This is how the Civil War ended for the Shibley brothers. The 22nd Regiment, of which Company G was a unit, was at Marshall, Texas, at the time of Lee’s surrender. Capt. Robert Miles was absent on leave, so 1st Lieutenant W. H. H. Shibley was in command of the Company. The troops stationed at Marshall were expected to surrender at Shreveport, La. Officers of the 22nd Regiment and another Northwest Arkansas regiment, the 34th Arkansas, commanded by Col. W. H. Brooks of Fayetteville, held a consultation, as most of the men lived in the same general part of the state. The 22nd’s men were mostly from Crawford County–from Van Buren and the numerous other villages, as well as a goodly number from the valleys and ridges of the Boston range of the Ozarks to the north. The men of the 34th Arkansas were from across the Boston range but distinctly of the Arkansas Ozarks–they were from Prairie Grove, Cane Hill, Fayetteville, farms on Cove Creek, Richland, from near Rhea’s Mill and other environs. The 35th’s men and the 22nd’s men had gotten pretty well acquainted, for their paths had been crossing often. The 34th had drilled, before the battle of Prairie Grove in December, 1862, down along the Arkansas River near Van Buren.

To go to Shreveport would require many miles of unnecessary travel, as they would have to go down the Red River to the Mississippi, up that river to the mouth of the Arkansas, and up that river to Little Rock. If the water was low, they would have to march overland to Van Buren.

When the proposition was made to the commanding officer that these two regiments be allowed to go to the Post at Fort Smith to surrender, he readily agreed, as that would relieve him of two regiments. The regiments left Marshall together and marched as a little army. The roads were rough and it took between 16 and 18 days to make the trip. Strict discipline was observed and nothing was molested enroute, this speaking well of the men and their officers.

When the two regiments were within a short distance of Fort Smith, they halted and pitched camp. They put out guards, as they felt that although they were at home, yet they were in the country of the enemy, and they wished to be prepared for any emergency. Several of the officers went into Fort Smith with a flag of truce, not knowing whether the commanding officer at the Post knew they were to report to him. Company G was represented by its First Lieutenant, W. H. H. Shibley. When all necessary arrangements for their surrender had been made, those with the flag of truce returned to camp and made their report. The regiments then broke camp and marched into Fort Smith, with their bands playing “Dixie” and their flags flying.

The men marched up, stacked their guns, and stepped back. Lieutenant Shibley was one of those selected to go to the headquarters of General Bussey, at what is now known as the “Old Commissary Building” at Fort Smith. They were received kindly. Lieutenant Shibley told the General that his men lived just across the Arkansas River in Crawford County, several of them in Van Buren, and that he would like to have a day’s rations and ferriage for the men, as they had no money with which to pay their passage across on the ferry.

Soon the men were drawn up in line in front of their guns, each one being searched for ammunition. The swords of the officers were taken but the sidearms buckled around their waists on the outside of their uniforms were allowed to be kept by the men. The soldiers were then paroled and told to return later and take the oath of allegiance.

W. H. H. Shibley brought Company G home, across the river, to Van Buren and took them to the Commissary department located at the foot of Main Street. Each man received one day’s rations. Those living in town were asked to give their portions over to those living out in the county so they would have sufficient to last until they reached their own firesides. Some dwelt on Lee’s Creek, some down at Dyer, some on Big Mulberry, some at Cedarville, some out in the Stevenson settlement, some at Figure Five, and others out in other neighborhoods.

The soldiers were not taken up Main Street, as the feeling at Van Buren was not as friendly as had been that at Fort Smith. Rather, they were taken up Webster Street, the one just south of Main, to a vacant lot at Webster and South Sixth streets. The Company was disbanded. The soldiers went home.

Years later, the Shibley brothers and A. J. Lockhart wrote down the names, from memory, of 138 of the original Company G of 150 boys. Many muster rolls had been lost and the years had a way of dimming their recollection, but here are the ones they remembered:

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