It did bug me some that my gg grandfather Ephraim Stroup deserted exactly eight months after Gen NB Forrest came 'a callin' to his old neighborhood in Salem MS looking for stragglers. He called out the former Company I of the 1st Mississippi Partisan Rangers under penalty of death, who did not join Col William Faulkner when he formed the rest of the unit into the 7th Mississippi Cavalry. My ancestor had not been in Company I, but many of his neighbors were.

He was 42 years old with nine children, the youngest only two weeks old when he was enlisted into the same company as his neighbor and future in-law, who had been a member of Co I. Company I and some new recruits formed Company D, 18th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry, and was placed in Chalmer's Division.

The 18th spent that winter mostly on the move. In March they began the movement towards Fort Pillow. Ephraim's company commander Capt. C. T. Smith led the escort company on the charge from the first fort to the second fort.

Ephraim deserted on May 1. I figure that he had enough and left the night they crossed the Tallahatchie at Panola. (which was considered their "home turf" as there was no bridge for the Union Army to cross there) He was a relatively old man with a house full of kids. As it was 150 years ago, I decided there was no reason to get bent out of shape over it.