Later, when the Mississippi Governor, Charles Clark and Isham Harris (exiled Governor of Tennessee) approached him to discuss joining un-surrendered Confederates in Texas (West of the Mississippi River), Forrest interrupted,
On May 4th 1865, while in camp at General Forrest’s headquarters at Citronelle, AL., the 9th Tennessee Cavalry regiment would surrender. A message sent from Major-General E.R.S. Canby to Major General C.C. Washburn confirmed the surrender.
His was the last group of men to surrender East of the Mississippi River.
General Forrest made a farewell speech that was quite memorable.
On May 3, just prior to the surrender and parole, Biffle's Regiment reported 22 officers, 281 men present; 257 effectives; aggregate present and absent 508.
John was still a 5th Sgt., but was now in Company G.
The conditions for the surrender were based on the same conditions that were presented by General Grant and accepted by General Lee on April 9, 1865 at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
On May 10th, they would be escorted to Gainesville, AL where John would surrender and take the oath of allegiance and start his journey back home to Dyersburg, TN.
The War Was Over!
"…. that he had a tough time deciding if he should continue the fight in Mexico or give up."