George --

Would have to agree with you on several points. Note that the information about the soldier being present at White's Tavern comes from an ADAH card based on the company composite roll. I've referred to this kind of roll elsewhere as a Fowler roll because information was collected for the State of Alabama by Wm H Fowler of Tuscaloosa. These rolls were composed by senior company officers present at the end of 1864.

Fowler rolls are large 10-page ledger documents, often having faded ink and worn edges. Starting on page 2 and continuing on even-numbered pages, each soldier's name appears in the far left column. Satrting on page 3 and continuing on odd-numbered pages, battles and skirmishes are for each soldier listed in columns from left to right. Since White's Tavern occured near the end of the far, notations appear to the far right. The last column includes remarks, where final disposition of the solider is recorded.

Without a yardstick, it's difficult to line up a soldier's name with the correct battles/skirmishes entries that run across to the opposite page. The ADAH volunteer who transcribed this roll could have easily made an error on Barnett's record. Perhaps Barnett should be should be listed as 'af' (absent, furlough) rather than 'P' at White's Tavern. Cursive lower case letters 'f' and 'p' do look quite similar.

As for Barnett's date of death, could be that a soldier returning from furlough in Perry County knew of his death and reported it when he returned from Perry County.

As for Barnett's route home, obviously East Tennessee was not accessible. The only rail lines operating went through the Carolinas and Georgia, and thence to Alabama. In the late summer of 1864 passage from Virginia to Alabama would have been made more difficult by the presence of Sherman's armies. Several soldier accounts describe going home to Alabama from the ANVa and return during this period. That of Wm Frierson Fulton (Sumter County), 5th Alabama Battn., comes to mind.
http://www.amazon.com/Reminiscences-William-Alabama-Battalion-Division/dp/091341946X