I have been doing some research on a Mr. Andrew McDermott, 24th ark inf, Co. B. From what I gather, he was captured at ark post early in the war. He was a black man- slave of Charles McDermott (city of Dermott is named for him) who invented a flying machine as early as 1874. I have been trying to find out what happened to Andrew, his slave after his capture. I found the following:

All the CSRs of the men who were captured 11 Jan 1863 at Ark Post, AR, sent to MP at Camp Douglas, IL then delivered to City Point, VA 10 Apr 1863 bear the following notation: " City Point VA. April 10, 1863. "Received this 10th day of April 1863 from Cpt A. Bartlett, 9th Ver. Vols. USA (520) five hundred and twenty confederate prisoners of war and one Negro Boy, stated to be a prisoner of war.' J.H. Thompson, Commanding at City Point, VA."

Could this negro boy they speak of be Andrew McDermott? This flying machine replica is in the Aerospace Education Center in Little Rock, where I used to be an Administrator and became really curious of the history of the McDermotts.

If anyone has any info on Andrew McDermott, please let me know...it will add so much to our already colorful history!