INTRODUCTORY. The following report was made to the Seventeenth National Encampment, held at Den, ver, Colorado, July, 1883 OFFICE O F JUDG A E D VOCATE-GENERAL, INDIANAPO I L N I D S, ., June 27, 1883. GEN. PAUL VAN DER VOORT, Commnnder-in-Chief G. A. h. SIR AND COMRADE-I have the honor to report to you, and through you to the Comrades of the National Encampment, the work that has been done by this office during the year which I have had the honor to act as the Judge Advocate-General, and which is now just closing. In conformity with instructions of the National Encampment held at Baltimore in June, 1882, I have compiled all the opinions of Judge Advocates-General, from the organization of the Grand Army up to the present date. I have arranged them in their order as rendered, and numbered them consecutively from I to CXLV. For each of the opinions I have prepared a syllabus, and have also prepared an index and digest for the entire work, referring to the opinion by number and page of the work. During the year I have rendered fifteen opinions on subjects referred to me from National Headquarters. These opinions are . embraced in the compilation herewith sent you, and are numbered from CXXXI to CXLV, inclusive. I have performed this work in accordance with the order of the last National Encampment in so far as the preparation of a syllabus was ordered but, believing that a syllabus alone would not meet the needs of the Grand Army, I collected all the decisions of my predecessors, that the Comrades might not only have the outline, but the full text of the opinions and decisions which are now a part of the 4 INTRODUCTORY law governing the Grand Army. I herewith submit the same for your approval. Thanking the Commander-in-Chief and the members and Comrades of the staff for courtesies shown, I am yours in F. C. and L., JAS. R. CARNAHAN, Judge Advocate-General. The report of the committee on the Judge Advocate-Generals report was read and adopted. The report is as follows DENVER C , O L., July 26, 1883. To the Natiorzal Encampnzerzt of the G. A. R. Your committee on the report of the Judge Advocate-General would respectfully report that, after a careful examination of said report and the digest of opinions accon panying the same, they cordially recommend that said digest of opinions be accepted and approved as the law of the Grand Army of the Republic upon the subjects therein treated. In the opinion of the committee the compilation is one of learning, research and ability, bringing the common law of our organization in a palpable and con prehensible form before our Comrades, and gathering together and formulating rules for the determination of questions which may arise hereafter, which will be invaluable to the Order by reason of their simplicity, directness and accessibility. HENRY E. TAINTOR, W. R. MANNING, 1. F. CHAMBERLAIN, CHARLE S V . BLAIR, JOHN P. REA, Co r uszttee. After the adjournment of the Seventeenth National En campment the following correspondence was had, and explains the re-publishing of this volume of the DECISIONS AND OPINIONS 01 THE COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF AND JUDGE ADVOCATES-GENERA L INTRODUCTORY. 5 HEADQUART G E R R A S N D A RMY O F THE REPUBLIC, No. 1202 CHESTNUT S T., PHILADELPHSIeAp, t. 5, 1883. GEN. JAS. R. CARNAHAN, Indianafolis, Ind...