Hi Alan -

I am just figuring out how to work the message board. I printed your response and will go through it point by point. I do have quite a few records that I have pulled off line. I also have some documents from his personal papers that I have some questions about.

Thank you for the references I see a summer trip back to the Archives is in order.

Prisoner of war:
What is the difference between 'paroled" and "prisoner of war"? Why would they be filed together? Were all soldiers considered 'prisoners' at the surrender?

I have many of the documents you refer to. This is the time line I have so far:
Side note:
General Hagan and James were in the Mexican War together. He was actually 38 not 33 having been born in 1823. James attended the University of Alabama in the early 1840s.

1861:
Somewhere in my pile of papers Colin McRae, his business partner, refers to James' progress organizing a cavalry company in 1861.

1862:
Head Quarters Dist. of Ala.
January 2nd, 1862

Extra Special Order:
Captain James Boykin commanding company of Ala. Mounted Volunteers will proceed to Dog River to report to Major Hollingquish? Quarter Master will furnish transportation. By order of Brig. Genl' Withers? The names D??? and Capt. A.A. Gint? are also on the document

1863:
Colin McRae leaves for Europe in October of 1863.
I have a letter in James' hand to General Samuel Cooper that says "I have the honor of applying for the appointment of Major of Cavalry in this department" dated November 30, 1863, Mobile.

1864:
April 19, 1864, Mobile - John McRae asks for an appointment for Captain James Boykin AND to be assigned to Mobile. He does say he is a volunteer aid and has been conscribed (drafted)

Certificate for Leave of Absence
Hospital Examining Board Mobile August 24, 1864 Capt. James Boykin assigned to duty with Capt. Wiggins... The rest describes his injury.

Do you know anything about Dog River where he is ordered to go in 1862?
How do you know he resigned his commission? What is your source? Does your source say why? The Alabama Archives says he is shown on the muster roles to Dec. 31, 1861. This is just a few days before the order to Dog River on Jan. 2, 1862. Do you think the order is telling James alone to go to Dog River or James and the whole company? Have you ever heard of Major Holinquish or Brig. Genl. Withers? (Please note it is hard to read the script on some of these names.)

If he had been part of an independent cavalry group that joined the 3rd Alabama when they were organized at Tupelo there would be a record of that wouldn't there? It should tell who was in the original company. He may very well have been the Captain in name only but I would like to find proof one way or another. This is why I keep asking for the source to the resignation of commission date. The Alabama Archives lists more than one James Boykin. In one of my searches I found a story that Boykin's Company was renamed Lenoir's in honor of Lenoir who died at Resacae. The company did see quite a bit of action I just don't think James was with them because Hagan states he was "promoted" to staff. Finding the date that he left is important because it will help me figure out where to look for him in the missing period of January 3, 1862 to August 23, 1864.

Lastly - if he was conscribed by April of 1864 then when was he conscribed? How would I find this out? How would I find out where and to what rank or position was he conscribed too?

I suspect he was active in the commission merchant business Colin McRae and he operated during a good bit of the war and that would explain the voluntary aid de camp you mentioned.

Thank you so much for your help.

Helen