Wiley --
Shortly after arriving in camp, soldiers often had unpleasant experiences with one or more camp diseases. These usually lasted from six weeks to four months and occasionally longer. A year would be a rather lengthy illness.
Rather than keep them as a patient that long, doctors preferred to send sick and wounded soldiers home to recover. There should be some indication of a furlough in the soldier's medical or payment records.
A pension application may tell you a little more about the veteran and his life. Any existing photographs may be found in the Georgia State Archives.