Ron: I respect your comments, but everything I have appears to support his service in the Legion for abut a year. I am going to check out his service in CSR again, as well as look back at the Memory Rolls. Unfortunately, it will take a while; the closest microfilm for me for the Compiled Service Records is at Greenville, about 1 3/4 hours away, and for the Memory Rolls, a microfilm copy at Anderson, an hour and 1/4 off. Both are available at the S.C. Archives, but their hours are not user frendly enough to be of much help. The Sep-Oct 63 roll is the last one existant for the Legion in 1863, but it was not prepared until the Legion got settled (semi) into camp follwoing the Knoxville Campaign, in early Jan 64, and reflects information to that date. The next rolls existant are the Sep-Oct 64 rolls, so there is a substantial gap, and it was during this time that the Legion was reorganized into mounted infantry, with a good many changes. The Memory Rolls (actually "South Carolian Troops in Confederate Service," 3 bound manuscript volumes, was prepared about 1890-95 by the surviving veterans, from memory, hence the name, to suypport the State pension program, and has errors, and usually very little personal information.

If you know of another R. C. Bethea who might fill the bill, let me know. I'm open to suggestions. However, the information I have all points to your ancestor as having served, quite honorably, for the period in question.

Lee