose whatever by the authorities of the Confederate 
 v.* States : Provided^ however, That nothing herein contained shall 
 2''' he :io construed as to exempt any State from furnishing its fair 
 
 21 rpR'ta of slaves for the purposes herein specified and according 
 
 22 to tli. provisions of this act: Provided^ further, That in each 
 
 23 case care be taken to allow each owner a credit for all male 
 
5 
 
 'J4 slaves between the ages aforesaid heretofore impressed, or im- 
 
 25 pressed under this act, or hired to the government, who are still 
 
 26 in service, or who may have died or been lost while in service : 
 
 27 Provided^ further, That, if the Governor of any State shall cer- 
 
 28 tify to the Secretary of War or the Commanding General of the 
 
 29 trans-Mississippi department, that slaves cannot be impressed in 
 .oO any locality, county, district, parish, or city, in such State M-ith- 
 
 31 out great detriment to such locality, county, district, parish or 
 
 32 city, thou the (j^uota of said locality, county, district, parish or 
 
 33 city shall be impressed troiu other portions of such State. 
 
 1 Sec 5. Duplicate rolls shall be prepared of all the slaves 
 
 2 hired or im]ires8od under this act, which shall contain a descrip- 
 
 3 tion of the slaves, the names and residences of the owners; and 
 
 4 a statement of the value :ind rate of liiro of the slaves at the 
 
 5 date they are hired or impressed, one of which rolls shall, in the 
 States east of the Mississippi river, be foi-warded to the Secre- 
 
 7 tary of War, and in those west of the Mississippi river, to the 
 
 8 head-quarters of the general commanding that department, and 
 
 9 the other roll shall be sent to the general commanding the army 
 
 10 where said slaves may be employed ; and the officer having charge 
 
 11 of said slaves, or of the work upon which they may be engaged, 
 
 12 shall have a copy of said roll, and shall regularly enter thereon 
 
a 
 
 13 the nature of the labor or duties in which said slaves are en- 
 
 14 gaged, and any changes which may he made therein, and of the 
 Iv^ absence, sickness, or death of any of said slaves, and make 
 
 16 monthly returns thereof to the general commanding the army 
 
 17 where said slaves are employed, who shall transmit the same to 
 
 18 the Secretary of War or to the Commanding General in the 
 
 19 trans-Mississippi department, as the case may be. 
 
 1 Skc. 6. That all laws or parts of laws providing for the hir- 
 
 2 ing or impressment of slaves l)e, and the same are hereby re- 
 8 pealed, except so far as they may provide for regulating and 
 4 fixing, in case of impressment, the value of "said slaves, or the 
 value of their services. 
 
 KSsjU^wJ"* . 
 
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