Mike --

We do share an interest in what actually happened at the war's end. Many people seem to lose interest in the story as it comes to an end. Yet how it ended has much to do with the way the entire Southern war effort was remembered. Most Confederate officers agreed with all Federal commanders that the troops must be paroled individually, as they always had been. The final solution allowed Confederates who surrendered to be treated honorably and allowed to return home in peace rather than hunted down and imprisoned like outlaws. Documents were called “Paroles of honor” for good reason.

If your ancestor has a parole dated May 3, 1865, it strongly indicates that he was with his command at the end. For example, here's a paragraph from the biography of General Johnston by Gilbert Govan and James Livingwood entitled, A Different Valor: Joseph E. Johnston, page 375:

The General and his staff signed their paroles on May 2, but it took another day to accomplish the task of paroling the whole army. As part of the effort to keep the men together for the march home, the officers held the individual papers for distribution at the place of actual disbandment. On May 3, 1865, the Army of Tennessee started its last march and its commander, reluctant to bid his comrades farewell until the last moment, went with them to Salisbury, where the army separated into three columns to go in different directions.

Of the end, Samuel H. Sprott writes (Cush: A Civil War Memoir) on page 140 that the men of his consolidated brigade under General Pettus had been dispatched to Salisbury to meet a cavalry raid, arriving in time to save the bridge over the Yadkin River. Sprott says that on May 4th, 1865, "paroles were issued to Pettus' Brigade, and on the next day they took up their sacks and wearily journeyed homeward."

For the moment time and space forbid me a longer explanation of conditions at the end of the war. In early May of 1865 many leaders were still arguing for continued resistance. General Forrest replied, "Any man who is in favor of a further prosecution of this war is a fit subject for a lunatic asylum, and ought to be sent there immediately."

James Dinkins was one of Forrest's men. He writes

We remained at Gainesville until May the 9th, when the commissioner appointed by the United States Government (Gen. E. S. Dennis) arrived, and began to parole our men. While we waited, the men became very restless, and were anxious to get home.

Homer L. Kerr’s book, Fighting With Ross’ Texas Cavalry Brigade, C.S.A. describes paroles being signed by officers and men at Jackson, Miss., May 13 and 15, 1865.

General Forrest provides the best explanation in his address to men of his command at Gainesville, Ala., dated May 9, 1865:

As your commander, I sincerely hope that every officer and soldier of my command will cheerfully obey the orders given, and carry out in good faith the terms of the cartel. Those who neglect the terms and refuse to be paroled, may assuredly expect, when arrested, to be sent North and imprisoned.

Let those who are absent from their commands, for whatever cause, report at once to this place, or to Jackson, Miss.; or if too remote from either, to the nearest United States post or garrison for parole.

Phil Gottschalk's fine history of Confederates from Missouri (In Deadly Earnest: The Missouri Brigade) describes the individual paroles signed at the surrender in some detail. This paragraph appears on page 528:

The realization that their four years of fighting and sacrifice ended with total defeat produced strong feelings of despair, bitterness and pain as Corporal William Kavanaugh recalled May 13 as "one of the saddest days I ever experienced....All day long on this eventful day could be seen our boys bidding each other goodbye."

You should understand what happened to your ancestor's battalion in a similar way. I will reply with footnotes from the Johnston biography if you don't have access to this book. I can also locate other accounts by members of the Army of Tennessee.