Alan J. Pitts
Two concurrent records, two different men....
Tue Apr 24 23:39:34 2001


It's interesting that Hayes' suppositions about the Abner Knight from Calhoun County are correct. This man enlisted in Elbert C. Leech's "Luxapalila Guards" at Liberty Hill (Fayette County), August 10, 1861. He's probably the same man to appear earlier on the rolls of the "Calhoun Guards" in nearby Pickens County. As Tod mentioned, he transferred from Co. "K", 26th Alabama, to Co. "H", 11th Alabama on March 18, 1863, evidently at his own request.

As far as I'm concerned, the kicker happens to be that when this man went home on furlough in 1864, he went to Oxford, Ala., which was in Calhoun County. Even without looking at the census, I've no doubt that this is the man on the 1860 census of Calhoun. This Abner Knight returned to his Pickens County command and served until the surrender.

The same is true of the man who enlisted in the 43rd Alabama, so they can't be the same. I'd expect he was the other Abner Knight who appears on the 1860 census of Walker County.

Now, the real mystery is the one that Hayes posed for us: why did this man from Calhoun County join an A.V.C. company from across the state? Other questions are, why did he join the "Luxapalila Guards"? I'd guess there were family ties, and that's just the kind of question I'd expect Hayes to be able to answer about Pickens County!

Good luck!