Wayne, I totally agree with you about Captain Ahl's Company. It would appear that powers at large in the Union government thought it would be a good idea to help their War effort and help demoralize the Confederates and to help lower the prison populations by enlisting former Confederates into their service. When Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton issued his special orders in 1863 for allowing former Confederates to join the Union Army who was going to argue with him? I have read Confederate accounts where pressure was put upon the former Confederates at Fort Delaware to enlist. There were four Union units who enlisted from Fort Delaware. A Pennsylvania Unit was the first and then Captain Ahl's and then the 3rd Maryland Cavalry and then the 1st Connecticut Cavalry. I have finished with the 1st Connecticut and almost complete with the 3rd Maryland Cavalry. I also agree with you with your assessment of the former Confederates being deserters and stragglers. A general rule of thumb was if the Confederates were taken from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before going to Fort Delaware they were deserters and or stragglers. If the Confederates were captured during the Gettysburg battle then they were taken to Fort McHenry, Maryland before going to Fort Delaware. In my short bio's I did not specifically state if they were deserters or captured during the battle only that they were prisoners during the Gettysburg campaign which is defined as between June 3, 1863 and July 24, 1863 a rather large window. I'm trying not to interpret history but rather just report my findings and for me to suggest this soldier or that was a deseter when I was not there and it is a little unfair in my opinion. The former Confederates were given a $25.00 bounty for joining the 3rd Maryland Cavalry and a horse and a gun. In my opinion the Union learned a valuable lesson with the former Confederates in companies D,E,F, and G of the 3rd Maryland Cavalry. You don't give deserters guns and horses and money and ask them to fight in the South. About 80% would desert before the end of the War. Perhaps only about 30 of the 400 would apply for a Federal pension after the War. After the grand experiment with the former Confederates at Fort Delaware, no longer would the Union Army compose their companies of total Confederates, rather they would mix then in with Union soldiers. The following is a short bio of one of the soldiers in the 8th Louisiana who was with the 3rd Maryland Cavalry:

Thomas J. Berry - Believed to be former Confederate with Company C 8th Regiment, Louisiana Infantry. Ewell's Corps; Early's Division; Hays' Brigade. Confederate CMSR's report him enlisting at age 16 in June 1861 and prior to the War had been a student and list him as being born both in Delaware and Louisiana. Confederate CMSR's report him living in St. Martinville, Louisiana prior to the War. Confederate CMSR's report him being a prisoner during the Gettysburg campaign and being desirous of joining Union Army and being transferred to the 3rd Maryland Cavalry at Fort Delaware and of having special orders from Secretary of War; Edwin M. Stanton for allowing former Confederates to join the Federal Army. 3rd Maryland Cavalry CMSR's list him as being born in Frederica, Delaware (which is in Kent County, Delaware) and being age 19 when enlisting in September 1863. 3rd Maryland Cavalry CMSR's list his physical description as hazel eyes; brown hair; light complexion; 5' 4 and a quarter inches in height and was listed as being a gentleman prior to the War. 3rd Maryland Cavalry CMSR's list him as being with Company F and was shown as being in confinement at Fort McHenry, Maryland for punishment on November 29, 1863. (The following gives insight as to Thomas J. Berry's attitude. These are his own words "I left camp yesterday [November 28, 1863] about 10 o'clock and came to the city [Baltimore, Maryland] purchased a suit of citizens clothes, threw my uniform into a yard, and was arrested at night in a full suit of citizen clothing and told his arresting officer Captain Woods that he intended to desert, that they should not keep him as he did not intend to fight." A reward of $30.00 was paid for his arrest. He also was using the alais name of Henry Morton) On February 25, 1863 he was appointed Quarter Master Sergeant in the 3rd Maryland Cavalry. 3rd Maryland Cavalry CMSR's report him as deserting at Carrollton, Louisiana (near New Orleans) on July 27, 1864. Although 3rd Maryland Cavalry CMSR's report him as died on April 3, 1864 at Woodward hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio of disease, it is believed the date should have been April 3, 1865. (Note: On page 14 of his Confedrate CMSR's it states he was in a Louisiana hospital in 1863, it is believed that the Louisiana hospital was near Richmond, Virginia and not located in the state of Louisiana.)