I appreciate the information. Arkansas units and men are not easy to keep straight, at least for me. Captain Johnny Matthews Wasson was from Smithville, in Lawrence, County. He joined up at Pocohantas (sp?) in October of 1861, and went off to Memphis along with Gen. Van Dorn in April of 1862. Apparently he saw and rode his first train at that time, eventually ending up at Corinth before having the 14th Arkansas combined with the 17th to become the 21st, just in time to do a little skirmishing before heading south down towards Tupelo. Under "Pap" Price, he headed back to north Mississippi, avoided getting shot at Iuka, but made up for it by getting shot twice at Corinth while trying to "releave" a CSA Missouri regiment thought to be in control of Battery Powell. The soldiers who were in Battery Powell were dressed in blue, and had no intentions of getting kicked out of the fortification, having just recaptured it from some Missourians in Gray, just a few moments before the Arkansas boys caming running out on to the open field. He survived, got into another scrape the next day at Davis Bridge, and eventually made it down sout to vicksburg, where all was safe and secure. Sure enough, he welcomed Grant's boys ashore at Port gibson, then was forced to beat a hasty "redoployment to the rear" after a couple of more fights amongst the hills and ravines slightly inland. Sent east towards jackson, he got into another scrape at "Champion's farm", though he was involved in the charge that broke through the Union lines, and, without proper support, managed to findhimself stationed on the left flank at Big Black, with the swolen river behind, and a sea of blue in front, he chose to swim the river rather than become a prisoner when to conscripts from the volunteer state surrendered rather than fight the boys from Iowa. The Iowa boys in blue took the flag of the 21st home, and I have been umable to determine what happened to it afterwards. Surrendered and paroled at Vicksburg, he was captured near home in October, then set through St. Louis, up to Johnson Island, then back down to Red River Landing for a late war prisoner exchange...many thanks to Gen. Banks for providing a bevy of soon to be hungry boys in blue up on the Red to trade for some mighty cold boys in gray who had seen enough of the north winds on Lake Erie. Joining up with the Missouri Swamp Fox in the First Consolidated, he and some eight thousand others eked out a meager survival until learning of Marse Lee's surrender, then deciding to throw in the Towl themselves, with or without Kirby's blessings. Capt. Wasson is burried next to his wife Amanda in the Sharp County Cemetary just outside Evening Shade. His daughter, Virginia Adelaid, married Robert Samuel "Sam" Craig, son of Dr. George Edward Craig, Who, after seving in the 1st Virginia for just 15 days shy of 4 full years (damned hard to out run a yankee on a good horse at Sailer's Creek), attended medical school at Lousiville, then moved to the Evening shade vicinity where there were not som many yankees. Sgt. George Edward Craig is also buried next to his wife, Addie Chappel Bacon Craig at Evening Shade. Robert "Sam" Craig moved the clan to Stratford Oklahoma in the mid 1920's, and a slender Robert Samuel (R. S.) Craig Jr. later met and married Verl White, the great grand daughter of Pvt. Wiley C. White of the Arkansas 33rd. I am the second son of that union, and enjoy studying the "recent unpleasentness" because of the involvement of my family on all sides. I have yet to do much research on the Vastine bloood line, which served in a proud Ohio unit and gave the boys in gray "what for".

The Wassons, originally from Lawrence County Tennessee were apparently none to creative with names, as Capt. Wasson had a cousin of the same first and last names who served for a time in the 14th with him. I am certain that added a bit of confusion, as if war time contains any orderly events.

So, thanks for the info. I hope to find the book, to see if my great grand dad is listed as having given up the fight at Jacksonport.