Researching a Confederate deserter

[HarbinGirl]

My great great grandfather deserted his company and took the oath to the enemy on April 4, 1864. I have a very informative muster roll that tells me that his company (Al 9th Co. K infantry) was camped near Orange Court house in March and April of 64. His military card from (fold3) from the month prior to desertion shows "in arrest".
I have attached the cards from the US army once they received him. I see that he "took the oath....and was transferred to Phil, PA".

I very much want to track him down after this. His history is blank after this until 1870 and even then I have a hard time pinning him down.

Any insight on how to track this deserter is appreciated. I have a lot of questions about how this "taking the oath and being shipped off" thing worked.

 

[donna]

Welcome to the forum. Can you spell his name out. I can hardly read the attachments. Thanks.

 

[Quara]

Looks like William L/D Harbin

Eta: with a pretty hard filter it looks
Like the middle initial is L, but I'm not 100% certain

 

[18thVirginia]

Welcome, they are many helpful people here.

 

[AndyHall]

Those are kind of hard to read; can you post his full name and other information you have about him?

 

[AndyHall]

W L. Harbin

Residence was not listed;
Enlisted as a Private (date unknown).

He also had service in:
"K" Co. AL 9th Infantry

Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.:

- Index to Compiled Confederate Military Service Records
(c) Historical Data Systems, Inc. @ www.civilwardata.com

 

[Quara]

Looks like this came up before, so in the name of consolidation of info

I'd like to get a feel for the experience of a Confederate deserter, particularly one who took the oath to the US after serving at least 3 years. Would he have been compelled to make his way home to his family after the war, or would the possibility of facing comrades, family and friends after his desertion to the enemy be too much to bear? Enough to keep him from a wife, 4 children and 320 acres of land patented to him 2 years prior to the war?

This describes my 3rd great grandfather, William L Harbin (Alabama 9th Infantry, Co. K). I have his military cards describing him as a rebel deserter who took the oath and "was transferred to Philadelphia, Pa" in April of 64. He was on detached duty as a teamster for the majority of his service, so maybe he and his wagon's were captured and instead of spending time in a prison camp, he may have chosen to take the oath. However, he's described as "Rebel deserter" and I figure if he was captured it would have said so. Maybe not.

It appears he may have never gone home. In 1866 his wife and children appear to be living on or close to his property, but he is not with them. His wife is never enumerated with him on a census from that point forward and William L appears to still be alive in 1900 with a new wife.

I am in the process of examining his parcel of land to try and determine when and whom it was deeded. However, his name does not appear in the Grantee index of deeds. This makes no sense to me and I feel he may have never come home and the land was abandoned. Though 320 acres is quite a lot of land to just forget about.

Was there such shame attached to this type of desertion? Would that be enough to keep a man away for good?

I'm new here! Thanks for reading.
Amy

If the courthouse records survive and his name isn't listed, the land probably wasn't his. Maybe his first wife's?

I have his land entry case file and he definitely held the original patent. Maybe it was abandoned and the county took it. Very frustrating pursuit.

He appears to have ended up in Indian Territory.

Source:http://civilwartalk.com/threads/desertion-to-the-enemy-and-the-eventual-return-home.105522/

 

[HarbinGirl]

Thanks for the replies and the link to the other similar thread.

Yes, he is William L Harbin, lived near and enlisted at Guntersville, Alabama 1861.

 

[Lnwlf]

Looks like you might have the company letter wrong. It looks more like an "H" to me. Note the similarities on the card between company letter and Harbin. Looks like the top one was written by a southpaw.
If you search Company H , 9th Alabama you may find more results.

 

[Lnwlf]

Looks like this came up before, so in the name of consolidation of info




Source:http://civilwartalk.com/threads/desertion-to-the-enemy-and-the-eventual-return-home.105522/

Nice backtracking work Quara.

 

[HarbinGirl]

It is certainly Company K. It's hard to read on these documents but I have many others and there's no doubt it's K.