If one looks through a Confederate Company micro film roll, there is often a large variation in size of record from one soldier to another.

Some records may end after only one page with no clue on that page as to whether a man continued to serve or was killed, wounded, discharged, deserted, etc...
Other men have many muster cards.

If a man has only a single page, would it be safe to say he served only a short while or could a man who served four years have only a one page record ?

In other words, can we assume length of sevice by number of muster roll cards, or is there really no ryme nor reason to it from one soldier to another, or one company to another ?

Thanks,

D.W.