Alan J. Pitts
That exact name....
Thu Mar 8 21:49:18 2001


That spelling appears on the service record index for a sergeant of Co. "A", 1st Arkansas Cav. Regt. There's also a sergeant of Co. "A", 1st (Colquitt's) Arkansas Inf. Regt. It's a rather unusual name (Loamie), and I'd bet (1) that both these entries refer to the same man, and (2) this man is related to the individual you've asked about, if he's not the same person. It's not too uncommon to find parts of a service record misfiled, and you have to review both entries to determine which one is correct. Perhaps Bryan Howerton, our Arkansas expert, can help with this problem.

Earlier this week Hayes Lowe suggested that Alabamians may be found in Arkansas units. There are specific examples that have been mentioned recently, such as Thrall's Battery. A number of men from the First Alabama were assigned to the Appeal Battery after the main body of the regiment surrendered at Island Ten. There are instances of men who moved west just before the war and returned to Alabama to enlist. Others returned after the war. This may be one of those instances; I don't know the particulars where your ancestor lived.

I'm curious as to why you believed L. J. Perry was a member of the 1st Alabama Cavalry. I'm sure you didn't mean to say that he was born in 1858.

• L.J. Perry — Mary, Thu Mar 8 22:04