Greg,
I think we are starting to see a pattern here.
I have read alot of books on the war between the states and know that there have been many incidents were a soldier when become seperated from his company have joined up with another company or unit. Think about it, this is a time before SSN,ID's ect. All one had to do is change an initial, say they were from a different county ect..
I do know that the 50th became consolidated after the exchange of prisoners. But do to the fact that my grandfather was never a prisoner, he must have went and served in another unit. My mom and my grandmother both have said that James refused to surrender and that he escaped with Forrest. I think that it is most likely that he left when Forrest did, and not at the surrender.
I have read several Stewart County family histories that say the same thing about thier families.
Forrest said that any soldier that was not willing to surrender and wanted to come with him could. I feel in my heart that my grandfather did just that.
Its funny but my family stills feels the war. In fact they still the pain from when the TVA came and took their land there in the LBL area. I have hundreds of relatives burried there. Even though I was born in Oklahoma, My families pain has been instilled in us.