John,
I have a copy of your book and have enjoyed reading it very much...I was sad to see it broken into two volumes (mainly because I bit of the areas I was hoping to read about are in volume 2 and not available yet). I'm placing a preorder for the second volume and can't wait to get it...though Amazon is not listing it as being available until June of next year. I love all of the information on the colors that you have so far, and hope there's a good deal more in the next volume.

I have been trying my hardest to come up with some information that you might have come across while researching and maybe have written on in the next volume. My wife had two relatives in Co. K of the 5th Texas (one died in hospital in Gordonsville on the way to Gettysburg), the other was 5th Sgt. Nathan Oates (sometimes spelled Oates or Oats). Sgt. Oates was killed in battle on Sept. 19th 1863 at Chickamauga. His tombstone listed him as a Color Sgt., though when trying to verify this information on this forum a couple of years ago we could find names and proof for everyone in the color guard, but none for Sgt. Oates to justify why his tombstone listed him as Color Sgt. Originally I was able to find one internet source that said he was transfered to the color guard by regimental order in the summer of 1863, but the website did not list a source, and none of us could verify it. Last week I was in Gettysburg and was able to by a used copy of Vol. 4 of Simpson's Texas Brigade Compendium, and he also has listed that Oates was transfered to the color guard in the summer of '63 (though Simpson does not mention a source for this either).

Have you come across any accounts that mention Sgt. Nathan Oates and his death at Chickamauga, and if so have you found anything that mentions him as carrying the colors (Mrs. Young's flag) for the 5th Texas? I look forward to reading everything you'll include in the next volume, and I hope they put it in print soon. Thanks for the help.

Josh Bucchioni