You can't use Gibbon's testimony of his time of service as a guide to how long these units existed...he gave no dates...he tendered his resignation, the unit didn't disband,...a very liberal system I would say. Compared to all the other testimony, in almost every case, those that admitted Confederate service did so under duress, (one had the audacity to say he volunteered into the Confederate Army but did not sign an oath).. so he was not alone. I bet you 10 to 1 he was kicked out. If so many free men in New Orleands didn't volunteer without complications, why did he? If he was under duress to join, how could he have freely quit?