The author of the article should describe the methods used to produce this information, not just the sources. Anyone having done similar studies will understand. For instance, it's important to have figures representative of Madison County GA based on each of the 1860 census schedules. Then you have a benchmark for comparison to the profile developed for soldiers belonging to these companies.

Take slavery, for example. The census will state how many households existed within a county, which corresponds closely to the number of families. Assuming one slaveholder per slaveholding household, nearly always the case, you now have the basis for an accurate ratio of slave ownership in Madison County. Many such studies skew this ratio by using a faulty basis for slave ownership. The same is true for land ownership.

The number of newspapers being printed in that county is another helpful figure from Schedule VI of the 1860 census. At least one could be found in most counties, often two or three, even in small towns. People paid for subscriptions or newspapers would've gone out of business. That schedule also states the number of schools and the different types in operation in the county as well as the number of students. Those two figures should tell us something about literacy in Madison County in 1860, more than one resident's opinion on that topic.

Ready access to news about current events came about with the advent of the telegraph. Formerly it took many days, often several weeks, for information to be received from distant points. Then local telegraph offices opened, lines were constructed, and information became available by wire. It revolutionized the newspaper business in the 1850s, which grew by leaps and bounds during the decade. In my opinion, the desire men had to read about controversial events for themselves probably increased as well.