Perhaps someone else would be interested in hearing about my search for a service record on Thomas E. Gilchrist. Born in South Carolina about 1824, this man came with his family to Coosa County, AL about 1847. A descendant wrote the War Department in the 1930's and received a letter which summarized service records of several members of the extended family.

All these appear on microfilm except for that of T. E. Gilchrist. The letter said he belonged to Co. "C", Stewart's Battalion, and was paroled by Col. Chrysler of the 21st New York Cavalry at Talladega AL on May 25, 1865. That entry doesn't appear in the C.S.A. index, and no one in Stuart's Battalion was paroled at Talladega. I looked at all possible name variants, searched for a pension application or something on the 1907 veterans census, all without result.

Hays Lowe has mentioned "Unfiled Papers and Slips of Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers". This collection, as well as Union Provost Marshal Records, are available at Wallace State in Hanceville AL. That's where I located the parole for T. E. Gilchrist. The record doesn't say "Stewart's Alabama Battalion"; just "Stewart's Battalion", so it went to Unfiled Papers and Slips. Needless to say, I copied the entry and left the building with a song of rejoicing on my lips.

I remained long enough to look up a couple of other mystery people and found some interesting items. Several stray entries on other Confederate soldiers appeared.

The Provost Marshal records produced a few clues on Robert B. Blackwell of Tennessee. I've mentioned Blackwell in previous posts as a guerilla who killed men on both sides. There's a pass issued by a Union officer who allowed his wife and two children to "go south". It says her husband was "Captain" Blackwell of Forrest's Cavalry. Another record shows that after the war Federal authorities in Washington DC requested a warrant for his arrest issued for murder of several Union men in Tennessee.

Question: as I recall, militia officers in Alabama served two years after their election. Weren't militia officers exempt from Confederate service?