MANUAL FOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 287 



who have been tried will, prior to tlie promulgation of the 

 result, be designated as " awaiting result of trial " ; enlisted 

 men serving sentences of confinement not involving dishonor- 

 able discharge will be designated as " garrison prisoners." 

 Persons sentenced to dismissal or dishonorable discharge and 

 to terms of confinement at military posts or elsewhere will be 

 designated as "general prisoners." (A. R. 928.) 



244. The sentences of prisoners will be read to them ^ en 

 the order promulgating the same is received. The officer of 

 the guard, or the officer of the day if there be no officer of the 

 guard, will read them unless the commanding officer shall 

 direct otherwise. 



245. When the date for the commencement of a term of con- 

 finement imposed by sentence of a court-martial is not ex- 

 pressly fixed by sentence, the term of confinement begins on 

 the date of the order promulgating it. The sentence is con- 

 tinuous until the term expires, except when the person sen- 

 tenced is absent without authority. (A. R. 969.) 



246. When soldiers awaiting trial or the result of trial, or 

 undergoing sentence commit offenses for which they are tried, 

 the second sentence will be executed upon the expiration of 

 the first. 



247. Prisoners awaiting trial by, or undergoing sentence of, 

 a general court-martial and those confined for serious offenses 

 will be kept apart, when practicable, from those confined by 

 sentence of an inferior court or for minor offenses. Enlisted 

 men in confinement for minor offenses, or awaiting trial or the 

 result of trial for the same, will ordinarily be sent to work 

 under charge of unarmed overseers instead of armed sentinels 

 and will be required to attend drills unless the commanding 

 officer shall direct otherwise. 



248. Prisoners, other than general prisoners, will be fur- 

 nished with food from their respective companies or from the 

 organizations to which they may be temporarily attached. 



The food of prisoners will, when practicable, be sent to their 

 places of confinement, but post commanders may arrange to 

 send the prisoners, under proper guard, to their messes for 

 meals. 



When there is no special mess for general prisoners, they 

 will be attached for rations to companies. 



