I really wish that you would discontinue using Historical Data Systems when much of the information they use is incorrect. I think even a junior high student would be able to determine that the 19th Louisiana Infantry did not fight in the Battle of Mansfield, LA on March 8, 1864 while serving in the Atlanta Campaign at the same time. Mansfield was fought in April not March but they did manage to get the year and day right. It is not a sufficient disclaimer when you state it is "no way complete" when it contains blatantly false information. As I stated to in a previous posting on this subject, the unit was not mustered out on April 1, 1865 like it states and it contradicts its own information by stating that the unit fought a battle on April 5, 1865. That is incorrect as well, as the unit fought on April 8, 1865 and surrendered and paroled the following month.

Furthermore, if you had bothered to read all of the books you cite in your "bibliography' or read every single service record of every single member of the 19th LA Infantry like I have, you might know that with the exception of the men of Company K who all enlisted on December 15, that the entire unit was first enlisted into Confederate service at Camp Moore, LA on December 11, 1861 by Lt. Devereaux. You use dates, both false, from the NPS and Historical Data Systems sites that contradict each other as to when the unit was organized.

If you had actually looked at the "As It Was" book, the first one published by the grandson of the unit member in the early 1980's as well as the one with an introduction by T. Michael Parish in 1990, you would first notice that the author's name is Douglas John Cater, NOT John Douglas Cater as you use. Secondly, you would see that Cater does not join the 19th LA until after Mr. Fincher was discharged.

As for Bob Hurst, he is a personal friend (the real meet in person type, not the online type). The website did not say he was an "expert" it said "The CWUNITS file lists people who have (at least some) information on a unit and are willing to help others research it. Some are experts, most are not." Art Bergeron referred people to me when they asked about indepth information on the 19th LA so I will let that stand as my reference without having the need to call myself an expert or anything else.

As participants in this web board, we have an unspoken obligation to provide correct information as much as possible to the best of our knowledge while actrually reading it and not just using cut and paste. Hurrying up to reply to a posting before someone else does without the constitute that if the information you use is wrong.