Terry, I don't know anyone researching this unit. It's commander, Samuel J. (or G.) Whiteside, shows as a 29 year old engineer, born NY, in Appalachicola, FL in 1860. Another source says he was born in Brooklyn. While some Confederate states raised militia units denominated "local defense troops", from my research the state of GA did not, and any troops denominated "local defense troops" in GA were organized under Confederate government law.