Friends,
My great-grandfather, Caleb Seabolt (or Sebolt), from Lumpkin County, GA, (Chestatee District near the border with White County) fought in the War Between the States according to family oral history. (His full name may have been Arch Caleb since his oldest son was named Arch Caleb.)

My dilemma is that the Soldiers and Sailors website shows a Caleb Sebolt enlisted in the 65th Regiment Georgia Infantry, Company C, and a separate website on the 65th Georgia Infantry (http://www.izzy.net/~michaelg/65-c.htm) shows that this Caleb Sebolt deserted at Harrison, TN, on Sep 4, 1863. I believe this may have been “my” Caleb Seabolt because also shown in Company C is J. Kaney Sebolt (or J. Kanery Seabolt) whom I believe to be Caleb’s brother (Elkanah or Elkaney who went by “Kaney”). Kaney Sebolt is also shown as deserting earlier at Clinton, TN, on May 12, 1863.

However, I have a copy of the Confederate widow’s pension papers that were filed by “my” Caleb’s wife, Mary E. (Swaim or Swim) Seabolt, in 1913 after Caleb’s death in 1910. And the claim for pension is not based on Caleb’s service in the 65th Regiment Georgia Infantry, but on service in what appears to be Company F (or possibly J), led by Capt. Dickerson (or Wickerson?), 11 GA Cavalry! His service in 11 GA Cavalry was supported by sworn affidavit of two men from White County, GA, C. H. Allen and W. J. Etries (or Etris), who said they served with him in the same unit, which surrendered on May 12, 1865 at Kingston, GA. These men said that Caleb served in 11 GA Cavalry for a year from April 1864 until the surrender at Kingston. But Soldiers and Sailors doesn’t indicate service by either a Caleb Seabolt (or Sebolt), C. H. Allen, or W. J. Etris in 11 GA Cavalry!

Can anyone help with my mystery of Caleb Seabolt? Did he, in fact, desert the 65th Georgia Infantry? If so, were there any special circumstances related to the time or place of his desertion? Did he later re-enlist in 11 GA Cavalry, or was the pension claim regarding his service in 11 GA Cavalry a falsification? Did C. H. Allen and W. J. Etris not serve in 11 GA Cavalry either? Would any of my questions be answered by ordering the records for Caleb Sebolt (of the 65th Regiment Georgia Infantry) from the National Archives?

I appreciate any help anyone can provide or any resources/references you can guide me to for finding answers!