Many thanks, Robert. I sought Stubbs' history and was taken aback by the price asked by various sellers on the 'Net -- three figures! Too impatient for Interlibrary Loan, I ordered his Compiled Service info, which I'm awaiting, so I appreciate having my impatience "fed" in the meantime. As a telegrapher, Gaston is known to history by a single incident -- the tapping of Grant's link with Washington which led to "the Beefsteak Raid" in the fall of 1864. My impression is that he was never truly "detached" from his original unit, the 11th Miss, so this seems to be an opportunity to learn how such special details were handled. The accepted history is that he was serving as "Lee's cipher operator" or "Lee's telegraph operator," and I suspect that that was like the traditional reputation for any veteran of service in Virginia ... that "he served under General Robert E. Lee." But I hope to learn who "signed his orders" or authorized his details for non-infantry service.