Which company did your relative serve in? My ancestor was in Company A.

Murray's story has been a long historical mystery. We have two family legends about his death. Both seem to agree that he was seriously wounded at Shiloh. Yet they diverge from there. One story I heard from a distant relative recalled that a veteran of the 8th told my relatives after the war that John Murray died in or around Corinth after the Confederate retreat from Shiloh. Another family story claimed that Murray made it back home to northern Arkansas, but died shortly thereafter. This last legend included some cryptic note about the family finding in his shoe the bullet that wounded him.

Muster/pay records of the 8th Arkansas further expand the mystery. Between late 1861 through around May-June 1862 he is consistently recorded as "Absent Sick." Then, on a July-August muster slip, it simply reads "Died." So, according to the bi-monthly records, he wasn't even with his regiment during Shiloh.

I wasn't too surprised to find such disparity, as family legends can often be very inaccurate. And I know it is possible that he may have periodically returned to the regiment and been there at Shiloh. Yet, there was one more regimental record that really throws a monkey wrench into the mix. Some six months after he supposedly died, one more muster record pops up from the regiment with a "John Murray" who was "Seriously wounded in the foot at Murfreesboro." And that's it, no other record of him.

Family legend says he died of wounds from Shiloh. Regimental records say he was sick for months, then died in late summer 1862 . . . then say he (or someone with the same name in the same company---which didn't appear before) was wounded at Murfreesboro six months later. And one family legend brings up a foot wound, just like the last muster record. Who knows the exact story? I think the mystery may only be solved if there is, by some absolute miracle, an existing letter or diary from a fellow 8th Arkansas soldier that mentions my g-g-g-grandfather's death. And that is not likely.

Such family stories are very important, and can really bring history to life. But I try not to get too personally involved with them, or let them influence my view of history too much. Heck, I had a direct relative and his two brothers who supported and even fought for the British as Tories during the American Revolution. One of the brothers (my something-great uncle) was killed leading British loyalists against American militiamen during a skirmish in Georgia. I hold nothing against George Washington or the "rebels." :)

I have ancestors from both sides of the Civil War, and I am fascinated by as well as very proud of all of them. I am not interested in fighting their battles. They already did that, long before I, or my dad, or my grandfather, was born. Some died. Some won. Some lost. And all of those who survived moved on with their lives. I am only interested in learning about them and their fellow Americans as people in a very different time and place. That includes the good, bad and the ugly of it all.

Thank you for the news about the 8th Arkansas books on the way. I will definitely keep my eyes open for them!