Linda, I think you may be right on the money. I was just looking through some of my files, and discovered that J.N. Thayer was with the 35th and the 51st on the Conferate side first (May 1862), but was AWOL for the Muster Call in Little Rock in Dec 1863. By that time, he had already signed up on the Union side in Fayetteville, AR (Mar 1863). I guess that would explain why he was AWOL in Little Rock, huh?

Thank you very much. That does shed some light on things, and gives some explanation.

Alex