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September 8, 2021. Update on what became of Lt. Col. Samuel Jones:

I went on Fold3.com and pulled up the records on Lt. Col. Jones. Jones mustered into State service on July 19, 1861, and mustered into Confederate service on August 25, 1861, with the rank of Captain. When he joined the Confederate Army, he was the Captain of the Allen Guards in Louisiana, which at the time was unattached from any of the Confederate regiments. It soon became the 23rd Louisiana Infantry Regiment and Jones was the Captain of Company A. The following was found at the bottom of Jones’ Sept. & Oct. 1862 Company Muster Roll:

“This company was successively designated as Captain Herrick’s Company, Louisiana Volunteers; (Old) Company E, First Company and (new) Company A, 23d Regiment Louisiana Infantry (Jones’ regiment and the former Allen Guards), and Company A, 22d Regiment Lousiana Infantry.

The regiment was organized as the 23d Regiment Louisiana Infantry in January 1862. Companies A, B, C and D having served prior to that date as the Orleans Battalion Louisiana Artillery and other companies as independent organizations. Upon the evacuation of New Orleans, and the forts adjacent thereto (Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip), one company was captured and six practically disbanded on account of the men refusing to serve outside the State. Remnants of the other companies reached Vicksburg, Miss., and were temporarily attached to the 1st Regiment Louisiana Heavy Artillery. Subsequently the regiment was partially reorganized with five companies which were lettered A to E. The designation was changed in 1863 to the 22d Regiment Louisiana Infantry and it was consolidated with the 3d, 27th, 21st, Patton’s 26th, 27th, 28th (Thomas’) and 31st Regiments Louisiana Infantry by S.O. No. 16, Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana dated January 16, 1864, to form one regiment which was designated the 22d Regiment (Consolidated) Louisiana Infantry by S.O. No. 34, Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana, dated February 3, 1864.”

On November 8, 1861, Captain Jones and Company A of the Allen Guards arrived at Fort Jackson, Louisana. Fort Jackson was situated on the west side of the Mississippi River, out in the delta where the Mississippi River emptied into the Gulf of Mexico.

Directly across the river was Fort St. Philip.

Both forts still exist.

On April 28, 1862, Jones appeared on a list of paroled officers taken at Fort Jackson and St. Philip. The endorsement shows “Exchanged at Aiken’s, Aug. 13, 1862.” This was the first time that Jones was paroled and exchanged. On May 25, 1862, the 23rd Louisiana Infantry Regiment was reorganized and designated as the 22nd Louisiana Infantry Regiment.

In December of 1862, Jones appeared at Fort Still near Vicksburg, Mississippi.

On May 2, 1863, Jones was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

On July 4, 1863, Jones and his 22nd Louisiana Regiment were captured during the capitulation of Vicksburg, Mississippi. On July 8, 1863, Jones signed an Oath of Parole. This was the second time he was paroled. Note that even though he was promoted to Lt. Col. on May 2nd, the Oath of Parole showed Jones represented himself as a Captain, rather than a Lieutenant Colonel, and that he was in command of the 23rd Louisiana, rather than the 22nd Louisiana. This mistake ended any further chances of promotion, and losing any chances at promotion, Jones became bitter and began to drink heavily. He would later take his bitterness out on the prisoners in Cahaba Prison.

On October 19, 1863, Jones appeared on a list from the 22nd Louisiana to the Headquarters Heavy Artillery Brigade for exchange.

In November 1863, Jones appeared on the 22nd Louisiana’s roster in Enterprise, Mississippi.

On February 27, 1864, Jones was summoned to the Military Court of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and Eastern Louisiana. See the following:

On October 12, 1864, Jones appeared on a report of “all Staff Officers and persons serving as such at the post of Cahaba, Ala. in the capacity serving as Commandant Post. Assignment date July 28, 1864.” Signed by General Maury. How he became Commandant of Cahaba Prison is a mystery. Brig. General John H. Winder, who was in command of military prisons in Alabama and Georgia, complained to Richmond that he had not requested Jones to Cahaba, nor did he want him there. The Inspector General’s office agree with Winder, and was against a divided command at Cahaba. No orders, assigning Jones as Commandant of Cahaba, were ever found.

Finally, on May 17, 1865, at Meridian, Mississippi, Lt. Col. Jones signed a Parole of Honor (22nd LA Regiment). Signed by Brig. Gen. W.R. Marshall, U.S. Volunteers and Provost Marshal General on May 30, 1865, at Selma, Alabama. This is the third and last time Jones signed a Parole of Honor. This very fact shows how dishonorable a man Jones was.

So, all of this proves that Lt. Col. Samuel Jones did surrender after the war ended, but it still does not answer what became of him after that. In one document he stated that he wanted to return to his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, but I can find no record of him since his surrender. I doubt that I will ever find out what became of Samuel Jones, his wife and child.