When I was researching my father's uncle's war records, many years ago, I had no friends or siblings who were interested in family history. I was reading for my own pleasure and satisfaction. That was it.
Little did I suspect that I would one day develop a more serious interest in genealogy and civil war history, or have earnest conversations like this. I did not anticipate a need to quote references. This does not excuse a scholarly responsibility to offer citations. It reflects only the lack of the gift of foresight.
Today, I no longer possess the alacrity of mind, the energy, or even the desire to cover old ground for the sole purpose of citing what others have written.
I do recall, specifically, that the dates that J.S Spikes was reported AWOL by Hebert were noted in his History of the 8th. I cannot tonight call the two dates to mind. I still have copies of all of the articles and records that I found in my research. As I have many hundreds of files, and as they are all in chaos due to many unrelated factors, I do not know exactly where they are. I will tell you that, when I run across them, I will scan them for you.
From memory, tonight, I can say only that these have been substantiated:
(1) Josiah enlisted in the Eighth at Union Springs in August of 1862, at age 20 (your records show that he was a conscript, mine say that he volunteered), that
(2) he was captured on the 2nd or 3rd of July, 1863 (both dates were given in separate union field hospital reports) at Gettysburg, after having been wounded near the eye, that
(3) he was forwarded, with other prisoners, to Fort Monroe in Baltimore, and imprisoned there, that
(4) he was exchanged for a union prisoner in a mass prisoner exchange, and was returned to his regiment, that
(5) he was engaged in the Battle of the Wilderness, and wounded again, this time in the shoulder, that
(6) he was taken to a Confederate Hospital in Danville immediately after that fight, that
(7) he was the only Confederate soldier with the surname "Spikes" on the surrender rolls at Appommattox, and that
(8) he was given a pension.
Frankly, I do not understand why you question the obvious probability that men who served in any regiment knew each other, and remembered each other after the greatest chapter of their lives ended.. That the men did know their camp mates and fellows at arms seems to me only rudimentary common sense. From the letters of soldiers that we both have read, which are full of references to friends and fellow soldiers, during and after the war, it is abundantly clear that they did know each other.
Nevertheless, I respect your scholarship and candor, and I appreciate your notes very much.
Roger