Great to read so much about Wheat's Battalion.

On Henry Clay Gardner - He was born in Mississippi in 1840 and moved to New Orleans with his brother, Livingston Hall Gardner and his mother Eliza J Gardner in the early 1850's. He had worked as a clerk in a merchants before becoming a medical student in the years prior to the war. Active in the pro-secession movement in New Orleans before the war, Henry joined a succession of volunteer units before he formed the Delta Rangers (named after New Orleans Daily Delta newspaper). The Rangers became associated with the other units that came to form Wheat's Battalion within days of its formation and Gardner (as Art Bergeron stated) remained with the unit until July 1862. During his service he took part in organising the citizens of Drainsville VA to repel Union scouts in September 1861. One of the officers of Battalion suggested that he was one of a number of heavy drinkers in the unit and General Taylor added a note to his resignation suggesting that accepting Gardner's resignation would be for the good of the service. The last information in his CSR (and the last definite trace I have found of him) is a requisition for a canteen drawn at Verona VA on July 24 1862. I would welcome any further information on him.

Wheat's Men - Fascinating what Stuart Salling is finding. It backs up what I've been finding out about Wheat's men. Officers like Robert Harris and Ed Hewitt listed themselves on their paroles (at Meridian, with Richard Taylor's forces) as members of Wheat's Battalion, but the only soldiers I've found who did this were retired from active duty. As for why a number of Wheat's men ended up in the Gulf area many ,as with a number of other Louisiana soldiers and New Orleans exiles, made their way to Mobile Alabama. If Gibson's Brigade were in the Alabama area it may account for Wheat's men being found in amongst them. As with Gardner, I would welcome any information on the Wheat's men who surrendered with Randall Gibson's Brigade.

Hope this helps,

Ross