Irin, you have no idea how the people of the South suffered. That is why most historians today do not consider the word "deserter" in 1861-1865 in the same sense as we do today. I suggest a new book, AMERICAN TERRORISTS: Lincoln's Armies in the South. It will be a shock to your system. First hand accounts of the atrocities committed by the Yankee armies. Here is a link to the book on Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1518873782 I don't know if this helps you to determine anything about your ancestor, but it does shed a new light on lots of events of that era. And I agree with you about wars. That's not just a girl thing. Robert E. Lee abhorred war, too.

Michael