Alan J. Pitts
Re: Theories
Mon Jul 16 13:40:22 2001


The Florida company was the "Howell Guards" from Tallahassee; the Virginia company didn't have a name, as far as I know. Even if one of these short-term companies had gone into service under the name "Dragoons", I don't understand how that designation would apply to the rest of the command. I'm unaware of any wartime precident for such a practice.

With regard to the other theory, does anyone know of a 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Alabama Dragoons? For that matter, a numbered dragoon command from any state, north or south? Without confirmation from another source, we could speculate ad infinitum without a satifactory answer. The name just sounds spurious.

In the past my sister-in-law could've care less about Civil War memorabilia. However, she has recently learned that war-related artifacts and documents can command respectable prices as a result of on-line auctions. So when she visited last week, I was asked about making money buying and selling such items. I could have mentioned an item relating to the 5th Alabama Dragoons to her and she would have accepted that as readily as something from Van de Graaf's 5th Battalion or any other 5th, for that matter.

Of course my point is that is she's interested, others whose primary interest is money must be involved in marketing these items. I'm sure Hayes is well aware of this phenominon. I'd want independent confirmed documentary evidence before giving this item any credence.