Army Regulations

Scope

Army regulations include General orders, Special orders, Circulars and other publications that emanate from various branches of the Army, etc., such as District of the Plains, Pacific Division, District of the Upper Arkansas. Most are cataloged as serials. An exceptionally important one may also be cataloged individually to bring out certain aspects of the regulation (e.g., the removal of the Seminoles from Florida).

Classification

Classification follows the Western Americana classification scheme.
The first line is for the most specific geographic area possible.
The second line is a Cutter number for the main entry, usually “United States” (Un3, Un31, Un33, etc.) followed by a letter for the different titles. Use as many letters as are needed:

a [not defined]
b General orders
c Special orders
d Circulars
e Rosters
f [not defined]
g [not defined]

Note: The above scheme has not always been used. Do not reclass titles already cataloged.

Examples:

Zc52 Work which relates to Texas.
Un311b United States. Army. Sub-district of the Rio Grande. General orders

Zc52 Work which relates to Texas.
Un311d United States. Army. Sub-district of the Rio Grande. Circulars.

Zc52 Work which relates to Texas.
Un32b United States. Army. District of the Pecos. General orders

Notes

Make a general note on the substance of General orders, Special orders, circulars, etc. as follows:

500     ‡a As Commander-in-chief, the President is empowered to issue orders to his command. Such orders, which freqently emanate from the Secretary of War or the Headquarters of the Army, are designated as General and Special Orders. The commanders of military divisions and departments make and publish their own General and Special Orders which have similar force and effect as the Orders of the President, though within a narrower range. General Orders cover a great variety of particulars connected with the discipline, employment, pay, subsistence, quartering, transportation and supply of the army. Many General Orders are not orders at all but a means of promulgating to the army new legislation of Congress, military regulations made or amended, appointments and promotions of officers, the opinions of military courts, or other information important to the service. Presidential actions upon the proceedings of general courts-martial were incorporated within General Orders until 1864. Since then, they have been separately issued and numbered under the name of General Court Martial Orders. Cf. Winthrop, W. Military law and precedents. Washington, 1920.

500     ‡a As Commander-in-chief, the President is empowered to issue orders to his command. Such orders, which freqently emanate from the Secretary of War or the Headquarters of the Army, are designated as General and Special Orders. The commanders of military divisions and departments make and publish their own General and Special Orders which have similar force and effect as the Orders of the President, though within a narrower range. Special Orders relate chiefly to individual cases or specific assignments. They usually provide direction regarding the duties of inferior officers, changes in station, details of general courts, and the discharge of soldiers. They are not generally published to the army at large. Cf. Winthrop, W. Military law and precedents. Washington, 1920.

500     ‡a As Commander-in-chief, the President is empowered to issue orders to his command. Such orders, which freqently emanate from the Secretary of War or the Headquarters of the Army, are designated as General and Special Orders. The commanders of military divisions and departments make and publish their own General and Special Orders which have similar force and effect as the Orders of the President, though within a narrower range. Related to Orders, Circulars are issued as needed to communicate rulings and decisions of the Secretary of War, and to advise officers of matters they should consider in the course of their duties. Cf. Winthrop, W. Military law and precedents. Washington, 1920.

Reference works

The following reference works are used:

Work Call No.
United States. Adjutant-General’s Office. Notes illustrating the military geography of the United States, 1813-1880. Austin: University of Texas Press, c1979. UA26.A2.1979.(LC)
United States. Superintendent of Documents. Checklist of United States public documents 1789-1909. New York: Kraus Reprint Corp., 1962. Ref.Z1223 A113 (LC)
United States. War Dept. Inspector General’s Office. Outline descriptions of the posts and stations of troops in the geographical divisions and departments of the United States. Washington: Govt. Print. Off., 1872. BEIN Uxd26 +A2 1872
Welcher, Frank Johnson. The Union Army, 1861-1865. Bloomington : Indiana University Press, 1989-1993. SML E491 W43 1989 (LC)

Genre, subject and imprint tracings

Make a genre heading tracing for Military orders subdivided by United States for all General orders, etc. Also make another Military orders genre tracing subdivided by the most specific geographic area possible

655   7 ‡a Military orders ‡z United States. ‡2 rbmscv
655   7 ‡a Military orders ‡z Texas. ‡2 rbmscv
655   7 ‡a Military orders ‡z West (U.S.). ‡2 rbmscv

For all United States Army orders, make the subject United States. Army–Regulations–Periodicals.

610 1 0 ‡a United States. ‡b Army ‡v Regulations ‡v Periodicals.

If the orders contain rosters of troops, use the subject heading United States. Army–Registers.

610 2 0 ‡a United States. ‡b Army ‡v Registers.

Use specific subjects when they are included in the General orders, etc. Always subdivide by United States. Subdivide also by a more specific geographic area when possible.

651   0 ‡a United States ‡x History ‡y Civil War, 1861-1865 ‡x Sources ‡v Periodicals.
650   0 ‡a Courts-martial and courts of inquiry ‡z United States ‡x Cases ‡v Periodicals.
650   0 ‡a Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877) ‡v Periodicals.
650   0 ‡a Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877) ‡z Mississippi ‡v Periodicals.
650   0 ‡a Slaves ‡x Emancipation ‡z United States ‡v Periodicals.
650   0 ‡a Slaves ‡x Emancipation ‡z Kansas ‡v Periodicals.
650   0 ‡a Indians of North America ‡x Wars ‡y 1815-1875 ‡v Periodicals.

Make an imprint tracing as instructed.

752     ‡a [Country] ‡b [State] ‡d [City].
752     ‡a United States ‡b Arizona ‡d Tucson.

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