The Black Republican., 1865-05-20
AFPAIRS IN MISSISSIPPI.
OPENING or MOBILE AED OHIO EAIERoAIr
TEE suRREHDER OF LIT. GEN. TAYLOR.
MERIDIAN, MISS. Nav I1th. 1865.

MERIDIAN, Miss. May I1th, 1865
A special train left Mobile, Ala, on the
9th inst with Gen. Andrews. Provost Mar>
shal General Of the 1Eilita~y' sfVisieR Of the
West Mississippi, in order to meet the com
missioners Of Gen. Taylor. and parole the
late army Of the Confederate including
Gen. Forrest. The line of the Mobile and
| Ohio Railroad, does not afford very
pleasing aspect to the traveller. the conn-
try being poor beyond description. At
| Chronicle small number Of Federals,
| put there at the request Of the citi-
zens, were stationed. The train then
moved on into the late Confederacy,
and on all the roads we could see parties of
armed rebels coming in to deliver them
selves up, i'll most cases greeting MS with &
cheer. AT one point we saw whole COM
pany of cavalry, who saluted US with the
characteristic yell of the rebels% Meridian
is one hundred and forty miles from Mo-
bile, and is a small and hastily built
little town, very much resembling 3 mining
settlement Gen. Shermana army burnt
the original town something over n year
ago. The railroad is i'll running order to
Jackson, Miss. and Okolona. Very little
roads, and with little exertion Mobile can
be connected with Cairo, H., in a few weeks
| am told that only the bridges need repair
ing. The telegraph is in complete order, a
gap of only thirty-eight miles needing re-
pairs. The line Of communication would
then be complete. The newspapers at
GAINESVILLE and Meridian are stfll issuing
their 7x9 sheets, copy Of which send in
closed.
The Army
1t is impossible to state how many of the
rebel forces have surrendered [ am told
that few days ago il would have been diff
tlcult for Gen. Taylor to have collected five
thousand men. The terms of surrender
being the same offered to Gems. Lee and
Johnston; the blanks were printed from q
copy Of the same. The conscrpts and de-
serters are coming in from all di-
rections. The blanks have given out
again and again. Much to the disgust
OF the Confederate officers some fif-
teen to twenty thousand men will be
paroled at this place. Many have Vicks-
burg paroles, and have never rejoined their
commands since that campaign We brought
with us an escort of about one hundred
men, and one can easily imagf himself
prisoner of the Confederates. - p7tysique
the officers and mon are the finest ollection
of broad shouldered, gentlemenly men ]
ever saw. There appears to be an utter
lack Of discipline among thcm officers and
men mingling with each other.
The Omcers.
seem 10 have but one opinion, and that is
that the war is over, and that the best possi-
BILE thing for them to do is to return to their
homes and make as good citizens as thew
have soldiers. Gen. Forrest has in a speech
to his men, advised them to return to their
homes; that the war was over, and that he
would set them the example.
Rowing bands of deserters, who fire upon
both friend and foe, prowl about the coun-
try. The men are forming bands to defeat
them. The halter awaits them If caught bv
either Federal or Confederate.
The business of paroling and collecting
the quarternaster and ordnance stores viii
require some weeks before completion.
Bands Of paroled rebels are forming to 60 to
Mexico and Join the Liberal forces. Great
anxiety is felt among them in regard to the
policy ofthe u. S.GoYernment. They all seem
inclined TO be peaceable citizens, and hone
that all restrictions OH trade will be removed.
Many have nothing but their uniforms left
and are anxious to get the apparel of citi.
zens, which Gen. Bankss order declares
they must wear. Some explanation Of thsf
order should at once be made.
In great haste.