Summary:
Confederate Colonel W. P. Thompson writes the United States commander at Staunton
in April, 1865, to inquire about surrender terms.
OFFICER COMDG. U. S. FORCES AT STAUNTON:
April 30, 1865.
I send Capt. G. W. Silcott, acting assistant adjutant-general, with a flag of truce to ascertain upon what terms the U. S. authorities will accept the surrender of the troops under my command; and to that end I respectfully ask an interview, at such point as you may designate, to arrange the terms, or for me to decide whether they ought to be accepted or not. If they are not accepted. I am sure that the U. S. authorities will not attempt to interfere with myself or the troops under my command until they have at least five hours' notice of the disposition on the part of the U. S. forces to attempt mine and their capture; and I respectfully ask that such assurance be given me.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
W. P. THOMPSON,
Col. Nineteenth Virginia Cavalry, Cmdg.,
&c.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 46, Serial No. 95, Pages 1323, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
