Laura,

When I was researching my regimental history of the 38th Mississippi Infantry, I found several members of Company B from Claiborne County who had been conscripted into the unit deserted after the siege of Vicksburg and joined the 17th Wisconsin Infantry. While I was at the National Archives I looked up the U.S. Pension application of one of them, Farris A. Fife, and he gave this reason for deserting from the Confederate Army: "All my family were Unionist in politics, and very much opposed to the war...I went into Union lines and finally joined a Wisconsin Regiment. Quite a number of my boy associates went with me to the army but all of them are now dead...Outside of my family no one knew that I was a federal soldier; my friends knew that I had left the county and state but did not know I had enlisted. I married and did not care to have my wife and child ostracized." Now exactly how committed he was to the Union I don't know, for he was accused of deserting from the Federal army as well at one point. Somewhere I have a list of all the men in the 38th who deserted and joined the 17th Wisconsin - if you would like a copy, let me know, and I will try to look it up.
Jeff Giambrone