Alice, this might be one of those family events that remain a mystery. There was a John H. Tabor in Company D, 25th MS Infantry, but Marshall County was not one of the counties that furnished companies for this regiment. According to Krute, the Mississippi counties involved were Washington, Bolivar, Coahoma, and Tunica, all of which are farther south near the river. According to Rowland’s history, Company D originated in Alabama, specifically Madison County. A quick perusal of the 1860 Madison County, AL census revealed only one John Tabor, but he was an infant in 1860, so anything is possible. John does not appear in any of the Tennessee companies that were part of the 25th Mississippi.

The 1860 census for Marshall County reveals that Thad was only ten years old in that year, which rules him out as a Civil War participant (unless he was a drummer). If both John and Thad vanished at the same time, Thad’s age suggests that their disappearance might have occurred for reasons not related to the war.

You might possibly determine if this John Tabor was your ancestor by ordering his service record. To do this, go to the Mississippi Civil War message board at http://history-sites.com/mb/cw/mscwmb/ and click on the red-framed box at the top of the page.

Good luck in your search, and may all brick walls disappear.