y Medical Directors upon their assignment to duty as
nurses within their Departments.

2. Assignments of "women nurses" to duty in General Hospitals will
only be made upon application by the Surgeons in charge, through
Medical Directors, to Miss Dix or her agents, for the number they
require, not exceeding one to every thirty beds.

3. No females, except Hospital Matrons, will be employed in General
Hospitals, or, after December 31, 1863, born upon the Muster and Pay
Rolls, without such certificates of approval and regular assignment,
unless specially appointed by the Surgeon-General.

4. Women nurses, while on duty in General Hospitals, are under the
exclusive control of the senior medical officer, who will direct
their several duties, and may be discharged by him when considered
supernumerary, or for incompetency, insubordination, or violation of
his orders. Such discharge, with the reasons therefor, being
endorsed upon the certificate, will be at once returned to Miss Dix.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

E. D. TOWNSEND,
_Assistant Adjutant-General_.

OFFICIAL:

By this Order the authority of Miss Dix was better defined, but she
continued to labor under the same difficulty which had from the first
clogged her efforts. Authority had been bestowed upon her, but not the
power to enforce obedience. There was no penalty for disobedience, and
persons disaffected, forgetful, or idle, might refuse or neglect to obey
with impunity. It will at once be seen that this fact must have resulted
disastrously upon her efforts. She doubtless had enemies (as who has
not)? and some were jealous of the power and prominence of her position,
while many might even feel unwilling, under any circumstances, to
acknowledge, and yield to the authority of a woman. Added to this she
had, in some cases, and probably without any fault on her part, failed
to secure the confidence and respect of the surgeons in charge of
hospitals. In these facts lay the sources of trials, discouragements,
and difficulties, all to be met, struggled with, and, if possible,
triumphed over by a woman, standing quite alone in a most responsible,
laborious, and exceptional position. It indeed seems most
wonderful--almost miraculous--that under such circumstances, such a vast
amount of good was accomplished. Had she not accomplished half so much,
she still would richly have deser