Thanks for the Union army record input on John HOLLEY, Co. B, 2nd Regiment, Louisiana Mounted Infantry. This potentially is a match for John HOLLY, Co. C, 12th Louisiana Infantry who went AWOL on 16 JUL 1863 at Jackson, Mississippi.

Annette Carpenter Womack published a transcript of the 1860 Federal Census for Winn Parish, Louisiana. The household of Edwin (no middle initial) HOLLEY in Winnfield is listed. Edwin was a 47 year old farmer born in South Carolina with $200 worth of real estate and $3500 worth of personal property reported. His wife Mary, age 41, born in Alabama is listed. The oldest child listed is John, age 18 years, born in Alabama, working at home as a farmer laborer. Next two children in birth order are William B., age 16, and David, age 13 both born in Alabama. David was followed by two females: Lucinda, age 11 and Emer., age 9, both born in Alabama. Thomas, age 7 years was the last born in Alabama, followed by a male named Origin, age 6 years, born in Mississippi. Francis C., a female age 4 years was born in Missisippi followed by Edwin L. HOLLEY, age 1 month, born in Louisiana. I know this will be boring to other readers, but the ages and places of birth for the younger children may help date the move of the family to Winn Parish.

John HOLLEY, 18 years old in 1860, born in Alabama is most likely the John HOLLY who enrolled in Confederate service in Captain John A. Dixon's company of Winn Parish volunteers in the summer of 1861. The John HOLLEY, age 23 years, born in Monroe County, Alabama, enrolled in Federal army service at Alexandria on 18 APR 1864 could very well be John HOLLY, Co. C, 12th Louisiana Infantry. The ages are close, and we know that many Winn Parish residents voluntarily joined the Union army in 1864.

John HOLLEY in Union army service 1864/1865 could have claimed a Federal pension and these records need to be checked. I have seen pension application claims from other Winn Parish Union army veterans.

I will put it on my list of things to do to examine the 1860 Winn Parish Census record via the library edition of ancestry.com at my local library. If the actual census record shows that John was born in Monroe County, Alabama, we would seem to have a match between these two sets of military records.

Hugh

p/s Annette's transcript of the 1870 Federal Census for Winn Parish does not show Edwin HOLLEY's family group. The Federal military record showing an Edwin HOLLEY who died of typhoid fever at a Federal military hospital in Alexandria on 19 APR 1864 may explain why. But another HOLLEY (HELLY) group does appear in the 1870 census with head of household named as William HOLLEY (aka HELLY), age 35 years, born in Georgia. His wife is listed as Elisabeth, age 33 years, born in Georgia. A female named Judeana, age 47 years, born in Louisiana(?) is listed in the household along with four children: Leroy, age 16, and James, age 14 both born in Georgia. William, age 12, and a 2 year old female named Georgina were shown as born in Louisiana. This may be a composite family household and might well support your "gone to Texas by 1870" input about John HOLLEY. John and others could have gone ahead with this latter group to follow in due time. Food for thought!