While Captain, Company D, 59th Tennessee Infantry, he was detailed from Vicksburg, Miss., back to East Tennessee for six weeks for the purpose of recruiting and rounding up stragglers. By the time his six week assignment came to an end, the Confederate troops at Vicksburg were locked in behind the siege lines, and he could not rejoin the regiment.

I would assume that by the time his regiment had been paroled and returned back to parole camps, he may have been at home behind the lines of the occupying Federal troops.

Either he was caught by the Yankees, or turned himself in, he came into custody of the Federal Provost Marshall, and subsequently was induced to take the oath of allegiance to the US.

The 59th Tennessee was an Infantry regiment which was mounted in November, 1863, subsequently serving as a Cavalry regiment in BGen. J. C. Vaughn's cavalry brigade.

....

Reuben Giles, age 26, Captain, Capt. Ruben Giles Company*, joined for duty and enrolled January 10, 1862 at Knoxville by Col. J. W. Gillespie for 12 months, on recruiting service** at home in East Tennessee from April 2, 1863, recorded as a rebel deserter and released by the Provost Marshall General of East Tennessee, on taking the oath of allegiance to the United States February 2, 1864, no further records

* This company subsequently became Company, 59th Tennessee Infantry.

M268: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee

** Most likely he received orders, while at Vicksburg, Miss. " .. . to proceed to East Tennessee for the purpose of obtaining recruits and securing conscripts and apprehending all stragglers, for said regiment or any regiment in this command and report to his command within six weeks."

Similar orders were issued in response to a circular order from Gen. S. Cooper in Richmond which LGen. Pemberton ordered MGen. C. L. Stevenson to send back to Tennessee no more than 5 officers and/or non-commissioned officers per regiment, for a period up to six weeks for the purpose of collecting and returning to their regiments stragglers (NA Endorsements on letters received Dept. of Mississippi & East Louisiana 1862-1863)

.........

Also in Company D was Pvt. Guilford Giles [age 19, captured at Vicksburg 7/4/63], in Company C were Daniel N. Giles [captured at Piedmont, Va. June 5, 1864], James R. Giles [captured at Vicksburg], and William H. Giles [captured at Piedmont, Va. 30, 1862, subsequently released on sick furlough, no record of ever returning to regiment]

D. N. Giles, Sullivan County, 59th Tenn., filed Tenn. Confederate pension application S4442

Rufus Giles, Monroe County, 59th Tenn., filed application S10950

Dollie Giles, Monroe County, widow of Reuben Giles, filed for Confederate pension, application #W2190

Margaret Elln Giles, Carter County, widow of William Harrison Giles, filed pension application W5786