Mr. Akerman,

Check his Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) for possible clues. The CMSR is the record you can obtain from the National Archives and a number of other respositories and organizations or this web site. It is on microfilm and the original documents are at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The information on the "cards" are taken from original documents and in some cases, some original documents are present in the record. When it refers to "DIED" then it means that the soldiers died as a result of disease or other subtle cause. Died of wounds or injuries sustained in an accident days, weeks, of months is another example. "KILLED" means that the soldier the cause of death was more overt and outright. Killed in battle, killed as a result of an accident (railroad, packing gun powder into a canteen to see how big of an explosion it would make, accidental weapon discharge, fell off a cliff, run over by a wagon are some examples). It is a hit or miss if the CMSR notes the cause of death due to injury. Only about one in three deaths during the War Between the States was as a result of battle. It has only been since World War II that we have been able to bring the level of accidents and disease deaths down below the number of soldiers killed in battle or died of wounds.

Also check his Widow's Indigent Pension Request. She or the witnesses should have stated the circumstances of his death.

The following two questions will assist someone who might be able to help you in looking in their area of expertise.

Do you the circumstances of his death? Was he killed in action, died of wounds, died of disease?

Do you know where his regiment and brigade were geographically located at the time of his death? Town, county, road junction, etc. is more desireous than just the state.

Burial Locations is an often asked question and unfortunately not always a solid answer to be given.

If he was killed in battle or if he died of wounds immediately after the battle....

It is likely that when the soldier was killed and the field remained in the possession of the Federals he was buried at or near the spot where he fell. When the body dieds, it begins to instantly decompose and being August it would have done so quickly. Soldiers of neither side wanted to leave the dead unburied because of the stench and the difficulty of moving the bodies once the bacteria in the intestines began their work (within a few hours). If he did get evacuated (depending on the enemy situation), condition of the body, and the proximity to the field hospital his body may have been evacuated to be buried in a mass grave. The possiblity it was transported back to Georgia is remote unless it was done by the family post-war at great cost to the family.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Gerald D. Hodge, Jr.
War Between the States Historian
Historian: 39th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment
http://39thgavolinfrgt.homestead.com/39thHomepage.html