I have reason to believe that there may be an error in identifying a
"Captain" George W. Bain in the RAG (multi-volume Report of the KY Adjutant
General) compilation of Kentucky soldiers in the Civil War, as
opposed to George C. Bain.
In Vol. II, p. 236. is a listing of twelve men, plus their "Captain,"
Geo. W. Bain, as comprising the "Kentucky Signal Corps Company,"
thereafter identified as the Signal Corps of Breckinridge's Division.
I believe that the commander, Lieutenant (also referred to as
"Captain") George Clarke Bain of Lexington (1828-1912), was confused
with the post-war Kentucky orator and temperance leader, "Colonel"
George Washington Bain (1840-1927).
Apart from the commander and their unit surgeon, Wm. H. Martin, eight
of the eleven men were identified with the "Buckner Guards" as their
parent unit in surrender papers at Greensboro, NC, in April 1865,
having been detailed to serve in the Signal Corps. G.C. Bain was, at
various times, Chief Signal Officer, Army of Tennessee, and (late war)
Chief Signal Officer, Dist of the Cape Fear, NC. He appears in the "OR"
and is identified with the Signal Corps, CSA, in the on-line Civil War
Soldiers and Sailors listing of the National Park Service. No entry
appears for a Confederate soldier named George W. Bain.
Ironically, both men are buried in the same cemetery in Lexington.
Is it possible at this late date to verify or refute the validity of
the RAG information? Is there evidence of a George W. Bain associated
with a signal unit in any capacity? Is service information available
for a George C. Bain, other than what I have sketched above? Can a
unit identified as the "Buckner Guards" be identified, perhaps as a
component of the State Guard?
And -- just to be greedy -- it would be great to obtain a copy of an
image of Lieut. Bain.