Anthony, the 11th Arkansas Infantry section on the Gerdes was posted by Ed Gerdes. I have no idea where he got the date of July 12, 1862. My own research revealed no such date, but did suggest an error in Thomas L. Shepherd's service record.

Shepherd was admitted to the prison hospital on July 23, 1862, and was "returned to duty" (back to the prison) on August 9, 1862. He also appears on a roll of prisoners present at Camp Douglas on August 1, 1862 (so much for that questionable July 12, 1862, date of death). He subsequently appears on a roll of prisoners sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi, for exchange, on September 4, 1862; however, his name was marked in pencil as "sick". My research of Confederate prisoner of war records indicates that such notes usually indicated that the man was left behind. This dovetails with the claim by his widow that he died at Camp Douglas on October 7, 1862.

The prisoners who were sent to Vicksburg for exchange on September 4, 1862, were received by Confederate authorities on September 20, 1862. Shepherd is marked as "present" with his regiment on September 21, 1862, but I believe that is an error. There is no further record of him in the 11th Arkansas, and no record that he was recaptured and sent back to Camp Douglas. I do not believe that he ever left Camp Douglas, but was retained there due to illness, and ultimately died there.