Morning Jim and Terry:

Booth's "Records" contains an brief entry for "J. M. Williams" who was enrolled as a Private in Co. D, 2nd Louisiana Infantry, then promoted to QM Sergeant on 31 OCT 1861 and carried on Field & Staff rolls. There are no further Confederate muster roll records cited. The 2nd Louisiana was in Winchester (24 MAY 1862). Could he have died of disease there and been interred at Mt. Hebron in 1862? Does this name appear in the CMSR for the 2nd Louisiana Infantry?

The final entry in Booth's "Records" under QM Sergeant J. M. Williams cites a 27 SEP 1865 "Official Rolls of Paroled Officers, CSA" compiled in the Provost Marshal General's office after the war which lists J. M. Williams as Colonel of the 2nd Louisiana Infantry. This obviously doesn't belong. Jesse M. Williams was Captain of the Pelican Rifles, Company D, 2nd Louisiana Infantry. Wounded and captured at Sharpsburg in 1862, he was quickly paroled for exchange and returned to Confederate hands under the Dix-Hill Cartel. Captain Williams was furloughed home to Louisiana after his return. So this "paroled officers" record filed under "J. M. Williams" belongs with Colonel Jesse M. Williams' records. It might be that "J. M. Williams" was a brother or 1st cousin to Captain Jesse M. Williams. I haven't found anyone who has done genealogical research on this family, but that might help.

I still can't envision that the disposal of Colonel Williams remains at Winchester during or after the war would not have generated a contemporary newspaper account. Naming Confederate senior officers killed in action was a form of trophy collecting for the Federals, a thing to be boasted about. Absent newspaper accounts of his reburial anywhere, either during or after the war, it seems more likely that his remains were not recognized as those of a ranking Confederate officer and were disposed of in an unmarked common grave with other Confederate dead on the field at Spotsylvania Court House.

My next trip down The Valley through Winchester is planned for the end of June. I will make Stonewall Cemetery at Mt. Hebron a "rest stop" and get some photos and see what the headstone for "James M. Williams" has recorded.

Hugh