Basically, I was trying to get a handle on what factors contributed to Evan Talley (Sgt) -- my 4th GreatGrandDad -- having taking 'The Oath'.
As I researched Evan Talley, I found him in Rabun County, GA --farming with his dad, Nathaniel Talley -- on the 1860 Census. I wondered what would have caused him to go out of his way to muster in the Greenville/Pickens area, since it would be at least a couple days travel, all the way passing many muster points.
I further noticed that both his dad and one of his brothers -- Anderson Talley -- seem to have mustered in Georgia.
Then I look at his unit and find the Lieutenant over him to be Dyer Talley, and these are the only two Talley's I can find in the whole unit.
Next I find Dyer Talley's service records. Wow!! I uncovered something highly irregular.
Dyer Talley has an unusually thick CSR, due to the fact that there was a court of inquiry against him for having been the last person to have seen a large sum of CSA money. The funds were entrusted him for the purpose of paying the troops. There was question as to whether the money was misappropriated; Dyer Talley testified that he was walking down King Street -- after he withdrew the cash -- and "lost it". There is even a letter written from the hand of Gen. Beauregard to Dyer Talley, regarding the issue.
I have tried to establish whether Dyer Talley was an Uncle of Evan or something, but there were multiple Dyer Talley's listed in the same area of Greenville/Pickens on the 1861 Census.
My curiosity may just be getting the best of me, but I really would like to understand these issues more fully.
Knowing what I know about the sons of Evan Talley -- Moonshing, Shooting Policeman, being run out of town, ect. -- it would not be entirely out of the realm of possibility for the money to have been the source of the huge amount of land that they had in Brevard, NC.
Of course, there are many more questions than answers, and I am well outside my area of expertise.
Is there anyone that would be interested in collaborating and/or investigating this topic? I am not looking for any compensation, just the truth about what happened. Perhaps someone could have a publishable work here?