Steve. I meant to reply to your message sooner but my computer has been acting up and I couldn't get on the internet. I will look forward to learning of your visit to the Biggs grave yard. Also, look forward to learning of anything you may find further about tapley in your visits to the court house in Monroe CO. I really believe Tapley died in Pensacola on 11 Jan., 1862 as reported in his service record. I think he applied to buy the land in 1861 and for whatever reason the deal didn't go through with the federal Government(what I saw on line on Bureau of Land management website) until 1896. I am going to try and determine why there was a 35 year gap before the land transaction was finalized. I have gathered from census records that Tapley's wife and children went back to Georgia to live as they were in the 1870 and 1880 census for Marion CO., Ga.
Thanks for all your help.
Rick Hendricks