Acknowledging that Joshua normally used only his initials.. but in most all enlistment and muster documents full names are typically used. The mustering officer usually filled out the roster. Secondary items such as invoices, vouchers and the like not uncommon to just find initials used. This is why in most all record file card grouping you usually will find both. Muster records, pay vouchers and items as that were made out by an Adjutant, or QM paymaster. He may have signed it as JW but the document itself normally would have his whole name.
The differences of age and date issue is of note. But again those items are commonly found errors in the cards. If youve ever seen an original military muster roll form, they are rather large, and a copist going down such a long list that they frequently have... making out an individual card for each entry... they sat at a desk and wrote these out all day long... mistakes such as that is common... I see items exactly like this all the time. Most will be correct, then you find maybe one or two in the group that might be way off... When you see patterns like this after reviewing, recording, interpreting and profiling many thousands of these, the credibility factor and significance of finding one or two like that a bit off tends to be rather low. Same thing with it being JN v/s JW, or even JM... those are known common errors thus have much less credibility to it... Muster locations is similar but not found that way quite as often. Where one enrolled/enlisted might be found differently on different cards, depending on what the copist was referencing that day... enlistment site, unit muster in site, which could be different...
Secondary invoices and army vouchers I take only at face value. Many times the Adjutant had to make multiple copies of the transaction.. so they tended to not be as legible as one would hope.
The "cards" were done between 1878-1901 by the US war department copying existing records.. Many of the originals that were captured are in the National Archives in Washington. Others were borrowed and copied post war from the respective southern states if they still had them.
The Stars from Richmond mentioned in the letter dont colaborate to what an Ord Sgt would have or wear. Age and enlistment place locations being known common errors found. So those items alone tend to give iffy evidence of a mixed record. Lack of anything in that particular file that has Joshua on it as most all enlistment records would be at least. This is why Im a bit reserved on this being a mixed or incorrectly named file at least with Joshua.
This is one reason I have suspicion of him being associated with one of the Va State Line / Partisan Ranger units... the area and time frame for their organization is right there where he was.. also the lack of other usual confederate records obviously showing him, especially if he had officers rank Major or above.. would take that item another step in that direction... Well worth the extra research to check it out just in case... The small cavalry battalions in the western end of the state were divided, consolidated, and reorganized so many times it will make your head spin trying to follow a pattern or given person...
Just like if you drop your keys in the grass. and cant find them where you expect them to be.. back up and start looking around further and further...Even where you wouldnt normally expect them to be... I always say to gain further potential confirmation on one thing is to be able to eliminate all other options and possibilities... Many times you will find other vital clues in other alternate places... that might lead and link back to where you started. Brown is a rather common surname especially in that region. Ive already noticed about a dozen other Joseph and JW Browns in other units originating from the same general area.. including a Federal one in Cincinatti... so any or all of these others could have potential or possibilities same as this given file...
Ok a new idea....
Look through the cards that you have copied... see if there is one there of a muster roll for Oct and/or Nov 1862... See if Joshua-Joseph-JW is listed as "present"... or "absent on furlough"... Since you know he was home at that time on furlough per the letter already... This might give you some additional indication if this could possibly be Joshua rather than a Joseph. Lets try that..
Frederick