Mary -

Many of the early 1861 companies, including all of the companies that formed the 8th Alabama Regiment, organized as state militia first. The roll you saw may have been of a state militia company that later entered Confederate service. Some of the militiamen were not prepared to enroll in Confederate service and leave home, so they did not enlist.

Regimental records of the 8th Alabama are very complete, so if a man's name cannot be found, it's hard to believe he entered Confederate service, at least not in that regiment.

I see no record of any man named Patrick Ray in an Alabama Confederate unit. Also, I cannot find anyone named Patrick Ray living in Alabama on the 1860 census. Can you provide evidence that this man actually was an Alabama resident? If so, how old was he in 1860, and what was his occupation and citizenship? Where did he live before and after the war?

The Mobile County Probate Court Archives includes the following on microfilm:
Hall of Lee Benevolent Association Minute Book (1875-1881)
Hall of Lee Benevolent Association Ledger Book (1/1/1876-12/00/1882)
See
http://probate.mobilecountyal.gov/records.asp