Head Quarters Nat: May 18^th

Sub District of Western La

 

General:          [pencil note: as soon as you are well informed that preparations the event of are made for an advance into]

                        Immediately on receipt of the this you will proceed by land or water to with Flag of Truce to the enemy's lines & communicate at as early a moment as practicable with the officer in command of the off enemys forces below. It is my purpose to surrender to the enemy the troops & all public property in the District if this can be done consistently with the honor of the Confederate States.

 

It is impossible for me to give you any definite asu information as to the amount of the public property within the District. It is believed that the quantity of cotton belonging to the Confederate States is very large, but I have no means of ascertaining, or even approximating to the number of bales.

 

You in In the instructions which I propose to give much must be left to your discretion & the highest confidence is felt by me both for in the soundess of your judgment & your tried honor & devotion to the Country.

 

You will make the terms of surrender of Lieut Genl R. Tyler the basis of your negociations & strive hard to obtain the same terms for the officers & men of their commands. You fully understand the difficulties which the troops here will experience in reaching their respective homes, particularly those who belong to Texas & the south western part / of this state. It will be impossible for the United States to furnish these with transportation & hence the propriety of leaving to such of the men as own horses the privilege of retaining them. I fear very much that our supplies will be exhausted before the surrender can be made: you will therefore take care to provide for the distribution of rations among by the U.S. among them to last them a sufficient length of time while they may be on their travel home

 

            Every effort will be made to secure the cotton in this District belonging to the Confederate States & turn it over to the U.S. You will be cautious, however, not to bind me to any thing impracticable in respect to it. If you can get the en induce the enemy to allow us to retain sufficient cotton to pay the rank & file a few dollars in specie it would be very desirable. And if this cannot be done, as is probable, you will endeavor to allo obtain permission to retain enough to purchase food for a short time, for the peoples whole condition will very soon approximate to starvation.

 

I will Your may promise for me not only to discourage any attempt at farther resistance—but that no effort on my part will be spared to withdraw from Texas the Louisiana troops who happen to be there & of my ability to do so, I do not entertain any doubt & to include them in the surrender.

 

If possilbe you will obtain such quarantees as / you can for the [?] safety of the civil officers of the State & Confederate Government.

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