At Tulane University they have a number of resources dealing with units from Louisiana from the Civil War era. One such book is entitled Record Roll Eight Regiment, Louisiana Volunteers ANV. This record was created post-war, no date is noted. This book appears to have been edited by William H Mayo, a member of Co F, 8th La and Sergeant Major of the regiment at the end of the war. Comments on each appear to be written by Company Commanders and 1st Sergeants.

After the section about Company F, the following note is found: ""Those with an AF (Absent Furlough) in most engagements just indicates they were just in rear of the army, straggling, barefooted. There were some who made it a point to be barefoot, during the fighting months and some few who always became suddenly ill and went to the rear when the cannons began to boom on the eve of going into battle."" The author is not noted, tho the handwriting looks like Sgt Major Mayo’s.

If you have not been there, you should try and go. The book has a lot of comments like the above. I would suspect similar comments for the other regiments in Hays' Brigade.

JIMT