Unfortunately, most of the names were poorly transcribed. It is VERY difficult to match the names on the headstones or the monument to the actual members of the regiment. In most cases, the names do not match any member of the regiment and so no way to positively identify who the men were.
The first four or five I did took hours.
Im going alphabetically and currently down to
Bracken, John. The only cards in the file for John Bracken are the ones from Camp Randall showing he died there. Is he John Boykin? John Bradford? J R Bradford? J B Bradley? J R Bradley? J W Brantley? John M Brantley? J M Brentley? I honestly have no idea. And this is just one man. Out of 140.
Imagine the difficulty in determining who all 140 were. Then finding them in the US Census. Then tracking down their descendants today.
It would be impossible. Once someone is dead and buried, it seems there should be no doubt that he and his gravesite, headstone, and marker would remain undisturbed. Even if he is nearly 1000 miles away from home.
EDIT TO ADD: I am certainly not trying to be argumentative.....but I feel like I "have a dog in this hunt." These boys were from Alabama. It is certainly not their fault that they were captured, died, and were buried nearly 1000 miles from their homes. I'm sure you would share a similar sentiment if they were boys from New Hampshire. And I would share it with you, but not with the same level of emotion that results from the geographic connection.