Hi Ernie:

You didn't give us the date of William Martin Smith's Oath of Allegiance which would be important to searching for his Compiled Military Service Records. Confederate facilities in Macon, Georgia were covered by the Johnston/Sherman surrender agreement dated April 26, 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina. The men present for duty anywhere within the bounds of Johnston's command were covered by this agreement and released on parole to go home. They were not required to take the Oath.

William Martin Smith could have been in Macon "in the summer of 1865" for any number of reasons, and decided to report into the local Provost Marshal's office and take the Amnesty Oath. Other than a standard post-war occupation military jail, there was no Union prison at Macon for WMS to be "released upon taking the Oath" from. His status prior to going into the PM's office and taking the Oath would have been that of a "paroled prisoner of war" en route home, or anywhere he chose to go. Macon hosted a rear area hospital for the Army of Tennessee defending Atlanta, and was on a semi- operational railroad route between Mobile and North Carolina after the war ended in 1865.

I did a quick check of the National Park Service's Index to the Compiled Military Service Records this morning and found a "William M. SMITH" enrolled in Company F, 11th Texas Cavalry which was part of the Army of Tennessee at the end of the war. I also found a "William M. SMITH" who was enrolled in Lenoir's Independent Company, Alabama Cavalry. I found 5 men named "W. M. SMITH" in Texas cavalry service - 1 each in the 9th and the 10th Texas Cavalry. All of these Texas and Alabama units were involved with the AoT in the last year of the war. I did not find "22nd Dragoon Cavalry" listed but did find a short history of the 22nd Alabama Cavalry.

Hopefully you have some more specific details about William M. SMITH that might help answer your query.

Hugh Simmons
Fort Delaware Society