Carolyn,
John West served in the 27th Louisiana Infantry as a Private. It seems as if Mr. West had a problem with authority even during his military service, as he did spend some time under arrest. West is included in the Biographical Register section of my book, "Twenty-Seventh Louisiana Volunteer Infantry" that can be purchased through this board. He has a rather large entry in the register. Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Terry G. Scriber