Discussion Soldiers listed as missing

[EricW48]

I hate to sound gruesome, but given the furiousity of the battles how many of the men listed as "missing" should be listed as killed. I know that some had just simply run off, but not as many as the rolls show as missing. Is it just that there wasn't anybody to identify them or see them fall, or there wasn't enough left of remains to identify? I know it's impossible to tell, but was just looking for others opinion on the subject.

 

[John Winn]

There were lots of reasons to go missing: killed, got wounded and still on the field or in a distant field hospital, got taken prisoner, got separated from the company, deserted. After a while I imagine a lot of the "missing" got accurately reported as one of the above.

 

[General Casey]

I'm doing research into a talk I may give at the Antietam Muster (if I am able to go) on the 20th Massachusetts. One of the soldiers of Company I was reported as missing in the records. He was wounded and an officer told him to go to the rear for aid. They saw him walk off towards the field hospital but he apparently never made it.

Did he collapse somewhere and die? Decide to walk off? Get lost? Captured?

 

[Ole Miss]

Many soldiers were badly mangled and unrecognizable, especially at Shiloh as many Union soldiers were stripped of clothing and quite possibly buried as rebels. 2 days or more laying on the field would render many as unrecognizable
Regards
David