On the 4th day of May, General Dick Taylor surrendered to General Canby all the remaining rebel forces east of the Mississippi.
A force sufficient to insure an easy triumph over the enemy under Kirby Smith, west of the Mississippi, was at once put in motion for Texas, and Major-General Sheridan designated for its immediate command; but on the 26th day of May, and before they reached their destination, General Kirby Smith surrendered his entire command to Major-General Canby. This surrender did not take place, however, until after the capture of the rebel President and Vice-President; and not till after General Smith had disbanded a large portion of his army, and permitted an indiscriminate plunder of public property.
Owing to the fact that many of those lately in arms against the government had taken refuge upon the soil of Mexico, carrying with them arms rightfully belonging to the United States, which had been surrendered by agreement to the Federal commanders, General Grant deemed it essential that a large army should be maintained in Texas. The unsettled state of the Mexican country on the Rio Grande at that time, also rendered this course necessary. Many of the leaders in the late rebel armies, who had surrendered and given their parole, had also taken refuge in Mexican territory, feeling distrustful of their personal safety at the hands of the Federal authorities.
CAPTURE OF MOBILE AND THE REBEL FLEET.
April 12-May 4, 1865.
When Vice-Admiral Farragut left the West Gulf squadron in the autumn of 1864, the command devolved on Commodore James S. Palmer, senior officer on the station. That officer continued operations until the arrival of Admiral Farragut’s successor, Acting-Rear-Admiral Thatcher. The resumption of offensive operations against the city of Mobile, under the direction of Major-General Canby, was not determined upon until early in January, when Acting-Rear-Admiral Thatcher was ordered to proceed immediately to New Orleans, in order to cooperate with the military commander.
The force placed under Acting-Rear-Admiral Thatcher was increased by light-draught iron-clads detached from the Mississippi squadron for service in Mobile Bay. A joint movement by land and water was arranged and carried into execution. Indications that the rebels were about to evacuate the city led to a naval reconnoissance in force, to ascertain the facts, on the 11th of March, with five monitors, in as close proximity as the shallow water and obstructions would permit. This movement drew from the insurgents such a fire as to place beyond doubt that those defences were still intact.
The principal defence of Mobile was Spanish Fort, an irregular bastioned work of very ancient structure, connected with fortifications five miles in length commencing at D’Olive’s creek, and running to Minetta bay. Beyond Spanish Fort, to the left, on the opposite shore of Minetta bay, is Fort Alexis, mounting heavy guns. Forts Huger, Bradley, Tracy, Battery Gladden, Spanish River battery, Blakely, and other rebel defences frowned defiantly on the Federal army from the land side.
From September, 1864, to March, 1865, important movements of the armies of the Nation in distant States deterred the Government from sending a sufficient military force for the reduction of Mobile, which was garrisoned during that time by about fifteen thousand troops under General Maury.