Regulation concerning length of service for lower ranks and their release on indefinite leave,
30 August, 1834.

(Polnoe Sobranie Zakonov Rossiskoi Imperii, 2nd series, 1834. The various forms appended to this regulation are often complex, so I have described them and their contents rather than attempt to inaccurately approximate their format in HTML. Anyone interested in paper copies of the translated forms in their original formats may contact me - Mark Conrad.)

7373.—30 August. IN THE NAME OF THE TSAR, ANNOUNCED IN AN ORDER FROM THE MINSTER OF WAR.—Concerning the length of service for lower ranks in the Guards and Army.

The SOVEREIGN EMPEROR, in his All-Merciful regard for his soldiers who continuously distinguish themselves by their unswerving devotion and love toward the Throne and Fatherland and by their consistent true and zealous service, was pleased to shorten the term of service for lower ranks during peacetime for those who have completed it without fault. This ensures that the strength of the forces is not weakened in case of need yet lower ranks are able to return to their native provinces before reaching old age, and be similarly useful sons of the Fatherland in the bosoms of their families, as, thanks to their training by the Government, they can by their strict and exact observance of the regulations of the accompanying order be in this regard, too, a constant example to their countrymen.

With this goal, HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY was pleased to establish indefinite leave [bezsrochnyi otpusk] for the forces.

By this new regulation, instead of the currently prescribed 22-year term of service in the Guards and 25 in the Army, lower ranks of the one and the other of these forces are obligated to actively serve for only 20 years.

In order to lighten the service of lower ranks in even this shortened term, in the Army this term is divided into duty in active units and in the reserves [rezervy]. Lower ranks serve for the first 15 years in active units, while the remaining 5 years are in the reserves.

Having completed 20 years of service without fault, every year on the 1st day of the month of September, except during wartime, lower ranks are sent, if they wish, on indefinite leave to their native province or other place where they may choose to live.

Their sons, the cantonists [soldiers' children, practically wards of the state -- M.C.], if so requested, are discharged along with them and remain with them exactly as for discharged soldiers.

Their sons, having been settled by them on parcels of state land, are no longer the concern of the military administration.

Once on indefinite leave during peacetime, lower ranks are beyond any service obligations and all duties.

They are allowed full freedom to exclusively devote themselves to building a livelihood for themselves, to engage in growing grain, raising livestock, the production of goods, and any kind of craft, and to take on private employment as well as government positions.

They are prescribed the right to receive parcels of state land for farming, in accordance with the statutes for discharged lower ranks. And in order to further the MONARCH'S goal and his care for the welfare of discharged lower ranks, those who wish to return to landlords’ estates, or who are themselves landowners, are without hesitation to be given sure and proper shelter on the estates, all the more so since as this is provided, personal benefit to the landlord is simultaneously achieved when they receive the recompense prescribed by the ukase of 6 December, 1828 (2494).

In regard to such special rights and the complete freedom to build one’s own livelihood or carry out any enterprise for one’s personal welfare and profit, before the expiration of their whole term of service lower ranks are only provisionally designated for this freedom and in extraordinary circumstances, and not in any way contradictory to the special HIGHEST ukases of HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY.

The SOVEREIGN EMPEROR possesses the firm hope that with such kind attention to the lower ranks who have served the Throne and Fatherland without reproach for 20 years, they will, with especial zeal at their first recall to the military profession, and with a feeling of deep devotion and gratitude to a Government which has shown them much favor, endeavor on the field of honor to show themselves to the younger soldiers as an model of fearlessness and military obedience.

But if no need arises to summon the lower ranks to duty, then after the term of indefinite leave, two years for those who served in the Guards and five for those in the Army, each of them, on the 1st day of the month of September, without any delay or hindrance, will receive a passport of full retirement [chistaya otstavka].

While giving these benefits to discharged lower ranks, HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY also offers special advantages to those lower ranks who, having completed 20 years of faultless service, wish to continue serving. Such lower ranks are prescribed a significant increase in pay, and pensions when granted discharges.

In regard to such an extraordinary MONARCHIAL kindness to the troops on the part of the SOVEREIGN EMPEROR, as directed by HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY'S HIGHEST Authority, in this announcement to the entire Military establishment, and accompanied by a Regulation confirmed on this date by HIS MAJESTY regarding the release of lower ranks on indefinite leave which contains comprehensive rules on this subject,—I make it known that the SOVEREIGN EMPEROR orders: that this Regulation be now brought into effect, and that this Order be read aloud in every company, squadron, and battery.

7374.—30 August. A HIGHEST CONFIRMED REGULATION [Polozhenie] CONCERNING THE RELEASE ON INDEFINITE LEAVE OF LOWER RANKS OF THE MILITARY LAND ESTABLISHMENT.

According to current regulations, for lower ranks the term of service before being retired amounts to 22 years in the Guards and 25 years in the Army; and during this period of service only an insignificant number of lower ranks enjoy a short term of leave.

As a result of the Monarch’s attention to the service of lower ranks, there is established indefinite leave [bezsrochnyi otpusk] in the Guards and Army. This leave precedes retirement [otstavka] and is offered exclusively to lower ranks who have served 20 years without reproach.

Such a release of lower ranks on indefinite leave has as its goal: to shorten the term of active duty for those who have worthily served the Throne and Fatherland, and to bring them closer to their families while not weakening the strength of the forces in case of need.

Based on these principles, in this Regulation are set down all the rules for releasing lower ranks on indefinite leave.

These rules are divided into three chapters:

The First Chapter defines: the overall term of service for lower ranks; their transfer from the active forces to the reserves; rights to indefinite leave; the manner of release and the actual sending off on leave.

The Second Chapter defines: the rights and obligations of those on leave upon their arrival at the places in which they chose to live; and rules for enrolling them into replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries.

The Third Chapter includes: rules for keeping account of men on leave in the places where they live and as part of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries; all relevant duties of local Military and Civil Authorities; and the release of those on leave to full retirement.

The Fourth Chapter defines: the manner of calling those on leave to duty, in case of need; and their release, when the need is past.

First Chapter.

Sect. I.— THE OVERALL TERM OF SERVICE FOR LOWER RANKS AND THEIR TRANSFER FROM THE ACTIVE FORCES TO THE RESERVES.

§ 1. With the issuance of these regulations, the term of active service [srok deistvitelnoi sluzhby] for lower ranks in the Guards and Army is fixed at 20 years.

§ 2. In the forces of the Army this term is divided into: a) service in the active forces; b) service in the reserve forces.

§ 3. Lower ranks serve in the active forces for the first 15 years from their entry into service, and in the reserves for the 5 years following that.

Note. This rule is not extended to the Guards forces: there, lower ranks serve a full 20 years, without any special distinction. This rule is likewise not extended to the personnel of those forces which do not have reserve battalions.

§ 4. Having served for 20 years in the Guards or Army without reproach, lower ranks are released on indefinite leave in accordance with the rules of this Regulation.

§ 5. In accordance with the described division of the lower ranks’ term of service, active and reserve troop units are now to consist of personnel with appropriate years of service in them.

§ 6. On this basis, lower ranks now in the reserves who have served less than 15 years are to be reassigned to the active battalions and squadrons of their regiments and the batteries of their brigades.

§ 7. However, those of the lower ranks in the active forces who have completed from 15 to 20 years of service are to be reassigned to the reserve forces.

§ 8. Lower ranks now in the active as well as the reserve forces who have completed 20 or more years of faultless service are to be released on indefinite leave directly from that force to which they belong; but if one of these lower ranks does not wish to avail himself of indefinite leave, then such men may remain on duty, as described in Section II of this chapter of the Regulation for similar lower ranks remaining on duty in the reserves.

§ 9. If in the active and reserve forces the number of personnel who have served 15 years happens to be less than the number required in peacetime for the reserve battalions, squadrons, and batteries, then in such a case the reserve units are to be manned to their full prescribed strength using personnel who have not yet served 15 years, choosing those men who are less able to carry out duties in active units but who are skilled and knowledgeable enough to be able to be instructors for recruits.

§ 10. If, on the other hand, the number of personnel in the active forces who have served for 15 years happens to be more than that required for the reserve battalions, squadrons, and batteries, then, similarly to the preceding § 9, those men designated for the reserves are to be those less able to carry out the duties of active service but in all ways capable of service in the reserves. The remainder who afterwards are left in active units are to enter the reserves the following year, and there serve out the still remaining time for 20 years’ service.

§ 11. In those army infantry units where reserve battalions are detached from the active ones, the Commanders of reserve divisions, upon receipt of this Regulation, are to immediately report to the Corps Commanders of those Corps to which the reserve divisions belong, for each battalion: a) Exactly how many in the reserve battalions under their command there are of lower ranks who have not yet 15 years and who must join the active forces in accordance with § 6; b) Exactly how many men with the requisite number of years of service would be necessary to fill up the reserve battalions after excluding those liable for release on indefinite leave, and following the transfer to the active forces of those have not yet served the 15-year term.

§ 12. Meanwhile, Corps Commanders are to make known for each Corps under their command: exactly how many in each regiment’s active battalions there are of lower ranks who have served 15 or more years and would accordingly be transferred to the Reserves. And upon receiving from the Commanders of reserve divisions the information described in the preceding § 11, they are to calculate the precise number of men who must be sent to the Reserve forces, i.e. either all those who have served 15 or more years (if their number does not exceed the shortfall in the Reserves), or only the number necessary to meet the shortfall, in accordance with § 10.

§ 13. This account is to be made for each regiment by itself, it being kept in mind that the active battalions’ lower ranks who have served 15 or more years must go to their own regiment’s reserve battalion.

§ 14. In agreement with this account, Corps Commanders are to inform reserve division Commanders of: the exact number of personnel who will be sent from the active battalions to the reserve battalions, and when. And at the same time they will draw up instructions for sending these men to the Reserves.

§ 15. These men will be equipped only with uniform clothing [mundirnaya odezhda]; their weapons and accouterments remain in the active battalions.

§ 16. These men are to be gathered at the Divisional Headquarters of their divisions, to be sent out as a group.

§ 17. One or more officers, based on the judgment of division Commanders, are designated to accompany these men, and depending on the number of lower ranks expected to be sent away, a Field-grade Officer is also detached. A Medical official must also be with these commands, and a medic [feldsher], too, in accordance with the size of the party.

§ 18. The Officer acting as the party’s Chief is provided with, after these are signed by the Regimental Commanders and witnessed by Brigade and Division Commanders: a ranked list of the lower ranks; a full table listing clothing; and documentation of final allowances.

§ 19. Parties are conveyed directly to the Headquarters of the reserve brigade of their division. March routes to be followed are drawn up in the Corps Headquarters.

§ 20. During this time, reserve division Commanders, having received from the Corps Commanders the information prescribed in § 14 of this chapter, likewise calculate: with the arrival in the reserve forces of personnel from the active troops, exactly how many men will have to be sent forth from the Reserves, i.e. either all who have not served for 15 years, or retaining some part of them in accordance with § 9, bearing in mind the constant rule that Reserves are to be kept at the authorized full personnel strength stipulated by organizational Regulations.

§ 21. In regard to the number of lower ranks who in this manner must be sent from the reserve to the active battalions—Commanders of reserve divisions give orders to the reserve brigade Commanders, who then issue instructions for gathering these personnel at brigade headquarters at the time when the commands from the active battalions arrive there.

§ 22. In regard to supplying lower ranks of reserve battalions with items and documents, the authorities in charge of them act according to the rules prescribed above in §§ 15 and 18 concerning personnel from active battalions.

§ 23. When lower ranks from active battalions arrive at the brigade headquarters of reserve divisions, Brigade Commanders receive them from the Officer in charge of the party. They then give them a receipt for this and deliver to these same Officers the men from the reserve battalions, so that they can be escorted to the active units. Medical personnel who arrived with the active commands are sent back to their regiments with the reserve commands.

§ 24. While commands are moving from active to reserve battalions, and from reserve to active, then for any men who become sick along the way, carts are levied from local inhabitants with compensation in accordance with the Regulation of the Committee of Ministers dated 15 March (25 June), 1824 (29968), allowing a single one-horse cart for every 25 healthy men.

§ 25. To the Civil Governors of those provinces through which parties will pass, Corps Commanders and Commanders of reserve divisions are to give timely notification for preparing such carts and for making general arrangements for the unimpeded passage of commands.

§ 26. Provisions for commands, those going from active to reserve battalions as well as those going from reserve to active, are furnished through arrangements made by: the Provisions Department and the Intendance of the 1st and Active Armies, as appropriate. To this end, Corps Commanders and Commanders of reserve divisions give timely notification to the Provisions Department, or Intendance, in the region concerned, of the number of personnel making up a command and its destination, including march routes.

§ 27. For forces where reserve units are not separate from active ones, the reassignment to active units of personnel who have not served for 15 years, and of those who have served this term—to the Reserves, according to §§ 6, 7, 9, and 10 of this Regulation, must to be carried out without fail by the Commanders of regiments or Artillery batteries, under the direct supervision of Brigade and Division Commanders.

§ 28. Corps and reserve division Commanders, each at the time he is sending out lower ranks in accordance with the rules set forth above, informs the Inspection Department [Inspektorskii Departament] of the Ministry of War about this, enclosing march routes and a special register per the accompanying Form No. 1.

§ 29. In this same way in the future, at the annual release of lower ranks from the reserve forces to indefinite leave the loss in personnel that opens up therein is filled from active units, in every way following the rules explained in the preceding §§ (from 11 through 28), with the only omission being that lower ranks are only sent out from active to reserve battalions, and are not sent from reserve to active battalions except in the case when reserve battalions might have more personnel than the fixed cadre strength, and there is a special order to send them to active battalions.

§ 30. Lower ranks who, before having served out the statutory 20 years in the active and reserve forces, become unfit for field service due to illness, enter the Internal Guard in accordance with existing regulations.

§ 31. Lower ranks who through illness or mutilation become totally unfit for service are allowed to retire, based on the Military administration’s order of 12 March, 1824 (29839).

§ 32. Those lower ranks who during their time in service lapse into transgressions which deprive them of their rights to be released on indefinite leave remain in service — in the active forces if they have committed such transgressions before serving out 15 years, but if they undergo punishments after this time, then in the reserve forces. And finally, since they do not have the right to retirement, when they become unfit for field service they enter the Internal Guard.

Sect. II.— THE RIGHTS OF LOWER RANKS TO RECEIVE INDEFINITE LEAVE.

§ 33. Lower ranks acquire the right to release on indefinite leave when they have completed a completely faultless 20-year term of service.

§ 34. Therefore, those lower ranks who undergo punishments during their service which according to general regulations deprive them of the right to retirement also lose the right to release on indefinite leave.

§ 35. On this basis, the right to release on indefinite leave is enjoyed by: a) All combatant lower ranks throughout the forces which are part of the Army: the Guards, Grenadier, Caucasus, Orenburg, and Siberian corps, the 19th Infantry Division deployed in Finland, and the Horse-Artillery Reserve. b) All noncombatant lower ranks of these forces who belong to the ranks of master craftsmen or belong to the Supply Train.

§ 36. Consequently, all other noncombatant ranks, such as: clerks, medics, chaplains, barbers, medical orderlies, lazaret nurses, officers’ orderlies, and provosts—are not releasable on indefinite leave, but having served 22 years in the Guards without reproach, or 25 years in the Army, they are granted retirement.

Note. It is of course understood that this rule does not apply to those noncombatants who, before serving out the prescribed period necessary for retirement, complete the regulation service time for promotion to the 14th class [the lowest of the fourteen officer ranks in the Table of Ranks -- M.C.]. They are promoted to officer rank on the previous basis.

§ 37. Lower ranks who do not wish to avail themselves of indefinite leave may remain on active service until the end of the overall 25-year term or even longer, in so far as they may be capable of continuing service.

§ 38. Lower ranks who voluntarily remain on duty after serving 20 years receive, to distinguish them from others, the gold or silver galloon, depending on the branch of service, on the left sleeve which was established for lower ranks who had served out their full term of service.

§ 39. Those lower ranks who furthermore wish to remain on active service after they have served 22 years in the Guards, or 25 in the Army, receive another sleeve chevron made of galloon and a pay rate of two and a half times, i.e. double and a half times the annual rate, in accordance with the Highest ukase of 6 December, 1831 (4990).

§ 40. Once these lower ranks have served a further five years, the pay rate mentioned in the preceding §, as related in the referenced ukase of 6 December, 1831, is applied as a pension for them, over and above the statutory pay rate appropriate to their rank. And upon retirement due to illness or mutilation, then another increase, i.e. three and a half times the base rate, is maintained for them until death, independent of whatever pensions they may be receiving for having been awarded medals of the Military Order of St. Anne.

§ 41. For non-commissioned officers receiving two-thirds of an Ensign’s or Cornet’s pay who also do not wish to avail themselves of indefinite leave but rather remain on duty, the non-commissioned officer’s pay rate is increased in accordance with the ukase of 6 December, 1831.

§ 42. All the benefits explained above in §§ 38, 39, 40, and 41 are offered to lower ranks only on the condition that their wish to remain in service is in conjunction with affirmation by those in command that their service can actually be useful.

§ 43. All lower ranks, both those who voluntarily remain in service as well as those who are released on indefinite leave, maintain the right to receive the medal of St. Anne for 20 years of faultless service, observing existing regulations.

§ 44. Lower ranks released on indefinite leave have the right to chose for themselves other places in Russia in which to reside besides their native province, in accordance with their own personal wishes. They make a declaration in this regard when they are designated for leave.

§ 45. When lower ranks are released on indefinite leave, their sons, the cantonists being brought up with them, go along, observing the general rules laid down for retired soldiers.

Sect. III.— THE PROCEDUE FOR RELEASING LOWER RANKS ON INDEFINITE LEAVE.

§ 46. The date permanently set for releasing lower ranks on indefinite leave is every year on 1 September .

§ 47. This date is only changed during wartime, and in this case the suspension of indefinite leaves is declared in a special HIGHEST order from the SOVEREIGN EMPEROR to the Military administration.

§ 48. The annual designation of lower ranks for indefinite leave is to be carried out: in forces where the Reserves are not separated from the active units, by Corps Commanders; in reserve forces separated from the active forces, by Commanders of reserve divisions, following the rules set forth below.

§ 49. In the January third of the year, for all lower ranks in reserve battalions, squadrons, and Artillery batteries who will have faultlessly served out the 20-year of service by 1 September, full official lists are prepared, using the form (No. 41) distributed in accordance with the Regulation for reducing paperwork, confirmed by HIGHEST Authority on 15 August, 1833 (6396).

§ 50. These lists are prepared in three ways: a) For lower ranks who have served out 20 years without reproach, have the right to indefinite leave, and desire to take advantage of it; b) For lower ranks who have served the 20-year term without reproach but wish to remain in service; and c) All lower ranks in general who have the right to receive the medal of St. Anne for 20 years of faultless service.

§ 51. On the lists of lower ranks who are eligible for release on indefinite leave and have declared their desire for such, there is written under their family and given names where each one intends to be sent, i.e. to their birthplace or to another Province, and exactly which one.

§ 52. Commanders of regiments, separate reserve battalions, and reserve Artillery batteries are to carefully check the lists named in § 50, so that absolutely no lower rank can avail himself of indefinite leave unless he deserves it.

§ 53. There are two verifications to be done on the lists:

Checking the correspondence and service lists held by regiments, battalions, and Artillery batteries to ensure that no lower rank has been subjected to punishments which by general regulations deprive him of the right to retirement.

Making sure that lower ranks designated for release on indefinite leave will actually have been in service for 20 years at the time when this leave begins. This verification is done through correspondence with the Treasury Boards [Kazennyya Palaty] of those Provinces from which the lower ranks entered service, and consists of the Boards’ testimony as to whether or not the lower ranks were delivered as recruits on the day, month, and year shown on the official lists.

§ 54. Such correspondence with the Treasury Boards is done in good time and at least a year before lower ranks serve out their 20-year term, so that the release of lower ranks on indefinite leave at the prescribed time cannot encounter any delay.

§ 55. When these verifications are requested, Treasury Boards are made strictly accountable and are responsible for delivering them with full accuracy and without the least delay. Civil Governors and Vice-Governors are to be ever vigilant in this regard.

§ 56. The Treasury Boards’ responses confirming the time of the lower ranks’ entry into service are noted in the official lists themselves, in the column for entry into service, using these words: entered service from NN Province, NN District, from the peasants of such and such estate, or such and such state district [kazennaya volost], as confirmed by such and such Treasury Board, year, month, day, and No. of the memorandum.

§ 57. For lower ranks who entered service as soldiers’ children, the Commanders of regiments, separate reserve battalions, and reserve Artillery batteries deliver their inquiries to the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War (in accordance with § 54) and request confirmation that their actual entry into service was at the time shown on the official list.

§ 58. The Inspection Department quickly delivers this information, and the Department’s statement in this regard is noted in the official lists of lower ranks exactly as described in § 56 for the confirmations made by Treasury Boards. That is to say, that so and so entered service as one of the soldiers’ children of NN Section of Military Cantonists, as confirmed by the Inspection Department, in such and such year, month, and day, such and such No..

§ 59. The lists, having been cleaned up in this way by the service confirmations and verifications made by the Treasury Boards or Inspection Department, are delivered each year by the 1st of May:

From regiments, through Brigade and Division Commanders to Corps Commanders.
From reserve Artillery batteries, through Brigade and Artillery Division Commanders to the Commanders of these same Corps.
From separate reserve battalions, through the Commanders of reserve brigades to the Commanders of reserve divisions.

§ 60. Having delivered these lists, Commanders of regiments, separate reserve battalions, and reserve Artillery brigades, as a guarantee that everything concerning the verification of these lists is as prescribed above and has been carried out on their end, sign the following on the lists: "By this I confirm that the service of the lower ranks named in these lists is in precise accordance with the rules set forth by the Regulation concerning the release of lower ranks on indefinite leave, confirmed by HIGHEST Authority on such and such date, is verified, and that it appears from checks done against replies from Treasury Boards and the Inspection Department that the service of these personnel was completely without reproach, and that by 1 September of this year NN they will have actually served out the prescribed 20-year term for release on indefinite leave and for the receipt of a St.-Anne medal."

§ 61. If, after these lists are submitted, but before receiving permission to be released on indefinite leave or before being awarded a St.-Anne medal, any one of these lower ranks undergoes one of the class of punishments that makes a soldier ineligible for such leave or awards, then Commanders of regiments, battalions, and Artillery batteries are to report this at this same time to the commands so that they can be removed from the lists.

§ 62. When these lists are submitted in accordance with § 59, they are reviewed and verified in Brigade as well as Division Headquarters, and finally in the Headquarters of Corps and reserve divisions.

§ 63. Verification of lists in these Headquarters must include calculating the service of lower ranks, which is to say did they actually serve the prescribed 20 years since their entry into service, and checking that they did not receive punishments which deprived them of the right to leave and the award of a St.-Anne medal.

§ 64. During such verifications of lists in Brigade and Division Headquarters, statements are also written on them as follows: "These lists, in accordance with §63 of the Regulation for releasing lower ranks on indefinite leave, confirmed by HIGHEST Authority at such date, were examined in the Headquarters of N N and, according to the calculation of lower ranks’ service and their faultless completion of such, they truly have the right to avail themselves of indefinite leave and receive the medal of St. Anne." If, however, it appears that someone did not serve out the prescribed term, or received punishment that took away the right to leave and the award of a St.-Anne medal, then this is noted in the statement itself.

§ 65. These statements are signed: in Brigade Headquarters—by Brigade Com-manders, and in Division Headquarters—by Commanders of the divisions, and are countersigned by Brigade and Senior Adjutants.

§ 66. During the final verification of the lists at the Headquarters of Corps and reserve divisions, Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions give permission to release lower ranks on indefinite leave by signing the following on the lists themselves: "Based on the Regulation for releasing lower ranks on indefinite leave, confirmed by HIGHEST Authority at such date, I permit the lower ranks shown on this list, namely (here are written in full all the personnel by name) to be given indefinite leave on 1 September of this year."

Note. If, however, any kind of mistake is discovered in the lists and lower ranks are incorrectly granted indefinite leave, then this is directly noted on the lists, and Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions make the necessary investigation of those responsible, reporting on the seriousness of the matter to the Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of War.

§ 67. Similar statements are also written on the lists of lower ranks who are eligible for release on indefinite leave but wish to remain on duty, and also on lists of lower ranks who have earned the medal of St. Anne, with the only difference being that on the first of these lists it is noted that the lower ranks remaining on duty have the right to receive the privileges set forth in § 38 of this Regulation, while on the second, that the personnel shown in a list, since they have served out 20 years without reproach, have the right to be awarded the St.-Anne medal.

§ 68. These written statements are confirmed by the signature of Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions and are authenticated by Chiefs of Corps Headquarters and Senior Adjutants of the Headquarters of reserve divisions.

§ 69. Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions, having verified in this way the lists of lower ranks who are eligible for release on indefinite leave and scheduled for such, but who wish to still remain in service, forward these back for action by those who submitted them; lists of lower ranks, though, who have earned the medal of St. Anne, are sent out to the Chapter of Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders [Kapitul Rossiiskikh Imperatorskikh i Tsarskikh Ordenov]. The Chapter examines these lists and, for lower ranks awarded the medal of St. Anne, and following existing procedure, send these through Regional Generals of the Internal Guard for delivery to lower ranks in the places where they live.

§ 70. After granting leave to lower ranks on the explained basis, at the same time Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions also designate muster points for their departure. This will be laid out in detail in Section IV of this chapter.

§ 71. So that the Inspection Department is accurately informed about all lower ranks who are permitted to be given leave and who voluntarily remain in service, and also about those awarded the St.-Anne medal of distinction, by 1 September of every year Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions deliver service lists to this Department, following the established form and including a register of lower ranks released on indefinite leave, using the accompanying form No. 2, and a short list of the names of those voluntarily remaining in service and awarded the medal of St. Anne, using the enclosed form No.3.

§ 72. In as much that based on these rules, the granting of indefinite leave to lower ranks is managed by the local Military authorities, all responsibility for the incorrect release on such leave of lower ranks who do not have that right according to their service will also be borne by those same persons who incorrectly released them on that leave, and by those authorities who did not forestall this when verifying the lists.

§ 73. Since the verification of lists according to the rules laid down here demands a certain period of time, of the lower ranks now in the active and reserve forces who have served out 20 or more years, only those who possess St.-Anne medals for 20 years of faultless service or who, although they have not yet received this medal, can have their service checked now without difficulty, are to be released on indefinite leave in accordance with § 8 of this Regulation. The remaining lower ranks whose faultless 20-year service requires further verification are to be released on leave upon the completion of this verification, in the coming year of 1835.

Sect. IV.— THE PROCEDURE FOR SENDING LOWER RANKS ON INDEFINITE LEAVE.

§ 74. Commanders of regiments, separate reserve battalions, and reserve Artillery batteries, upon the receipt in accordance with § 66 of this Regulation of permission to release lower ranks on indefinite leave, gather them together at the Headquarters of the regiments, battalions, and Artillery batteries.

§ 75. Once these lower ranks have been gathered at the Headquarters, their pay and share of unit funds [artelnye dengi] are settled in full, they are supplied with the annual issue of items for the year in which they are released, tail coats [mundiry] with pants from the previous period of issue, greatcoats [shineli] from the last period, a forage cap [furazhnaya shapka], and a backpack [ranets] with straps. All these items are left to the lower ranks as their own property, while shares of unit funds are given into their hands.

§ 76. They prepare leave billets [otpusknye bilety ("Billet" in the sense of a piece of paper granting permission for something - M.C.)] for them signed by themselves and witnessed by Brigade Commanders, following the accompanying form No. 4, service lists according to the established form (one for each lower rank), and for those lower ranks who received a pension while in service, attestations as to the final settlement of the pensions, according to the enclosed form No. 5.

Note. Leave billets are prepared on printed blanks which are supplied from the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War upon the request of Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions.

§ 77. When satisfying all that is due to lower ranks to be released on indefinite leave, they are removed from the rolls of their regiments, separate reserve battalions, and Artillery batteries, with any further issue of allowances from the treasury being stopped, except to meet the period of travel and pensions for medals of distinction or wounds received in battle. After this they are sent to muster points with all documentation in accordance with the preceding § 76.

§ 78. Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions designate collection points either at Divisional Headquarters or the Headquarters of reserve brigades, or other places closer and more convenient.

§ 79. In the first case, all arrangements for dispatching lower ranks from collection points are the responsibility of the Commanders of Divisions and reserve brigades; in the latter case, however, Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions detach a special Field-grade Officer to each point and charge him with exactly carrying out all the rules set forth here.

§ 80. When the personnel on leave arrive at the muster places, the Commanders of divisions and reserve brigades, or the special Field-grade Officers detached to these points, divide them into special commands corresponding to which provinces they are destined, and for each of these commands they draw up lists of names by province, following the enclosed form No. 6.

§ 81. Special Field and Company-grade Officers are designated to escort these commands, primarily from natives of the province to which the lower ranks are destined and who wish to avail themselves of an extended leave, based on the guidelines explained in the Military administration’s order of 28 February, 1834 (6864).

§ 82. Based on the rules set forth in this same order, there may also be released on extended leave Officers from the Separate Corps of the Guards and the Caucasus, from all light Cavalry divisions, the three Reserve Cavalry divisions, and all Guards and Field Artillery, according to the following:

From each Guards foot, Grenadier, Carabinier, Infantry, and Jäger regiment, not more than one Field-grade Officer and six Company-grade Officers in the course of a whole year.

From each Cavalry regiment: of the Guards, not more than one Field-grade Officer and six Company-grade Officers; of Dragoons, not more than one Field-grade Officer and ten Company-grade Officers; of the other regiments of Cuirassiers, Lancers, and Hussars, not more than one Field-grade Officer and eight Company-grade Officers, in the course of a whole year.

From each Artillery foot Division, not more than one Field-grade Officer, and from a brigade, not more than four Company-grade Officers; from each Horse-Artillery division, not more than one Field-grade Officer and four Company-grade Officers, and from a Horse brigade, not more than two Company-grade Officers, in the course of a year.

From each Sapper battalion, not more than three Officers, in the course of a year.

§ 83. If the Officer escorting a party wishes to avail himself of leave in a Province lying along the route of march, then he conveys the party to the designated destination and afterwards returns to the province in which he wishes to stay.

§ 84. Commands following one and the same highway are to be combined into one common command, if possible, under the command of one Field or Company-grade Officer.

§ 85. For greater order during the march, these commands are counted off into companies, platoons, and sections [roty, vzvody i otdeleniya]. To head a company a Field or Company-grade Officer is designated, while platoons and sections are placed under the charge of the most trustworthy non-commissioned officer of the number going on indefinite leave.

§ 86. Special Officers from the forces are not assigned to convey commands consisting of less than 100 men. These are sent off using the Internal Guard and its normal étape procedure.

§ 87. For provisioning lower ranks while on the march, Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions request from Treasury Boards the appropriate subsistence money in accordance with the circumstances of the commands passing through, this being charged to the State Treasury’s account [na shchet Gosudarstvennago Kaznacheistva].

§ 88. This money is issued from Treasury Boards in accordance with the table confirmed in its own time by HIGHEST Authority, using the special notebooks tied with cords, and according to size of the parties sent forth. The settling of these accounts is noted in the requisitions of Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions.

§ 89. Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions, upon receipt of subsistence money, forward it to Commanders of divisions and reserve brigades or to the Field-grade Officers assigned to collection points, and with it send march routes to be followed by the commands.

§ 90. Before the commands are sent out, Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions inform Civil Governors of the Provinces through which the commands will pass so that their passage will be unhindered and the necessary number of local inhabitants’ carts prepared.

§ 91. When all arrangements for dispatching commands have thus been made, the Officers designated to accompany them are provided with: a) Special written instructions for leading the commands to the Provinces. b) A list of lower ranks by name, prepared for each Province following form No. 6 (§ 80). c) Service lists. d). Subsistence funds for lower ranks in accordance with their number, along with the corded notebook issued by the Treasury Board. e) Leave billets for lower ranks. And after all this the commands march out when so ordered.

§ 92. All arrangements regarding the release of lower ranks on indefinite leave are to be done without the slightest delay, scheduled in time so that these lower ranks may immediately take their leave on 1 September of each year.

§ 93. Commanders of divisions and reserve brigades, or the Field-grade Officers designated for the collection points, report the commands’ departure times to the Corps and reserve division Commanders, submitting : nominal rolls according to form No. 6, and general summarized registers, according to form No. 2, which tell how many lower ranks are destined for which Provinces. After this, the Field-grade Officers at the collection points return to there usual locations.

§ 94. Lower ranks who because of illness are not sent with the other lower ranks grouped into commands are conveyed, once they are recovered, by the Internal Guard.

§ 95. Along with the lower ranks who are given over to the authority of the Internal Guard for escort in accordance with the preceding paragraph and § 86, there will be submitted their leave billets as well as lists of their names, following form No. 6 (indicated in § 80).

§ 96. If anyone of the lower ranks eligible for release on indefinite leave is on detached duty, then such men are to be recalled to their regiments, battalions, or batteries in time to be sent off together with the other lower ranks.

§ 97. From this are excluded those lower ranks who are permanently detached to the model regiments and batteries, both horse and foot. They are sent out together with those lower ranks who are released from the forces of the Separate Guards Corps.

§ 98. When commands are on the march, local carts are specially requisitioned (no more than one for every 50 men in a party) only for sick lower ranks, until they are delivered to military or town hospitals lying along the route, and additionally, one cart for the billeting party officer [kvartirger] sent out ahead.

§ 99. Carts are levied with compensation based on the Regulation of the Committee of Ministers as confirmed by HIGHEST Authority on 15 March (25 June), 1824 (29968); for commands moving through the Kingdom of Poland, this is done according to the existing regulations there.

§ 100. Leaders of commands, when delivering sick lower ranks to military or town hospitals, leave with them all items and money belonging to them, and also their leave billets, writing on them exactly what items and how much money belonging to the lower ranks has been given over to the hospital or sick ward.

§ 101. On these same leave billets, overseers of hospitals and sick wards write a receipt for the items and money received and sign the general party list as to receiving the sick man with his billet, belongings, and money.

§ 102. Lower ranks left in hospitals and sick wards because of illness are to be received in them without hindrance and are to be treated in accordance with the general rules established for service members, and upon their recovery they are to be conveyed to their destination by the Internal Guard.

§ 103. In case of the death of one of the lower ranks left in military or town hospitals, the Administration Offices [Kontory] of the hospitals or sick wards report this to the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War and the Commander of the Garrison battalion of the Province to which the deceased was destined. The items and money left by these lower ranks, as well as their personnel belongings, are handled according to normal regulations.

§ 104. If during the march one of the lower ranks released on indefinite leave disobeys his officer or commits any other kind of unlawful offense or is guilty of disorderly conduct, then upon arrival at the next provincial capital this man is delivered over to the Commander of the Garrison battalion to be put before a military court and treated according to statutes, with the right to indefinite leave and retirement being permanently revoked. The Chief of the command reports each such incident to the Inspection Department and annotates the list given him by his higher authorities.

§ 105. Once lower ranks are brought to their native provinces, or those places to which they wished to be sent to live, Chiefs of commands give them over along with their leave billets, as follows:

In district seats [uezdnye goroda] lying on the road to the provincial capital—to the Commanders of district Invalid commands; and

In provincial capitals—to Commanders of Garrison battalions, all remaining persons who are due to be distributed throughout that province.

§ 106. When turning over lower ranks to Commanders of district Invalid commands located along the route to a provincial capital, the Officers of the parties make up a nominal roster for them, undersigned by themselves. On these lists the party Officers write that they delivered over to them the personnel along with the items and money that belonged to them. The Invalid Commanders write that they received them, and this list serves the party Officer in place of a receipt.

§ 107. Upon arriving in a provincial capital, the party Officer delivers to the Commander of the Garrison battalion the remaining men destined for indefinite leave in that Province, and gives him lists of those personnel who were turned over in district towns (§ 106), and also the general service lists of all the lower ranks. After this he receives a receipt from the Commander of the Garrison battalion acknowledging the transfer of the men making up the party for that Province, written on the general list issued when setting out from the collection point.

§ 108. If while turning over personnel going on indefinite leave there are not more than 50 men left in the command, then the special Officer escorting these men turns them over to Commanders of Garrison battalions or district Invalid commands to be conveyed to their destination, in accordance with the rules laid out above in §§ 86 and 95.

Note. From this are excluded those cases when lower ranks are being escorted to the native provinces by Officers going on extended leave in those same places. These Officers accompany them to the last points.

§ 109. When Commanders of Garrison battalions and district Invalid commands have received lower ranks (in accordance with § 105), they immediately send them to the places where they will live and deliver into their hands their leave billets, while the lists they are on are left in the offices of the battalions and commands.

§ 110. Lower ranks conveyed by the Internal Guard are turned over in just the same way when they have arrived at the places in which they have chosen to live: to Commanders of Garrison battalions when in provincial capitals, and to Commanders of district Invalid commands when in district towns, along with their leave billets and all their belongings.

§ 111. In each Garrison battalion is kept an alphabetical index of lower ranks on leave, following the accompanying form No. 7, in which are also entered all these lower ranks according to their manner of arrival, as will be described in Chapter II of this Regulation.

§ 112. Once Officers escorting lower ranks have completed their assignment, they return to their regiments, battalions, and Artillery batteries, and for each command deliver to the Commanders of Corps or reserve divisions lists of the lower ranks, the vouchers written by Garrison battalion Commanders acknowledging having received them, and the corded notebooks for subsistence moneys. These notebooks are to be sent to the Treasury Boards for review according to established procedures.

§ 113. Party Officers released on extended leave, once the lower ranks have been brought to their destinations, do not return before their term of leave is over, but they report the delivery of the personnel to Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions. They submit the lists with the written vouchers acknowledging receipt of the personnel, while the corded notebooks with the total sum disbursed for the Commands’ subsistence are sent to the nearest Treasury Board. They themselves stay on leave for the allowed period.

§ 114. Officers released on extended leave are enrolled, depending on their arm of service, into the replacement half-battalion, half-squadron, or Artillery half-battery of the Province in which they will live, and for this the Commanders of the Corps and reserve divisions supply them with billets which they are to present to the Commander of the Garrison battalion when they arrive at the Province in which they wish to stay, as laid out in detail in Section II of Chapter II of this Regulation. These Officers are considered as detached [v komandirovke] from their regiments, battalions, or Artillery half-batteries and are shown in the columns of the normal reports.

§ 115. In regard to the release of lower ranks on indefinite leave in this manner, Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions must promptly and without fail report by 1 November: a) To the Inspection Department: Nominal lists of Officers released on extended leave, using the accompanying form No. 8. Nominal lists of lower ranks released on extended leave, using the enclosed form No. 9. General summary register, following form No. 2 (§ 71). Nominal lists of lower ranks receiving pensions for having the medal of the Military Order, using the enclosed form No. 10. — b) To Civil Governors. Of those Provinces to which lower ranks are sent to live, nominal lists using form No. 6. — c) To Army Commanders-in-Chief. From the various Corps that make up the Armies, summary registers following forming No. 2.

Note. Printed blanks for all such lists and registers are provided by the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War upon the request of Corps Commanders and those Commanding reserve divisions.

§ 116. When the Inspection Department receives the information listed in the preceding § 115, it itself reviews some of the forms to ensure that they have been prepared and verified correctly in the forces, and then it enters the lower ranks released on indefinite leave in its own special registers. The form for this register is included here as No. 11.

§ 117. At the same time the Inspection Department makes general lists for each Province (form No. 6), sends them to the Regional Generals of the Corps of the Internal Guard to inform them exactly how many such lower ranks will be under their administration, and issues orders for enrolling them in replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries in accordance with the guidance set forth in chapter II of this Regulation.

§ 118. The lists of lower ranks who when in service were receiving pensions for being awarded the medal of the Military Order are forwarded by the Inspection Department to the Department of the State Treasury so that arrangements can be made for disbursing these pensions from the District Treasuries of those districts to which lower ranks are released on indefinite leave.

Second Chapter.

Sect. I.— OBLIGATIONS OF LOWER RANKS, RELEASED ON INDEFINITE LEAVE, AFTER THEY ARRIVE AT THEIR PLACES OF RESIDENCE; THEIR RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

§ 119. Once lower ranks released on indefinite leave have arrived at the places chosen for their residence, they are subordinate to the Commanders of the Internal Garrison battalions of the Provinces in which they are located. And depending on their place of residence, they are subject to Town or Rural Police.

§ 120. They are subordinate to the local military authorities as if they had not yet been released from service, but without having any kind of duty obligations unless they are specially called into active service as part of the replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries.

§ 121. They are subject to the local civil authorities since they are in places under their jurisdiction, as well as because their daily life is similar to that of other inhabitants. They are subordinate to these authorities in the same way as retired soldiers, and in accordance with the rules set forth in this Regulation.

§ 122. On this basis, all lower ranks released on indefinite leave, as soon as they go on leave status, are at this same time to present themselves: in towns—to the Town Governors [Gorodnichie] or Police Chiefs [Politsei-meistery], and in the districts—to the Rural Courts [Zemskie Sudy], presenting to their billets to them.

§ 123. Town and Rural Police register these billets in books especially kept for this purpose, in this regard following the enclosed form No. 12, and, noting on the billets precisely when it was presented and under what number it was registered in the book, they return each of them without delay to their owner.

§ 124. With these billets, lower ranks go to their places of habitation and there they either rejoin their families and live with them, dividing the general labor, or they look for other means to support themselves.

§ 125. They may take up without hindrance farming, livestock raising, industries, and any sort of craft, just as other inhabitants.

§ 126. They may take up any employment, private as well as public, in the Police administration, as workers in Government Offices [Prisutstvennyya mesta], and in other establishments of the civil administration.

§ 127. They may settle on plots of state land to engage in farming, based on the decrees for retired lower ranks which were laid out in the resolutions of the State Council and confirmed by HIGHEST Authority, 15 June (28 July), 1816 (26376) and 26 January (29 March), 1820 (28215), and any male children born to them after that time do not come under military administration.

§ 128. They may also settle on landowner’s estates, upon their agreement, and these landowners, having given such lower ranks permanent settlement to support them and their families, enjoy the benefits offered by the HIGHEST ukase issued to the Ruling Senate on 6 December, 1828 (2494), relating to the children of lower ranks retired from service.

§ 129. Until receiving full retirement, they only may not enroll themselves in the poll-tax paying population [podatnoe sostoyanie], since before retirement they must go on duty at the first call-up, as part of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries. [The poll-tax paying population was subject to conscription.  This article forbids men on indefinite leave from attempting to avoid call-up by changing their status to a payer of poll-tax, whose chances of being conscripted in the normal course of events were relatively small - M.C.]

§ 130. Lower ranks on leave, in regard to their occupation and means of earning a living, have the full right to change residence from one village to another and from one district to another within the same Province. Town and Rural Police are not only not to hinder them in this case, but are to help them in this with all means at their disposal, and are held strictly accountable for any constraints they impose.

§ 131. Having in this way full freedom to set themselves up in their chosen place of residence, lower ranks on leave may therefore only move to another Province when after three months from the time they arrived at the first place they chose for themselves, they still have not found a sure means of providing for themselves.

§ 132. Exactly in what manner lower ranks released on indefinite leave have set themselves up once they had arrived in a Province, and how they obtain a means to live, are reported by Town and Rural Police to the Civil Governors after then end of the three-month period, and the latter passes this on to the Garrison battalion Commanders, who note this in the lists of lower ranks, about which more is said below in Section I of Chapter III.

§ 133. If any of the lower ranks on indefinite leave wish to return to their previous active service, they are to be accepted without hindrance. They make a preliminary declaration to the local Police and, having received their permission to travel to the provincial capital, go there to the Commander of the Internal Guard battalion, who either enrolls them in his own battalion if they do not appear to be fit for field duty, or, in the opposite case, sends them to the nearest forces, reporting this at the same time to the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War.

§ 134. Lower ranks released on indefinite leave are given the right to keep their cantonist sons with them, both those sent out with them when they were released on leave, and those born after this. Following the example of retired soldiers, this is until the age of 16 years when living in towns, and until 18 years when in villages and settlements.

§ 135. Town and Rural Police are responsible for strictly observing that all such cantonists are directly enrolled in the nearest battalions and half-battalions of military cantonists, based on the Regulation for cantonist minors, confirmed by HIGHEST Authority on 9 June, 1827 (1159), and the ukase of 6 December, 1828 (2494).

§ 136. Lower ranks on leave who are bachelors or widowers may enter into legal marriages without any special permission on the part of local authorities; their leave billets are to serve as accurate proof of whether they are married, single, or widowed, and based on these, the religious authority performs the marriage, if there are no legal obstacles to this.

§ 137. Clergy who perform marriages for lower ranks are to write on their leave billets the date they were married and to whom, and also on these billets they note male children born to the lower ranks while on indefinite leave.

§ 138. Lower ranks on indefinite leave must conduct themselves soberly and with decorum, always maintaining a soldierly appearance, shaving their beard, not take to begging, and dress decently, wearing the uniform greatcoat or normal civilian clothes.

§ 139. If, however, any of these lower ranks conduct himself in an undisciplined and drunken manner, or, from a disinclination to work, begins to beg for alms, or is noted in other improper conduct, then such persons, after they are appropriately investigated by local authorities, are sent to Commanders of Internal Guard battalions to be turned over to active duty, being permanently deprived of the right to retirement.

§ 140. But if it happens that any of these lower ranks is guilty of a crime subject to trial according to the laws, then such are turned over to a military tribunal at the Internal Guard battalions. Their court records are presented to Regional Generals of the Internal Guard and are decided upon in accordance with the Generals’ jurisdictional powers, or they are sent to the Commander of the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard, if the importance of the case demands it.

§ 141. Lower ranks on leave who become involved in legal or investigative affairs are summoned by civilian Government Offices through the Town or Rural Police by a deputy from the military side who is designated by an order of the Commander of a Garrison battalion or the Chief of an Invalid command.

§ 142. In regard to all lower ranks returned to service for vices or after being brought before a military court, Commanders of Internal Guard battalions make a report at the end of each month to the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War and to Regional Generals of the Internal Guard.

§ 143. All the rules set forth in this Regulation regarding lower ranks on leave apply with equal force to lower ranks who already received releases on indefinite leave from the forces of the Separate Grenadier Corps and the reserve divisions of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Infantry Corps in accordance with the directives issued on 15 August, 1833 (6397) and 28 February, 1834 (6864).

Sect. II.— THE ESTABLISHMENT IN THE PROVINCES OF REPLACEMENT HALF-BATTALIONS, HALF-SQUADRONS, AND ARTILLERY HALF-BATTERIES, AND RULES FOR ASSIGNING TO THEM LOWER RANKS RELEASED ON INDEFINITE LEAVE.

§ 144. Replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries [Zapasnye polubataliony, polu-eskadrony i zapasnyya Artilleriiskiya polubatarei] are established in the Provinces in accordance with the number of lower ranks released on indefinite leave, and according to the numbers and arms of service making up the Army.

§ 145. Accordingly, there are established throughout the provinces: replacement half-battalions, for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Infantry Corps, corresponding to the number of regiments—72. Replacement half-squadrons, for the Cavalry of the Grenadier Corps, the six infantry corps, and the three Reserve Cavalry Corps, corresponding to the number of regiments—52. Replacement Artillery half-battalions: Foot, for the Artillery of the Grenadier Corps and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Infantry Corps, corresponding to the number of Artillery foot brigades—21; Horse, for the Artillery of the Grenadier Corps, the six Infantry and three Reserve Cavalry Corps, corresponding to the number of these Corps—10.

§ 146. All these half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries are designated by numbers in series: half-battalions—from No. 1 through No. 72; half-squadrons—from No. 1 through No. 52; and Artillery half-batteries—Foot, from No. 1 through No. 21, Horse, from No. 1 through No. 10.

§ 147. The replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries proposed for each Province are to receive their titles according to the accompanying lettered charts A, B, C, and D.

§ 148. It is not proposed to have replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries in the Provinces on the western border and those adjacent to them. Lower ranks released in these Provinces, when called into service, are directly assigned to the troops of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Infantry Corps, according to the accompanying chart E.

§ 149. In addition, in the Provinces of the Siberia territory, and in some others, as indicated in the accompanying chart F, because of their remoteness and the small number of lower ranks released on leave in these places, special replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries are not proposed to be established. Rather, lower ranks who have come to these Provinces on leave are assigned to the forces indicated in the chart.

§ 150. For each Province, replacement half-battalions, half-squad-rons, and Artillery half-batteries are composed of: a) Field and Company-grade Officers specially assigned from those serving in the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery, and Officers released on extended leave according to the rules explained in § 82 of this Regulation. b) Lower ranks on indefinite leave, based on the following:

a) Regarding Officers who are part of the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery.

§ 151. Upon the confirmation of this Regulation, the Inspection Department presents to the Ministry of War a list of all Field and Company-grade Officers in the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery who have no duties and requests assignments: from senior officers, as Commanders of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, and from junior officers, as cadre of the replacement forces, primarily in those Provinces where they wish to reside, or in the ones nearest to them.

§ 152. From the senior Field-grade Officers are also designated Brigade Commanders over the half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, according to the lettered charts A, B, C, and D, as will be related below in Chapter IV.

§ 153. In the future, when Field and Company-grade Officers in the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery are released from duties they are at the same time assigned a part of the replacement forces, in accordance with the preceding §§ 151 and 152.

§ 154. In regard to all Field and Company-grade Officers designated as Brigade Commanders of replacement brigades or Commanders of half-battalions, half-squadrons, and half-batteries, as well as those assigned as part of these, the Inspection Department informs the appropriate Regional Generals of the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard.

§ 155. Regional Generals maintain their own lists of all Field-grade Officers assigned as Brigade Commanders of replacement brigades, using the enclosed form No. 13, and in regard to those Field and Company-grade Officers who are named as Commanders of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, or are assigned to these, they inform the Commanders of the Garrison battalions which will manage these half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries. Commanders of Garrison battalions enter these Field and Company-grade Officers in lists using the same form No. 13.

§ 156. Field and Company-grade Officers in the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery who are designated as Brigade Commanders or Commanders of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, or as cadre for these, and who live in the provinces to which they are assigned, are, until the lower ranks on leave are called to duty, free from any kind of service responsibility, and therefore during this time do not receive any kind of salary from the treasury, except for those Field and Company-grade Officers who as a special honor maintain a salary, or in the future are designated to do so.

§ 157. Field and Company-grade Officers who in this way are enrolled as part of the replacement forces may, when necessary, travel from one place to another, provided that consequent to a HIGHEST ukase for the mustering to duty of lower ranks on leave, they must immediately come to those places where the replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-battalions to which they belong will gather.

§ 158. Field-grade Officers named as Brigade Commanders are to report any change of residence to the Inspection Department and Regional Generals of the Internal Guard; other Officers also report to the Inspection Department, as well as inform Commanders of the Internal Guard battalions of the provinces in which are located the half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries to which they are assigned. The Inspection Department is to keep lists, always correct, of all such Field and Company-grade Officers, using form No. 13.

§ 159. When lower ranks on leave are mustered for service, Field and Company-grade Officers named as Brigade Commanders or Commanders of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and half-batteries, immediately take up all the duties of their rank and form the units entrusted to them, while junior Officers join these units as will be related in detail in Section I of Chapter IV of this Regulation.

b) Regarding Officers on leave.

§ 160. When Field and Company-grade Officers released on extended leaves arrive in a province, either with parties of lower ranks destined for indefinite leave according to the rules set forth in Section IV of Chapter I of this Regulation, or because they have been granted special permission, they immediately present their billets to the Commanders of Internal Guard battalions, who then enter these Officers in lists, using form No. 13.

§ 161. In the provinces shown in charts A, B, C, and D, designated Officers are assigned to replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries according to the arm of service to which they belong when on duty, and where it is planned to have several half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, these Officers are allotted among them equally.

§ 162. In the provinces shown in chart E, these Officers are assigned to those Corps which the provinces are part of, while in the provinces in chart F—to the forces designated therein.

§ 163. In accordance with this, Commanders of Garrison battalions, having received the billets of Field and Company-grade Officers on leave and having entered them in the lists kept as prescribed by § 160 of this Regulation, note on the billets exactly when they arrived on leave and to which Corps on the charts they are assigned while on leave.

§ 164. Billets with these annotations are returned to the Officers, who at the proper time also notify Commanders of Garrison battalions that they are leaving their commands, if during the course of the leave they have not been summoned into service as part of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries.

c) Regarding lower ranks on leave.

§ 165. All lower ranks released on indefinite leave, when they arrive in the provinces shown in charts A, B, C, and D, are at this same time enrolled into replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries, in accordance with where they were during their service, i.e. whether in the infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery.

Note. Lower ranks who served in Sapper units are assigned to replacement half-battalions.

§ 166. In provinces where it is proposed to establish two, three, or more replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries, lower ranks are distributed according to the number of these half-battalions, half-squadrons, and half-batteries, with an equal number of personnel being assigned to each of them.

§ 167. During such assignments of lower ranks to replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, it is to be taken care that lower ranks enrolled as part of the half-battalions, half-squadrons, and half-batteries are from the same districts; but if in order to make the number of personnel equal it becomes necessary to detach men from another district, then the persons to be detached for this purpose are to be from the villages nearest to the district of the half-battalion, half-squadron, or half-battery to which they are to be assigned.

§ 168. On this same basis the numbers of non-commissioned officers in each province are also equalized: in regard to replacement half-battalions, in regard to half-squadrons, and in regard to replacement Artillery half-batteries.

§ 169. Such assignments of lower ranks to replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, are only to be done using the lists and registers alone, as will be related below. These lower ranks are not in any circumstance to be mustered without a special HIGHEST order, and are to enjoy their freedom granted by this Regulation as a right.

§ 170. Lower ranks in the provinces listed on charts E and F do not form replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, but are considered to belong, according to lists, to the forces shown in these same charts, and are only divided according to their previous arm of service into infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery.

§ 171. As part of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries are also included all lower ranks released on indefinite leave prior to this from the Separate Grenadier Corps and the reserve divisions of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Infantry Corps.

§ 172. Lower ranks of the forces of the Separate Guards Corps also belong to replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, but they are not enrolled as part of them [ne vkhodyat v sostav onykh], but rather are considered as detached to them [k nim prekomandirovannyi]. Commanders of Garrison battalions maintain special lists for them, and in case lower ranks are called up, they will receive special instructions regarding them.

§ 173. In accordance with the rules laid out above, there are also enrolled into replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries all those lower ranks who in the future are released on leave, without changing the number of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries indicated in charts A, B, C, and D. The number of men on leave only increases or decreases (through loss of personnel) the strength of these units.

§ 174. In this same way lower ranks on leave are also assigned to the forces shown in charts E and F.

§ 175. In as much as lower ranks on leave are placed under Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions according to § 119 of this Regulation, all arrangements for enrolling these lower ranks in replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries are also the direct responsibility of these same Commanders of Garrison battalions, under the special, precise, and constant supervision of Regional Generals of the Internal Guard.

§ 176. For all lower ranks released on indefinite leave and enrolled in replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, detailed nominal lists, in addition to the alphabetical ones mentioned in § 111, are maintained in each Garrison battalion, following the enclosed form No. 15.

§ 177. In these lists there are indicated in full detail: a) Each man’s rank. b) Time of entry into service. c) Last place of service in the active or reserve forces. d) Pay rate on service, and pension amount for those receiving such. e) Time of release on indefinite leave. f) Place of residence chosen by each lower rank, and family status of each. g) Means of making a living while on indefinite leave. And h) Date when each is to receive full retirement [chistaya otstavka].

Finally there is a special column in which are recorded losses of lower ranks.

§ 178. These lists are drawn up using the information provided to Commanders of Garrison battalions by Regional Generals in accordance with § 117, and by party Officers delivering lower ranks to Provinces, and also from the information which Civil Governors and local Town and Rural Police will send to Commanders of Garrison battalions based on Section I of Chapter III of this Regulation.

§ 179. In the provinces shown in registers A, B, C, and D, these lists are to be specially maintained for each half-battalion, half-squadron, and half-battery; for provinces indicated in registers E and F—for infantry, for Cavalry, and for Artillery.

§ 180. In administering replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, Regional Generals of the Internal Guard and Commanders of Garrison battalions conduct correspondence separately from those subjects related to the management of the Internal Guard units entrusted to them.

§ 181. The main control of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries is concentrated in the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War.

Third Chapter.

Sect. I.— KEEPING ACCOUNTS OF LOWER RANKS IN THEIR PLACES OF RESIDENCE AND IN REPLACEMENT HALF-BATTALIONS, HALF-SQUADRONS, AND ARTILLERY HALF-BATTERIES, AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF LOCAL CIVIL AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES IN THIS REGARD.

§ 182. All lower ranks on indefinite leave, as related above in § 119, being under the control of local Police, are directly subordinate to the Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions, and accordingly accuracy in regard to keeping track of them is the responsibility of:

For place of residence—Town and Rural Police.
For affiliation to replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries—Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions.

§ 183. In the first case, Civil Governors are to directly ensure that information is always accurate and exact in regard to lower ranks on leave—where each of them and in general all of them are located in the province. And in the latter case, the same responsibility for the correct count of lower ranks in replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, with continuous and detailed information about all of them, belongs to Regional Generals of the Internal Guard under the higher supervision of the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War.

§ 184. In this way, the general responsibility for keeping a count of lower ranks is divided between civil and military authorities, based on the following principles:

A.—Responsibilities of Civil Authorities.

§ 185. When Civil Governors receive from Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions the information prescribed in § 115 regarding lower ranks released on indefinite leave to the provinces under their charge, they at the same time inform Town and Rural Police about this, as appropriate.

§ 186. Town and Rural Police, having received this information, enter all lower ranks on leave into books kept in accordance with the form indicated in § 123.

§ 187. When lower ranks on leave arrive at the places in which they have chosen to live, Town and Rural Police record in their books, in accordance with § 123, the billets presented to them, at the same time checking whether all the lower ranks who have declared their residence to be in that district have actually arrived there.

§ 188. Having made this check and, during the three-month period following the arrival of lower ranks, having collected the information prescribed by § 132 of this Regulation, namely the manner by which they maintain themselves in their places of residence, Town and Rural Police submit to Civil Governors lists of the lower ranks who have arrived in the towns and districts, and of those who have not appeared in them.

§ 189. Civil Governors forward such lists to Commanders of Garrison battalions so that they may know exactly which lower ranks arrived in their native province and by what means they made a living, as well as so that checks can be made and information provided regarding those lower ranks who have not shown up in the districts.

§ 190. After having received from Commanders of Garrison battalions information regarding the reasons for the absence of men on leave, Civil Governors deliver this to Town and Rural Police, as appropriate, for entry into their books.

§ 191. Town and Rural Police, in this way having in the books which they maintain full information about all lower ranks on leave, keep these books with complete accuracy, annotating them without fail in regard to all changes concerning lower ranks on leave.

§ 192. Town and Rural Police strictly observe that no lower rank released on indefinite leave moves without their knowledge from the town or village which he initially made his residence.

§ 193. When in accordance with § 130 of this Regulation Town and Rural Police permit the relocation of lower ranks from one village to another, or from one district to another, in the same Province, they note this in their books and write on the billets of the lower ranks on leave: "that private or non-commissioned officer NN, in accordance with his wish, for such-and-such reason, is permitted to change residence to town N, or such-and-such village in such-and-such district, provided that when he arrives in that district, he presents his billet to the Town or Rural Police there."

§ 194. Town and Rural Police drop from their books all lower ranks who have moved to another district and send information regarding them to the Town or Rural Police, as appropriate, under whose jurisdiction the lower ranks will come; and these Police enter them in their books and without fail must watch for their arrival.

§ 195. Town and Rural Police also observe, and are responsible for, ensuring that there are by no means any lower ranks on leave maintaining residences under their jurisdiction without the legal permission for such on their billets.

§ 196. For business prospects or for other important reasons, lower ranks may, with the permission of Town and Rural Police, temporarily betake themselves to other Provinces, exactly as can other inhabitants, with the only privilege that for them the billets for this are not issued on stamped paper [gerbovaya bumaga], but on plain.

§ 197. If any lower rank, for special economic prospects, business reasons, or in other unavoidable circumstances, wishes to change his residence to another Province: then he declares this to Town or Rural Police, but not before the expiration of the three-month period from the day of his arrival at the place first he first chose, as related in § 131. —The Police, when reporting this to Civil Governors, also include their opinion as to whether this relocation would meet with any obstacles.

§ 198. The Civil Governor, having found the request worthy, permits the Police to allow the petitioner to move to the other Province, and at the same time gives notification of this to the Commander of the Garrison battalion of the Province under his charge, and to the Civil Governor of that Province to which lower ranks are moving.

§ 199. Town and Rural Police, during such movements of lower ranks from one Province to another, follow the same rules prescribed in §§ 193 and 194 for lower ranks moving from one district to another.

§ 200. If any lower rank on indefinite leave willingly leaves his place of residence or does not appear after a permitted period of absence, then local Authorities, or the administration under which the lower ranks have set themselves up, or the landowner on whose holdings they settled, is strictly accountable for immediately and without fail reporting this to the Rural Police, who at this time take the requisite measures to find these persons, and if in the course of a month they are not found, and themselves do not appear, then they are noted in the lists as deserters and excluded from counts of personnel.

§ 201. This same procedure is to be followed by Town Police in the case of a willful absence of lower ranks living in towns.

§ 202. When lower ranks who have run away are caught, they are sent to Commanders of Garrison battalions and are dealt with as military deserters.

§ 203. In the case of the death of lower ranks on indefinite leave, the Priests who buried them write on their leave billets: exactly when they died and where they were buried, and the billets with these notations are immediately delivered to the Town and Rural Police, who use these billets to note in their books the lower ranks’ times of death.

§ 204. For all changes in the number of lower ranks on leave, i.e. for their moving from one district to another, and from one Province to another, for willful absence, and for deaths, Town and Rural Police, at the end of every month, notify Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions and along with this send the billets left behind by deceased lower ranks; and if any of these had some medal of distinction, these are also sent.

§ 205. Civil Governors, for their part, are to specifically see to it that all the rules prescribed here for Town and Rural Police in regard to lower ranks on leave within their jurisdictions are exactly observed without the least omission.

§ 206. For all lower ranks on leave who arrive in a Province, Civil Governors, using the information delivered to them by Town and Rural Police in accordance with § 188, provide lists to the Inspection Department showing the manner in which lower ranks are maintaining themselves. The form for these lists is enclosed herein as No. 16.

§ 207. Civil Governors, either personally or through special officials, annually verify the correct maintenance by Town and Rural Police of the books established by §§ 123 and 186 of this Regulation.

§ 208. They are held responsible if in the Provinces entrusted to them any kind of irregularities are allowed concerning the Town and Rural Police’s counting of lower ranks on indefinite leave.

B.—Responsibilities of Military Authorities.

§ 209. When lower ranks arrive on indefinite leave, Commanders of Garrison battalions, precisely following the rules prescribed in §§ 111 and 176 of this Regulation, immediately enter them in alphabetical registers [alfavity] and in the summary lists for them, using the given form.

§ 210. These alphabetical registers and lists are to be kept with complete detail and accuracy, and Commanders of Garrison battalions are to use them for making summary accounts of lower ranks.

§ 211. All changes that may occur concerning lower ranks on leave are without fail noted in these lists, and in this way there must be no error of any kind in the calculation of lower ranks on leave.

§ 212. Commanders of Internal Guard battalions strictly observe that those lower ranks who were left behind while traveling to indefinite leave because of illness do arrive at their places of residence after recovering, and if for a long time no information about them is received, then through correspondence with hospitals and sickwards, as well as Town and Rural Police, they find out exactly where such lower ranks are located, or where they went.

§ 213. When lower ranks are permitted to move from one Province to another, Commanders of Garrison battalions are to exclude them from their accounts and report these personnel to the Commanders of Internal Guard battalions of those Provinces to which the lower ranks are moving, so that they may be included in the lists under their management and their arrival watched for.

§ 214. Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions and chiefs of district Invalid commands, for lower ranks on leave under their administration, on their part strictly and untiringly see to it that when men on leave wish to move to another district to search for better means of making a living, they are released by Town and Rural Police in accordance with § 130 without any restrictions.

§ 215. At the close of each month, and in no case later than the 3rd of the next month, Commanders of Garrison battalions provide Regional Generals of the Internal Guard with tabular reports for all lower ranks on leave, those enrolled in replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries as well as assigned to the forces, with indications of personnel gains and losses. Officers enrolled in replacement forces are also noted in these reports. The form for these reports is enclosed herein under No. 17.

§ 216. When such reports are received from their subordinate Commanders of Garrison battalions, Regional Generals of the Internal Guard provide the Inspection Department with general reports of personnel on leave for the entire Region, using the accompanying form No. 18, with all losses shown which occurred during the previous month.

§ 217. Regional Generals of the Internal Guard send these reports to the Inspection Department no later than three days after they receive the last report from the Commanders of the Garrison battalions of the Region under their charge.

§ 218. Commanders of Garrison battalions forward the billets left behind by deceased lower ranks to Regional Generals of the Internal Guard along with the monthly reports. In turn, Regional Generals enclose these with the similar reports provided to the Inspection Department.

§ 219. If upon the death of a lower rank there are left behind medals of distinction, then of these: medals of St. Anne and medals of the Military Order are send by Regional Generals to the Chapter of Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders, and all other badges and medals—to the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War.

§ 220. Regional Generals of the Internal Guard continuously observe that there is a proper reckoning in their subordinate Garrison battalions of lower ranks on leave.

§ 221. They make annual verifications of the lists and alphabetical registers of lower ranks on leave, as held in the Garrison battalions, and testify to their proper upkeep by writing on the lists and alphabetical registers themselves:

On the first: "These lists were verified and it appeared that in all aspects they were in accordance with the rules of the Regulation for releasing lower ranks on indefinite leave, confirmed on such-and-such date by HIGHEST Authority, and that the number of personnel shown in them was accurate as compared to original lists and information and in agreement with that indicated by the monthly reports provided to me by the Commander of the Garrison battalion." Year, month, day, and the signature of the Regional General.

On the latter: "This alphabetical register completely agreed with the rules of the Regulation for releasing lower ranks on indefinite leave, confirmed on such-and-such date by HIGHEST Authority; all lower ranks indicated in lists were entered in it and the appropriate deletions for lost personnel were made." Year, month, day, and the signature of the Regional General.

§ 222. If during this checking any errors are discovered, then they are noted on the lists and alphabetical registers in the written statements themselves, with a detailed indication of how they are to be rectified.

§ 223. Having carried out this check of the lists and alphabetical registers of lower ranks on leave for the entire Internal Guard Region, Regional Generals at this same time report to the Inspection Department regarding what they found during such a check.

§ 224. The Commander of the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard, when inspecting Garrison battalions, also examines the indicated lists and alphabetical registers and, having testified to this in writing on the lists themselves, notes in his inspection report records, just as for other subjects, what was found to be the condition of that part which he examined.

§ 225. The Inspection Department, concentrating in itself the main administration of lower ranks on leave, is obliged to maintain a general, uninterrupted, and constant supervision over the correct counting of these lower ranks, and keeps complete numerical data about them always ready.

§ 226. In so far as the paperwork of their Headquarters sections [Upravleniya] is increased as responsibility for managing lower ranks on leave is placed on Commanders of Garrison battalions and Regional Generals of the Internal Guard, each Garrison battalion has another three clerks added to those authorized by the personnel table [shtat], and for each Headquarters section of a Regional General—four, with the salary prescribed for this rank.

Sect. II.— PROCEDURE FOR RELEASEING LOWER RANKS ON INDEFINITE LEAVE INTO FULL RETIREMENT.

§ 227. Along with the release from the forces of lower ranks onto indefinite leave based on the rules explained in the 1st chapter of this Regulation, those lower ranks on indefinite leave who finish the overall period of service, i.e. 22 years for the Guards and 25 for the Army, are released into full retirement [chistaya otstavka].

§ 228. For this, the endpoint for releasing lower ranks to retirement is set as the 1st of September of each year, except during wartime when a special HIGHEST directive will be announced suspending indefinite leaves and retirements.

§ 229. In each region the annual designation of which of the lower ranks on leave are due to receive retirement (when such has not been suspended) is left to the Regional Generals of the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard, on the same basis as indefinite leaves are the responsibility of Corps Commanders and those officers Commanding reserve divisions.

§ 230. For all lower ranks on indefinite leave status who by 1 September of the current year have finished the defined period for retirement: 22 years in the Guards and 25 in the Army, in the January third of the year Commanders of Garrison battalions draw up lists following the enclosed form No. 19, and along with their service records [formulyary] these are presented to Regional Generals of the Internal Guard by the 1st of May.

§ 231. Regional Generals verify the actual 22 or 25-year period of service of lower ranks using the information provided by the Inspection Department in accordance with § 117 and then, for those who are due for retirement, they prepare retirement passports [pasporty ob otstavke], signed by themselves, using the accompanying form No. 20. Printed blanks for these passports are provided from the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War.

§ 232. Having prepared the passports, Regional Generals forward them without fail on the 1st of September to Commanders of Garrison battalions, who, after noting in the last column of their list of lower ranks the date the retirement passport was given out and its number, immediately send them to Civil Governors with a special list of names detailing where each of the lower ranks resides.

§ 233. Civil Governors forward these passports to Town and Rural Police without the least delay.

§ 234. Having received such passports, Town and Rural Police also do not delay in giving them out to each appropriate lower rank, and at the same time they collect from them their leave billets and write on them when each of them was given his passport.

§ 235. Town and Rural Police send these billets with these notations to the Civil Governors for delivery to Commanders of Garrison battalions, and along with this they note in their books the release of the lower ranks.

§ 236. Having been given back these billets, Commanders of Garrison battalions note their return in their lists, using form No. 15 from § 176, and send them to the Regional Generals, who, after drawing cross marks across them, file them among the papers of their Headquarters sections.

§ 237. With the issuance of their passports, lower ranks who have received retirement are dropped from the accounts of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, and enter the status of retired soldiers.

§ 238. By the 1st of November Regional Generals provide the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War with nominal lists of all lower ranks release on full retirement, using the accompanying form No. 21.

§ 239. The Inspection Department, having received these lists and the information sent from Commanders of Corps and reserve divisions in accordance with § 115 of this Regulation, use the accompanying forms Nos. 22, 23, and 24 to draw up: a register of all lower ranks released on indefinite leave in the current year; a register of all lower ranks on indefinite leave who received retirement; and a table of the numerical strength of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and replacement Artillery half-batteries, by province.

§ 240. The Department presents all these registers to the Minister of War, for the Sovereign Emperor’s HIGHEST consideration.

Fourth Chapter.

Sect. I.— CALLING UP LOWER RANKS ON LEAVE INTO SERVICE IN REPLACEMENT HALF-BATTALIONS, HALF-SQUADRONS, ADN ARTILLERY  HALF-BATTERIES, AND THE PROCEDURE FOR FORMING THESE.

§ 241. Lower ranks who are on indefinite leave and enjoying all the rights and privileges granted by this Regulation are called into service in case of need.

§ 242. Part of the lower ranks on leave who are called into service form a special replacement force [zapasnoe voisko], and part directly reinforce active forces, based on the rules set forth in this chapter of the Regulation.

§ 243. The ability to reinforce active forces with lower ranks on leave as soon as necessity may demand also makes it possible to not maintain a certain authorized strength of lower ranks in these forces during peacetime, and accordingly there are the following reductions:

In each active battalion of the infantry and Jäger regiments of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Infantry Corps—50 privates, making 200 men in an entire regiment.
In each squadrons of the Cavalry regiments of these same Corps—10 privates on foot, making 80 men in an entire regiment.
In each reserve foot half-battery of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Artillery Divisions—40 privates.

In wartime this entire force of privates is provided without the least delay by the return to service of lower ranks on leave coming from the nearest provinces listed in table D (§ 148), with the provision that personnel coming to the Artillery join either active batteries, if these have a shortage of personnel, or reserve batteries, if there is no shortfall in the active batteries.

§ 244. Lower ranks on leave are called into service by a special Highest Ukase of His Imperial Majesty to the Minister of War.

§ 245. This ukase establishes whether the lower ranks of all Provinces are called up, or only of some of them, according to the needs which may be presented by the situation.

§ 246. The HIGHEST ukase, passing through the person of the Minister of War, is carried out by: a) On the civil side—through the Ruling Senate [Pravitelstvuyushchii Senat], which sends printed copies of the ukase to Civil Governors, in the number supposed to be enough so that no Town or Rural Police will have to write out copies but will be able announce the ukase to lower ranks on leave using the printed examples. b) On the military side—through the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War.

§ 247. In this way, the whole responsibility for the call-up of lower ranks on leave is divided between Civil and Military Authorities, and it is carried out through their direct instructions.

A.—Actions taken by Civil Authorities.

§ 248. Civil Governors, when they have received from the Ruling Senate the ukase for calling into service lower ranks on leave, directly distribute printed examples of it to Town and Rural Police in the Provinces entrusted to them.

§ 249. Having received this ukase, Town and Rural Police at this same time announce it (in printed examples) to all lower ranks living on indefinite leave and demand that they immediately appear with their leave billets: those living in towns—before the Town Police; and in districts—before the Rural Courts [Zemskie Sudy].

§ 250. Lower ranks carry out the demands of the Police without fail. Those of them who, having been called to service, avoid it and do not appear in time are to be turned over to a military court by the Commander of the Garrison battalion. Only actual illness before recovery can lawfully prevent the return to service of lower ranks on leave.

§ 251. In the case of a man on leave having such an active illness, local town and village authorities, or the administration under which the man on leave has set himself up, at once informs the Town and Rural Police about him, and are held strictly accountable for the truth of their report as well as for having lower ranks, after their recovery, immediately appear before the Police.

§ 252. Upon the call-up to service, lower ranks away on temporary absences in other districts either appear before the Town and Rural Police of that district where the Ruling Senate’s ukase finds them, or on the other hand return to their own district where they have their permanent residence, if necessity demands that they be at their homes.

§ 253. For all lower ranks on leave who report to them but do not come under their administration, Town and Rural Police notify the Town or Rural Police with whom they are registered according to their place of residence, for information purposes and so as to be noted in the books.

§ 254. Upon the announcement of a HIGHEST ukase to muster for service, lower ranks away on temporary absences in other Provinces immediately return to their provinces so as to join the half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries to which they belong.

§ 255. For the lower ranks on leave who come to them, Town and Rural Police write the following on their billets: "It has been declared to Non-commissioned Officer or private N N on such-and-such year, month, and date, in this Police office, or Court, that, in accordance with His Imperial Majesty’s HIGHEST Ukase, issued on such-and-such date, he is called into service and must appear in the town of N N before the Commander of the Garrison battalion there, no later than such-and-such month and date."

§ 256. For the designation of this date, Town and Rural Police take into account the distance of the district town from the provincial city and, accordingly, set the arrival time there for lower ranks on leave.

§ 257. Lower ranks, having received back their billets with the written statements, set off for the Garrison battalions without the slightest delay and present themselves there at the appointed time without fail.

§ 258. When sending off lower ranks on leave, Town and Rural Police note down in their books against each of their names exactly when they left for the Garrison battalion and when they were designated to arrive there.

§ 259. If any of the lower ranks does not appear before the Police in time and no reason for this failure to appear is made known, then the Police demand of each such man the appropriate information and are held strictly accountable for making sure that no one capable of carrying out service remains in their place of residence.

§ 260. Those guilty of concealing such lower ranks are liable for penalties according to the full strictness of the laws, similar to how one is punished for hiding deserters or maintaining an refuge for such.

§ 261. For all lower ranks sent to provincial towns or left behind and not sent, Town and Rural Police present nominal lists to the Civil Governors, using forms Nos. 25 and 26, showing the following:

In the first: exactly when each had the call-up to service announced to him and when he was to appear at the provincial town; and

In the latter: precisely for what reason any of the lower ranks cannot appear for service.

§ 262. Civil Governors, once they receive these lists, forward them to the Commanders of the Garrison battalions of their provinces and at the same time send to the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War a memorandum of the number of lower ranks sent to provincial towns, using the enclosed form No. 27, and a list of personnel not sent, using the mentioned form No. 26.

B.—Actions taken by Military Authorities.

§ 263. Consequent to a HIGHEST ukase calling lower ranks on leave into service, the Inspection Department of the Ministry of War immediately disseminates printed examples of it to Regional Generals of the Separate Corps of the Internal Guard, to the Departments of the Ministry of War, and to other authorities and branches of the military administration which will have to carry it out.

§ 264. Subsequent to the ukase calling up men on leave, the Inspection Department, always having exact information on the state of each province’s replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, and on all Field and Company-grade Officers on extended leave, makes plans and issues orders for assigning these Field and Company-grade Officers to the replacement forces: the senior of these—to available vacancies as Commanders of half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries; and the junior—as members of these, taking into account the Field and Company-grade Officers of the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery who are already assigned to the replacement forces.

§ 265. After having determined in this manner exactly which Officers on extended leave must join which half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, at the same time as it sends out the ukase itself calling up lower ranks on leave, the Inspection Department instructs the Regional Generals of the Internal Guard to carry out these Officer assignments.

§ 266. If the Field and Company-grade Officers of the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery on extended leave are not enough for the number of half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries formed in the provinces, then the Inspection Department designates such from the Army forces and from the Internal Guard. Officers of the Internal Guard are assigned especially for conveying the half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries to the places designated for their quartering. When they actually arrive there, they are replaced, consequent to orders from the Inspection Department, with Army Officers and then return to their previous commands, if this is determined to be necessary.

§ 267. When assigning Officers, it is taken into consideration that in each half-battalion there are to be no less than one Field-grade Officer and five Company-grade Officers, and in each half-squadron and Artillery half-battery, not less than three Company-grade Officers.

§ 268. Medical officers [Meditsinskie chiny] and medics [feldshera] are also appointed to replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries. Arrangements for this are the responsibility of the Medical Department [Meditsinskii Departament] of the Ministry of War.

§ 269. When they receive a HIGHEST ukase calling up men on leave (§ 263), Regional Generals of the Internal Guard send copies of it to Field-grade Officers of the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery who have been appointed as Brigade Commanders of replacement forces, and they immediately set off for the places where the replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries of their brigades are being formed, in accordance with § 157.

§ 270. Along with this, Regional Generals also forward copies of the ukase to their subordinate Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions, to be carried out without fail, in accordance with this Regulation, in everything for which they are responsible.

§ 271. Regarding the issuance of the ukase, Commanders of Garrison battalions immediately inform all Field and Company-grade Officers of the Army, Cavalry, and Artillery who have been assigned to replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries (§§ 151 and 153), and all Officers on extended leave in the provinces. These Officers present themselves in provincial towns without delay so as to join the replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries to which they belong.

§ 272. Commanders of Garrison battalions, using the information in their possession, draw up special nominal lists for, respectively, all lower ranks who must join replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and half-batteries. For provinces, however, for which no replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, or replacement Artillery half-batteries are designated (§ 148), such lists are respectively drawn up for Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery.

§ 273. When lower ranks on leave arrive at provincial towns, Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions mark them on the indicated lists as among those present, and, collecting their leave billets from them, write on them exactly when each man presented himself at the Garrison battalion.

§ 274. If any of the lower ranks do not appear in time, then Commanders of Garrison battalions demand explanations from them and initiate reviews of these excuses. And if these are not found to be valid, then they subject them to arrest or corporal punishment, as appropriate to their guilt, based on the special statutes which follow.

§ 275. If it happens that any of the lower ranks on leave who are enrolled in replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries turn out to be unfit for field service, then such a man, after appropriate certification through the testimony of a Medical Board [Vrachebnaya Uprava], is left on duty in the Garrison battalion of his province for as long as others are serving as part of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and half-batteries.

§ 276. If during the call-up of lower ranks of leave, any of the retired lower ranks also wishes to enter service, they is not to be prohibited from doing so. They are to be enrolled as part of the replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, and in order to distinguish them from the rest, they receive lace [nashivka] sewn onto the left sleeve, made of gold or silver galloon according to their branch of arms, independent of those chevrons which some of them may have for previous service.

§ 277. In provinces where one replacement half-battalion, half-squadron, and Artillery half-battery is being formed, Commanders of Garrison battalions, when lower ranks on leave arrive, are to immediately turn them over to the Field and Company-grade Officers designated for the command of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and half-batteries.

§ 278. In those provinces where according to tables A, B, C, and D there are to be formed more than one half-battalion, half-squadron, and Artillery half-battery, the Brigade Commanders of replacement brigades (Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery, each according to its own branch), are to equably assign the lower ranks among the replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, and, in accordance with such assignments, they order the Commanders of these units to receive their personnel, and to Commanders of Internal Garrison battalions they deliver nominal lists of these men.

§ 279. Using these lists, Commanders of Garrison battalions note on the general lists of lower ranks on leave, maintained in accordance with § 176, to which half-battalion, half-squadron, or Artillery half-battery each of them is going, and along with this they provide the Commanders of the replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries with the billets belonging to the lower ranks on leave. These, since they contain full information regarding the service of these personnel, take the place of their service records [formulyarnye spiski].

§ 280. Having accepted the lower ranks on leave, Commanders of replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries without fail turn to organizing the units entrusted to them. Each half-battalion is divided into companies [roty], platoons [vzvody], and squads [kapralstva, lit. "corporalships"], and Officers, non-commissioned officers, and all other ranks are equally distributed to all these units, and each unit receives its thus currently assigned personnel. In the same way replacement half-squadrons and half-batteries are subdivided, with each unit being assigned an equal number of personnel.

Note. Clerks [Pisarya] are designated from among the literate privates less suitable for the battle line: three in each half-battalion, and two for each half-squadron and Artillery half-battery.

§ 281. In provinces where lower ranks on leave, according to the charts of § 148, only form parts of half-squadrons and half-batteries, these lower ranks are mustered in their provincial towns in special Cavalry and Artillery commands, and in these commands they are sent to collection points and there united into half-squadrons and half-batteries.

§ 282. Furthermore, those commands which when united cannot form whole half-squadrons and half-batteries, to avoid the difficulties which would be met trying to unite them at one point from various provinces, keep their organization as commands and set off for the places designated for the half-squadrons and Artillery half-batteries which they must join.

§ 283. In the for provinces which according to table E (148) neither replacement half-battalions, nor half-squadrons, nor Artillery half-batteries are intended, the lower ranks on leave of the entire province, being collected at the Garrison battalion, are to form, depending on their numbers, a company, half-battalion, a whole battalion, or even more. All Officers on extended leave in these provinces join these commands, and the senior from among them in each command assumes charge of it. In case of a shortage of such Officers, the necessary number are additionally designated through orders from the Inspection Department, in conformance with § 266 as related above.

§ 284. From the day they arrive at Garrison battalions, Field and Company-grade Officers and lower ranks on leave are carried on lists as present, and from that time on they receive pay and all allowances due from the treasury exactly as for being on active service. Pay for lower ranks is issued at the same rates which each one last received while in service.

§ 285. In order to provide a sufficient first issue of uniforms and weapons to the personnel joining replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries, there are established at the locations shown by the accompanying table G special reserves of uniforms, accouterments, and arms: enough for 500 men for each half-battalion, 100 men for each half-squadron, and for each half-battery: 150 men for Foot and 120 for Horse.

§ 286. At the places designated by table G for arms stores for replacement forces there are also kept the flags [znamena] left by the disbanded sixth reserve battalions. These flags are issued to the replacement half-battalions when they arrive at their collection points to receive weapons, and when replacement half-battalions are disbanded, they are put back in these same arsenals.

§ 287. Apart from the mentioned stores of clothing and weapons, there are also established special identical reserves for the lower ranks from border Provinces who are sent directly to the forces of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Infantry Corps. These reserve stores are established in the region where the forces are located, at the locations shown by the accompanying chart H: enough for 200 men for each foot regiment, 80 men for each Cavalry regiment, and 40 men for each Artillery brigade, i.e. for the numbers of personnel which in accordance § 243 of this Regulation are not maintained in each Foot and Cavalry regiment and reserve battery of the mentioned five Corps.

§ 288. The Commissariat and Artillery stores mentioned in the preceding §§ 285 and 287 must include the full quantity of all uniforms, accouterments, and weapons necessary to completely cloth and arm lower ranks according to their arm of service.

Note. Replacement half-squadrons and horse half-batteries are formed as dismounted, and accordingly only personal equipment for the men is kept at the stores locations.

§ 289. The Commissariat and Artillery Departments [Kommisariatskii i Artilleriiskii Departamenty] ensure that all these reserve stores are always available; and so that clothing and accouterment items may not become damaged, the Commissariat renew them by issuing them to the forces and at the same time replacing them with others.

§ 290. As soon as the Commissariat and Artillery Departments receive from the Inspection Department (in accordance with § 263) the HIGHEST ukase calling up lower ranks on leave into service, at this same time they arrange for the issue of uniforms, accouterments, and weapons from the stores shown in tables G and H, for the active forces indicated in chart E as well as for replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons and Artillery half-batteries.

§ 291. All items and weapons for the active forces are issued directly to the forces, while that required by replacement half-battalions, half-squadrons, and Artillery half-batteries is delivered to the collection points shown in table G.

§ 292. Items and weapons for active forces are issued in their full quantity, i.e. for the entire number of privates by which these forces are reduced from their current authorized strength in accordance with § 243 of this Regulation. And, if the number of lower ranks on leave joining these forces exce