The Army Paymaster's Manual [Charles Colné's Copy with his Numerous Manuscript Emendations]

Washington: Government Printing Office, 1864. [3], 95, 11pp + 24 tipped-in, bound in, or laid in manuscript leaves. Additional manuscript throughout text. 7½ x 5 inches. Quarter black sheep and marbled boards. Label reading "Charles Colné 1864" on upper cover and with his ownership signature "C. Colné" on the title page. Essentially disbound; spine perished; pages 75-86 mostly excised; some wear along fore-edge not affecting text; fair; archival housing.

American Civil War-era, 1864 official military handbook, The Paymaster's Manual, or Collection of Official Rules, for the Information and Guidance of Officers of the Pay Department of the United States Army, interleaved with manuscript additions and or corrections. These handwritten manuscript notes were made by Charles Colné in the Mississippi River valley, mainly during the years 1878-1881.

Beginning on blank pages within a section of printed pay tables at the end of The Paymaster's Manual, the manuscript additions by Charles Colné appear together on tipped-in, bound-in, or laid-in leaves between those tables and a printed, 11-page appendix dated February 19, 1864. A few manuscript corrections or additions to the The Paymaster's Manual annotate the actual printed text and, where dated, cite Civil War dates. Some notes, referring to vouchers for officers' quarters in New York City during a court martial, concern "Brig[adier] Gen[eral]. [John] Pope," who held the rank of brigadier only in 1861-1862.

The added manuscript sections concern various payroll or administrative situations and date principally from 1878-1881. Most are dated as to when they were added to The Paymaster's Manual and often cite other pre-dating rules or regulations. Some of the added manuscript rules are very specific and were likely intended to serve as reminders as to what action should be taken or precedent applied if similar situations were to arise again.

The manuscript additions include such topics as "Actual Expenses," "Paymaster off duty bonding," "Simple Acquittal of charge of Desertion entitles soldier to pay while absent," "Telegrams," "Hospital Steward," "Contract of Surgeons," "No mileage when traveling with recruits," "Court Martial Deductions," "Post Traders," and "Six Serg'ts in a Cav. Co. allowed pay for same period if there is no First Serg't in the Co. at the same time."

References to "N. O. [New Orleans] en route to Alexandria, Pineville, etc. Up Red River as far as Mindon (Meridian?)," "Iberia, L[ouisian]a.," "Woodville, Miss[issipi].," and to "Dep[artmen]t. of M[iss]o[uri]." suggest Charles Colné served as paymaster in that region using this copy of the 1864 Army Paymaster's Manual.

IB100