Every once in awhile, I make connection in my research that makes me slap my forehead and say, "Well, duh! Why didn't I see that before?" I had such an epiphany yesterday while going through some of my old miscellaneous notes from years ago. Federal records mentioned several men who were captured and sent to Batesville in May 1862, identifying them as part of Capt. Mathias' Company Arkansas Militia. I couldn't find anything else on this outfit, and eventually put it on the back burner. Then yesterday I found my notes and realized that Capt. Mathias' Company was, in fact, Capt. Matthews' Co. G, 27th Arkansas Infantry. The "Mathias" men were captured in Izard County May 27-29, 1862, just a few days after enlisting in Matthews' Company.

Sure enough, the muster-in roll of Co. G, 27th Arkansas, of July 31, 1862, marks them as "absent, taken prisoner". Funny, it was staring me in the face for 30 years and I never made the connection until now.

Another little mystery solved.