You wrote: >>> I found what I believe to be your man by using these keywords -- William Hughes -- Mississippi -Civil war. There are a considerable amount of hits but I think I found him within two pages. This William Hughes is listed as 4th Miss. Cav, Capt Martin's Company, age 38, he surrendered at Citronell. <<<

I checked this record at footnote.com: William HUGHES in the 4th Mississippi Cavalry was captured at Springhill, Tennessee on 1 MAY 1863, ended up a Fort McHenry where he was paroled on 24 MAY 1863 and delivered to Confederate authorities at City Point on 26 MAY 1863. He did not pass through Fort Delaware. This record was filed under William T. HUGHES (aka HUGHS), Company I, 2nd Mississippi Cavalry.

You wrote: >>> William T. Hughes 2nd Miss Cav was not taken POW. he gained the rank of Lt.<<<

Agreed! But there was also a William T. HUGHES/HUGHS who was a Private in Company I, 2nd Mississippi Cavalry regiment. See my prior note.

You wrote: >>> Found William P. Hughes at http://www.footnote.com/image/#6841389 This matches your #'s 1,2 &3 <<<

These are the two POW records which I am trying to expand upon.

You wrote: >>> Except for the notation that Capt. Martin's Company was attached to this Regt., I see no other reference that this could be from the Mississippi group. <<<

According to the Mississippi unit website that you referred me to, Captain Martin's Independent Mississippi Cavalry company was only temporarily attached to the 1st Virginia Cavalry in early 1861. An order dated 24 OCT 1861 created the 2nd Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry, Major William T. Martin commanding, by combining three Mississippi Cavalry companies and a company of Alabama cavalry. Later on, these four companies were combined with three more Alabama companies and a company from Georgia to form the Jeff Davis Legion under Lieutenant Colonel Martin's command. Martin was promoted to Colonel for his leadership in Jeb Stuart's "Ride 'Round McClellan" on the Virginia peninsula in 1862.

I am now thinking that "William HUGHES of Company E, 1st Virginia Cavalry" was a false name made up by the man being held. Federal prison authorities knew only what a particular prisoner told them about himself - there were no regular ID cards, dog tags, etc. Announcing that he was a "conscript" and "born in England" was supposed to set him on the road to freedom from confinement. This man was apparently being held in the "citizens barracks" in 1864. The men held here were Confederate POWs who had asked to take the oath, but were not willing to join the Federal army. One record for William HUGHES in the citizens barracks shows him to have been a private in the 19th Virginia Infantry, but there is no man by that name enrolled in that unit.

The mystery continues! Sometimes the only way to the truth is by process of elimination. Thank you for taking the time to go through this excercise with me!

Hugh