ram. 
 
 A bill to Incre 
 Conf Pam #266 
 
[House Biil.] 
 
 A^ BILL 
 
 To increase the efficieucy of the cavah-y of the Confederate States. 
 
 Section 1. T/ir Congrmx of the Cov/cdemfr Sfates of America do enact, 
 That the Secretary of War, upon the application from the General commanding 
 an army in the field with which any rigimcut, battalion, or company of cavalry 
 is serving, is hereby authorized to cause the quartermaster of the immediate 
 command to take up on liis property return the horses ridden by all of the en- 
 listed men of such command, and the horses thus taten up shall at once be- 
 come the property of the < 'onfcderate States, and shall be branded with the let- 
 ter of the company and number and initials of the regiment to which they be- 
 long. Company commanders shall receipt to the quartermaster for the horses 
 thus taken up, and each man shall be allowed to retain for use in the service, 
 the hor.se that was in his possession when thus taken up; and at any time that 
 the horses of these men become unfit for service, their places shall be supplied 
 by others to be furnished by the Government. 
 
 Sec. 2. A board of appraisers shall be appointed by the commanding General 
 of the army to which such regiment, battalion or company is attached, which 
 shall appraise the horses thus taken ; and shall also distinguish tlicm as belong- 
 ing to classes one, two, three and four, according to <(uality, and the owner of 
 the horse shall make his election to receive at once from the quartermaster of 
 his command, the appraised value of his horse, or a certificate for a horse of the 
 class to which his belongs, to be furnished him by the Government of the Con- 
 federate States six months after the ratification of a treaty of peace with the 
 United States ; which certificate shall be approved by the commander of the 
 brigade to which the man belongs. 
 
 Sec. o. "When any enlisted man serving in cavalry becomes dismounted, and 
 is unable to remount himself, upon the certificate of his immediate commander, 
 approved by his brigade and army commander, that he has been a gallant and 
 faithful soldier, and takes proper care of his horse, the quartermaster of his 
 immediate command shall furnish him a Government liorse, suitable for cavalry 
 service, for which his company commander shall receipt. 
 
 Sko. 4. The Secretary of War shall cause the (Quartermaster (General to make 
 immediate arrangements for procuring horses, suitable for cavalry, in sufficient 
 numbers to supply, from time to time, the re([uircmcuts of the service under 
 this law. lie shall also adopt such regulations for the recruiting of cavalry 
 horses, the property of the Government, and of cavalrymen who have not the 
 facilities for recruiting their own liorses, as he may deem proper. 
 
 Sec. '). When any cavalryman lails to take proper care of his horae, his bri- 
 gade or other commander shall report the fact to the General commanding the 
 army to which he belongs, who shall assign hiiu to some company from his State 
 of some other arm of the service. 
 
 Sec. 0. Any cavalry officer of the Confederate Statcy service, who shall fail 
 to exact from the men under his command proper care of their horses, mav, 
 upon certificate wf the facts by the brigade inspector, approved by the brigade 
 
and division commanders to which he belongs, be, by order of the commanding 
 General, dropped from the rolls and conscribed into the ranks. 
 
 f^EC. 7. Any infantry soldier who has beeo, or may hereafter be conspicu- 
 ously distinguished for his gallantry in battle, may claim a transfer to such cav- 
 alry oommand belonging to the army to which he belongs, as he may select, and 
 in Avhich he can procure an exchange, and he shall be furnished with a Gov- 
 ernment horse if he desires it. 
 
 8kc. 8. The i^ecretary of War, under the direction of the J'rosident, shall, 
 immediately upon the passage of this act, cause steps to be taken to ensure the 
 importation of a full and regular supply of cavalry arms of the most approved 
 patterns, and of such ammunition therefor as cannot be manufactured in the 
 (jonfederate States, and also of such amount of cavalry equipments as he may 
 deem necessary. 
 
 Sec. 0. The Secretary of War, under the direction of the President, shall 
 cause to be procured and issued to cavalry officers, under such regulations as ho 
 may prescribe, tlic most approved work on cavalry tactics that can be obtained. 
 
 Sec. 10. The President shall cause to be established, in connection with the 
 War Department, a burton of cavalry, which shall, under direction of the Sec- 
 retary of War, be charged with all matters pertaining to the cavalry service of 
 the Confederate State. 
 
 Approved February '2o, 1>^Q^). 
 
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