You asked about the following --

"John M. Powers, Co. Unit Name: Franklin Blues, was recently added to the Alabama Civil War Service Database.
Remarks: Commissioned 1st Lieutenant Dec. 26, 1860. Authority: General Officers in Confederate Service
from Alabama, Franklin Co., SGO17701. [I do not know what this means or how to find out.]"

ADAH uses codes to identify documents and other artifacts in their possession. If you visited Montgomery and asked to see this document, you would need the title and SG number on your request. In this case the code is SG 17701.

Having reviewed this document and many others like it, this is a letter from Governor A B Moore to the Secretary of State directing him to issue a commission to John M Powers as 1st Lieutenant of the Franklin Blues. The company captain, A M Barclay, and other officers are listed in this document.

Note that both Anderson M Barclay and John M Powers do not appear on Confederate rolls. The "Franklin Blues" (AKA Tuscumbia Blues) was an AVC company raised under Alabama law of Feb 24, 1860 for defense against an abolitionist attack like the one on Harpers Ferry in October 1859. when Alabama seceded, more than 100 of these companies existed across the state. They had been trained, armed, equipped and uniformed long before actual hostilites began. Governor Moore purchased modern arms for AVC members, so these were not typical militiamen who had to reply on personal resources for weaponry.

These companies normally included the best members of the community. Barclay as a physician and Powers as a telegraph operator belonged to protected professional groups not required for military service. Many AVC officers and enlisted men never enrolled in Confederate service.