Original Civil War General Order-Ordering release of Citizens held by Rebel Forces-Rare!

Original Civil War Document

Civil War General Order No. 46 – Release of Civilians from Parole (March 21, 1865)

Issued by: War Department, Adjutant General’s Office, Washington, D.C.

Signed by: E.D. Townsend, Assistant Adjutant General

Description:

This original printed General Orders No. 46, dated March 21, 1865, was issued just weeks before the official end of the American Civil War. It announces the release of all civilians held as prisoners under parole by the rebel authorities, declaring them “released from such parole” if delivered to Union authorities before March 15, 1865. The document is signed in print by Edward D. Townsend, Assistant Adjutant General, who served under Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton and worked closely with Generals Grant and Sherman during the closing operations of the war.

Historical Importance:

This order represents one of the final administrative acts of the War Department as the Confederacy collapsed. Issued only a few weeks before Lee’s surrender at Appomattox (April 9, 1865), it reflects the Union’s transition from wartime to reconstruction, focusing on civil reintegration and the release of those held under Confederate parole. Documents like this illustrate the federal government’s rapid move toward normalization after years of division and imprisonment on both sides.