_President_.
GENERAL ORDERS, No. 138.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
_Washington, September 16, 1865_.
To provide for the transportation required by the Bureau of Refugees,
Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands--
_It is ordered_, That upon the requisition of the Commissioner or the
assistant commissioners of the Bureau transportation be furnished such
destitute refugees and freedmen as are dependent upon the Government for
support to points where they can procure employment and subsistence and
support themselves, and thus relieve the Government, provided such
transportation be confined by assistant commissioners within the limits
of their jurisdiction.
Second. Free transportation on Government transports and United States
military railroads will be furnished to such teachers only of refugees
and freedmen, and persons laboring voluntarily in behalf of refugees and
freedmen, as may be duly accredited by the Commissioner or assistant
commissioners of the Bureau.
All stores and schoolbooks necessary to the subsistence, comfort, and
instruction of dependent refugees and freedmen may be transported at
Government expense, when such stores and books shall be turned over to
the officers of the Quartermaster's Department, with the approval of the
assistant commissioners, Commissioner, or department commander, the same
to be transported as public stores, consigned to the quartermaster of
the post to which they are destined, who, after inspection, will turn
them over to the assistant commissioners or Bureau agent for whom they
are intended for distribution.
All army officers traveling on public duty, under the orders of the
commissioners, within the limits of their respective jurisdictions, will
be entitled to mileage or actual cost of transportation, according to
the revised Army Regulations, when transportation has not been furnished
them by the Quartermaster's Department.
By order of the President of the United States: