Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

“ And be it further resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to communicate this resolution to Major-General Terry, and through him to the officers and soldiers under his command.” The amendment was agreed to. The joint resolution passed, and the title was so amended as to read: “A joint resolution to present the thanks of Congress to Major-General Alfred H. Terry and the officers and men under his command.”

In the House, on the twentieth, the joint resolution was reported back by Mr. Schenck from the Military Committee, to whom it had been referred, with an amendment inserting the word “brevet” before “major-general.” The amendment was agreed to; the joint resolution as amended passed; the Senate concurred in the amendment, and it was approved by the President on the twenty-fourth of January, 1865.

No. Lxxvii.--The Joint Resolution to present the Thanks of Congress to Major-General Philip H. Sheridan, and the Officers and Men under his Command.

In the House, on the twenty-third of January, 1865, Mr. Washburne, of Illinois, introduced a joint resolution tendering the thanks of Congress to Major-General Sheridan, his officers and men, which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. On the twenty-fifth, Mr. Deming, of Connecticut, reported it back with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The substitute declared: That the thanks of Congress be tendered to Major-General Philip H. Sheridan and the officers and men under his command, for the gallantry, military skill, and courage displayed in the brilliant series of victories achieved by them in the valley of the Shenandoah, and especially for their services at Cedar Run, on the nineteenth of October, 1864, which retrieved the fortunes of the day and averted a great disaster; and it further requested the President of the United States to communicate the resolution to Major-General Sheridan, and through him to the officers and soldiers under his command. The substitute was agreed to, and the resolution as amended passed — yeas, one hundred and thirty-one; nays, two. In the Senate, on the first day of February, Mr. Wilson, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom it had been referred, reported back the joint resolution Without amendment. By unanimous consent it was considered and passed, and was approved by the President on the ninth of February, 1865.

No. Lxxviii--The Bill to increase the Pay of the Officers of the Army, and for other purposes.

In the House, on the eighteenth of February, 1865, Mr. Yeaman, of Kentucky, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill to increase the pay of officers of the army. The first section provided that officers of the army should be exempt from the tax on their pay. The second section provided that during the rebellion, the pay proper of staff and line-officers of the army below the rank of brigadier-general, should be: Colonels of infantry and artillery, one hundred and forty dollars; lieutenant-colonels, one hundred and twenty dollars; majors, one hundred and five dollars; captains, ninety dollars; first lieutenants, seventy-seven dollars; second lieutenants, seventy dollars; colonels of all other arms of the service, one hundred and sixty-five dollars; lieutenant-colonels, one hundred and forty dollars; majors, one hundred and fifteen dollars; captains, one hundred and two dollars and fifty cents; lieutenants, eighty dollars and thirty-three cents. The third section provided: That hereafter, whenever any officer or soldier should be discharged from the service, except by way of punishment for an offence, he should be furnished transportation from the place of his discharge to his then actual place of residence; or, in case transportation could not be furnished by the Government, then he should be paid the actual cost of travelling in money. On motion of Mr. Rice, of Massachusetts, the bill was so amended as to include naval officers. Mr. Ross, of Illinois, moved to amend it so as to increase the pay of soldiers to twenty dollars per month, and it was agreed to — yeas, eighty-two; nays, thirty-three. On motion of Mr. Farnsworth, of Illinois, the pay of assistant surgeons was increased to one hundred and twenty-five dollars per month. On motion of Mr. Garfield, the bill was recommitted to the Committee on Military Affairs.

No. Lxxix.--The Bill to increase the Efficiency of the Medical Corps of the Army.

In the House, on the twenty-first of June, 1864, Mr. Schenck, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported a bill to increase the efficiency of the medical corps of the army, which was passed without opposition. On the second of July, Mr. Morgan, of New-York, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to which it had been referred, reported it back to the Senate.

In the Senate, on the twenty-third of February, 1865, Mr. Wilson, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom it had been recommitted, reported back the House bill to increase the efficiency of the medical corps of the army without amendment. It provided: That the medical director of an army in the field consisting of two or more army corps, and the medical director of a military department in which there were United States general hospitals containing four thousand beds or upward, should have the rank, pay, and emoluments of a colonel of cavalry; and that the medical director of an army corps in the field, or of a department in which there were United States general hospitals containing less than four thousand beds, should have the rank, pay and emoluments of a lieutenant-colonel of cavalry. This increased rank and pay should only continue to medical officers while discharging such special duties; and the assignments from time to time to such duty should be at least two thirds of them made from among the surgeons and assistant surgeons of volunteers. Mr. Hale desired to know what