I agree on both points. I am sure that Richards was a fine commander, but I also know that in the 7th and 9th Miss. Consolidated that Lt. Col. Johns formerly of the 7th Miss. was the only staff officer remaining at surrender (All others either resigned were killed or demoted). At surrender only two captains survived and neither was a captain prior to 1863. As for the size of the Sharpshooters it was easily as large as a regiment since most regiments had been reduced to the size of a company by the end of fighting at Nashville in Dec. 1864.