Bob,

Yes, I know Capt. Randall Lockmiller quite well. In fact, I found his ggrandfather, James, who "never came home from the war." MIA for some 135 years!

His family signed there names such as James L miller, Harrison L miller, John L miller.

All three of these brothers died of disease during the war and all are listed in burial records with the surname Miller. Harrison at Vicksburg, John somewhere near Shiloe and Randy's ggrandfather at Pt. Lookout POW camp. Two years ago we placed a VA tombstone in their family cemetery at Decatur, Tennessee, during our first descendants reunion.

I got Harrison's name corrected in the Vicksburg burial records.

James was captured at Strasburg in September 1864. There are but two cards in the CSRs with the name James L. Miller, his parole paper, signed James L miller and the Federal record of his capture. The CSR file for James Lockmiller ends with the May/June 1863, dated June 30, 1863 at Vicksburg.

I obtained a "shoe box" full of his letters and that of his wife up through the siege of Vicksburg. They are deposited in the Special Collections Department at Emory University in Atlanta.

I will be meeting Randy at Vicksburg for our descendants of the 43rd Tennessee reunion this coming June.

Based on the Lockmiller history, I have to believe that when POWs or Hospital patients were recorded, they actually signed in, rather than having their names recorded by a Clerk. I wonder if someone could comment on this assumption.

Thanks,

George Martin