Charles:
The Kelley/Kelly problem continues to vex me. Company D of the Hampton legion Infantry, the Gist Rifles, is one of the best documented companies with which I am familiar serving with the Confederate forces. The muster rolls for the Legion Infantry (converted to Mounted Infantry Apr 1864) are virtually complete through 1863, then are very spotty for 1864. But the company ahd a very active survivor's association, had a member who kept meticulous records, and there was a good deal of matter wrtten in local papers about the company postwar.

Mansel P. Kelly (note the spelling of the first name and surname)enlisted in Co D at Camp Griffin, Va. on 27 Aug 1861, age ca 34. He is shown as present on the rolls of the company until transferred to I/2 S.C. CAV 13 Jun 62, is shown as sick on the Jun 62 roll for that company, then present from Jul 62 thorugh Dec 64. He is the man I beleive may have ended up in Oakland. The last published roll of the Company prepared by the Survivors' Association lsits him as "M. Pickney Kelly, survived, transferred." That was in 1910.

A second soldier in the same company, but with a clearly different service record, is Mancel Pinckeny Kelley, called "Pink," who first appears on the Jul-Aug 62 roll of the company, shown as transferred from another regiment, but I have never been able to ID another unit. His age was about 18. He is shown as absent on the Jul-Aug 62 roll (which was not prepared until Oct, due to active campaigning, and probably reflects his status then, not on 31 Aug), present on the Sep 62 through Apr 63 rolls; on special furlough (probably for furnishing a recruit) on the May through Jul 63 rolls, AWOL from Sep-Nov 63; no rolls Jan-Aug 64; present Sep-Oct 64; asbsent on unspecified detached service Nov-Dec 64. He married Eliza Ann R. Thompson 20 Jul 63 while on furlough. I have him born 1 Sep 1843 in Kershaw District, S.C. There is a slim file on Eliza in the Ownes Family File, Kershaw Archives, which indicates she died in Mt. Pleasant, Texas 9 Jan 1935. The man you graciously identified is undoubtedly this Mancel. I will add you information on him to my database.

I speculate that "Oklahoma" M. P. K. transferred to Company D, which was from Anderson District, halfway across the State, to join several Kelley's who were members of the company and probably cousins, but by the time he got there, one William Harvey Kelly, had been killed at Seven Pines, and "California" M.P.K.had been transferred to the cavalry. I can't acocunt for the transfer any other way. The surname of one is spelled Mansel, the other Mancel; California M.P. K. spelles his surname "Kelly," while "Oklahoma M.P.K. spelled it "Kelley"
Very confusing! I'll keep looking.