Coordinating the Surrender of Cross' Company, Forrest's Scouts

Item CON-5749

Description

Five (5) original civil war documents, War dated, 4 in period ink and 1 in period pencil. All documents are dealing with coordinating the surrender of Confederate captain Alexander H. Cross' Company, Forrest's Scouts to elements of the Union Army.

Each document is transcribed below:

Doc #1

(U. S. Military Telegraph)
Headquarters Department of Cumberland
Nashville, Tenn, May 2, 1865

Col Charles R. Thompson,
Send a summons under flag of truce to all and every band of armed men in your vicinity on which you may know of, who are operating nearer to yours than any other command and call upon them to surrender to you or to any officer you may designate for that purpose upon the same terms that Lee surrendered to General Grant. If they disregard your summons, and continue as of past, they will hereafter be considered as outlaws, and be proceeded against, pursued and whenever captured treated as outlaws.

(Signed) George H. Thomas
Major General Commanding

A true copy. Respectfully forwarded to Lieutenant Colonel Henry Stone, Commanding 100th U.S.C. Infantry, who will cause the above instructions to be complied with in his vicinity.

By Command of Brevet Brigadier General Thompson
(Signed) John D. Reilly
A.A.A.G.

True Copy
Henry Stone
LtCol 100th USCT


Doc #2

Headquarters Department of Cumberland
Nashville, May 2, 1865

Col Charles R. Thompson,
Send a summons under flag of truce to all and every band of armed men in your vicinity on which you may know of, who are operating nearer to yours than any other command and call upon them to surrender to you or to any officer you may designate for that purpose upon the same terms that Lee surrendered to General Grant. If they disregard your summons, and continue as of past, they will hereafter be considered as outlaws, and be proceeded against, pursued and whenever captured treated as outlaws.

(Signed) George H. Thomas
Major General Commanding

A true copy. Respectfully forwarded to Major A. J. Finch, Commanding 12th U.S.C.T., who will execute the above order of Major General Thomas in his vicinity.

By Command of Brevet Brigadier General Thompson
(Signed) John D. Reilly
A.A.A.G.


Headquarters 12th USCT
Kingston Springs, Tenn
May 6, 1865

Respectfully referred to Captain George M. Everett, who will see that the within order is duly executed.

A.J. Finch
Major Commanding Regiment

Doc #3

Vernon [TN]
May 6, 1865

Gentlemen,
In obedience to instructions from Department Headquarters to Brevet Brigadier General C. R. Thompson Commanding 3rd Sub. District of Middle Tennessee, I summon you to surrender or to be forever hereafter proclaimed as outlaws. You will be allowed the same terms given by General Grant to General Lee vis. To be paroled, not to take up arms against the US Government, until exchanged as prisoners of war. You will be allowed to return to your homes unmolested so long as you respect your parole.
I will give you the following terms of surrender.
You surrender yourselves and arms to me. I will give you a written certificate of such surrender. Which you will present in personal your earliest opportunity to the Provost Marshal at Kingston Springs, Tenn., who will administer the usual parole. I have explained to Mr. Sallerfield the terms in reference to horses employed by you as armed men. I would further state that the order from General Thomas extends to all armed men where so ever they may belong. Hoping you may take this matter seriously into consideration. That you will do all in your power to resolve peace and good fellowship in this state.

I am gentlemen
Very Respectfully
Your Obedient Servant
George M. Everett
Captain 12th USC Infantry

Doc #4
Near Vernon
May 10, 1865

Captain A. H. Cross
Commanding Cross Scouts
Harvey’s Battalion, Forrest’s Scouts

Captain,
I have just received yours of this date. As I had secured orders on the 3rd inst. To send a summons of surrender to any armed bands of men near my command, I took it for granted that it included your forces. I am not particular as to the officer to whom the surrender is made and am desirous of having a final cessation of hostilities as speedily as possible. I was not aware that Mr. Brooks had any authority in the case, until the receipt of your note, nor have I yet seen any. But as I am willing and even glad, to avail myself of any means which promises to give peace to the citizens of this region and help in the restoration of civil law, I do not care to avail myself of that technical point. In order therefore to bring the matter to a definite conclusion and understanding, I have communicated with general Thomas and expect his answer tomorrow. Meantime, in accordance with your suggestion, I shall enter into no acts of hostility, unless compelled to do so by your command and of which of course I shall give you due notice.
As Mr. Brooks states that you do not consider that you have received any communications from me, I wish it understood that my letter of the 3rd addressed to Major McNairy, is equally intended for you. It was addressed to him because he claims the rank of major and I differ to him the chief in command of this region.
I will also add that there is a verbal error caused in transmission of the orders by telegraph, which does not exist in the provided order as shown in the paper in possession of Mr. Brooks the printed order is correct.

I am
Henry Stone
LtCol Commanding
P.S. I deem it proper to state that Captain Everett is here and under as understanding that he was to meet you today for this final settlement of the matter.
H. S.

Doc #5

Headquarters, Cross’ Company
Harvey’s Bill Forrest’s Scouts

3 o’clock
May 11th 1865

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Stone
Commanding

Colonel,

I receive a communication from you a few moments since in which you state that you expected to receive communication from me this morning and as you have received none, you suppose judging from your remarks, that there must be some confusion of ideas.

By deference to my communication of the 10th, you will see that I stated to you that I had made arrangements with other forces or rather authorities of the federal army for the surrender of my command in consequence of which it was my intention, as expressed in the communication above referred to, to inform you as well as Captain Everett that any further negotiation in regard to the surrender of my men and the flags of truce represented by each of you respectively, were unnecessary. The same move especially so. Although I did not express the same in my communication of the 10th, as I have received terms of surrender from forces other than yourselves, to which I hold myself bound under arrangements and agreements prior to the summons sent me by you. I also suggested to you in my communication of the 10th that the present status of affairs, that is a cessation of hostilities, until the matter between Colonel Parkhurst and myself is settled, should continue. In answer to which I quote the following from your communication of yesterday as a response on your part – viz “In accordance with your suggestion I shall enter into no acts of hostility unless compelled, etc.” This I conclude settles the question of hostilities until Tuesday the 16th inst.

I understood you also in your communication of yesterday to express yourself as not only satisfied with the arrangements made by me as explained to you but glad that such was the case. For you say in your note of yesterday, “But as I am willing and am glad to avail myself of any means which promises to give peace to the citizens of this region and help in the restoration of civil law. I do not care to avail myself of that technical point.

Consequently, Colonel, I will respectfully suggest that inasmuch as my arrangements have been expressed to you, on your letter of the 10th must be admitted today, there cannot be and I must insist there is not any “confusion of ideas.”

I will take occasion to state that last evening my scouts bought me information to the effect that a surveying party of federal soldiers made their appearance in the country. They also reported that they had no flag of truce which of course must be the case since a surveying party have not a right to protect themselves in that way. It is only necessary Colonel for me to call your attention to this matter, that it may be attended to.

Answer to No. 2 from Lieutenant Colonel Stone – Date May 11th 1865