General order, no. 54:
headquarters Department
Ala., Miss. And
E. La., meridian,
Miss., May 6, 1865.
I.
The surrender of
General Lee's army, on the 9th of April, and of
General Johnston, on the 26th of April, included all Confederate forces east of the
Mississippi, excepting the small army under my command, and virtually ended the war, so far as any
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promise of ultimate success east of the
Mississippi was concerned.
With the
Mississippi impassable for troops, it was impossible to withdraw towards the west and we could accomplish no good by prolonging a useless struggle here, against overwhelming numbers.
Once convinced of these facts, my duty, as Departmental
Commander, was to stop the further loss of life and devastation of States already impoverished by war; and, whilst still in my power to do so, make such terms for my troops as would preserve their honor, and best protect them and the people generally within my Department from the further ravages of war. That duty has been performed and the terms of surrender are appended.
All was conceded that I demanded.
I demanded all that was necessary or proper.
We preserve in the strictest sense what are technically known as ‘Military Honors.’
The troops will turn in their arms to their own ordnance officers.
They are to be paroled by commisioners selected for that purpose.
They are to be subjected to no humiliation or degradation.
Both officers and enlisted men are to retain their private horses.
Troops will preserve their present organizations, officers remaining with their commands, until paroled and sent home in a body.
They will have transportation and subsistence to their homes furnished at public expense.
The intelligent, comprehensive and candid bearing, pending negotiations, of
Major-General Canby, U. S. A., to whom I have surrendered, entitle him to our highest respect and confidence.
His liberality and fairness make it the duty of each and all of us to faithfully execute our part of the contract.
The honor of all of us is involved in an honest adherence to its terms.
The officer or man who fails to observe them is an enemy to the defenceless women and children of the
South, and will deserve the severest penalties that can disgrace a soldier.
Ii.
Memorandum of the conditions of the surrender of the forces, munitions of war, etc., in the Department of
Alabama,
Mississippi and
East Louisiana, commanded by
Lieutenant-General Richard Taylor,
Confederate States Army, to
Major-General Edward R. S. Canby, United States Army, entered into on this 4th day of May, 1865, at
Citronelle, Alabama:
1. The officers and men to be paroled until duly exchanged or otherwise released from the obligations of their parole by the authority of the
Government of the
United States.
Duplicate rolls of all officers and men surrendered to be made, one copy of which will be delivered to the officer appointed by
Major-General Canby
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and the other retained by the officer appointed by
Lieutenant-General Taylor; officers giving their individual paroles, and commanders of regiments, batteries, companies or detachments, signing a like parole for the men of their respective commands.
2. Artillery, small arms, ammunition and other property of the Confederate government to be turned over to the officers appointed for that purpose on the part of the government of the
United States.
Duplicate inventories of the property surrendered to be prepared—one copy to be retained by the officer delivering and the other by the officer receiving it—for the information of their respective commanders.
3. The officers and men paroled under this agreement will be allowed to return to their homes with the assurance that they will not be disturbed by the authorities of the
United States, so long as they continue to observe the conditions of their parole and the laws in force where they reside, except that persons resident of Northern States will not be allowed to return without permission.
4. The surrender of property will not include the side-arms or private horses or baggage of officers.
5. All horses which are in good faith the private property of enlisted men will not be taken from them, the men will be permitted to take such with them to their homes to be used for private purposes only.
6. The time and place of the surrender will be fixed by the respective commanders, and will be carried out by commissioners appointed by them.
7. The terms and conditions of the surrender to apply to the officers and men belonging to the armies lately commanded by
Generals Lee and
Johnston, now in this Department.
8. Transportation and subsistence to be furnished at public cost, for the officers and men after surrender, to the nearest practicable point to their homes.
Iii.
To settle all doubt or difficulty hereafter as to the meaning of the term ‘Northern States’ in paragraph 3.
Major-General Canby has applied to the War Department at
Washington for full instructions.
Until he receives an answer,
Major-General Canby agrees
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that all officers and men whose positions may depend on the construction placed on said paragraph shall remain together at any point within his department they may select, and be there provisioned and cared for at public expense.
IV.
In negotiating with
Major-General Canby for terms for my troops, I called his attention to the necessities of the people of the States and parts of States commanded by me. He will be found liberal and just—animated by an honest desire to do all in his power to prevent unnecessary hardship and suffering.
My advice, therefore, to all is to yield to the circumstances which surround them, and to honestly and faithfully perform those duties as citizens upon which must depend their future prosperity and happiness.
