I now see your note about the man from Claiborne County TN. More than likely deserters would have gone back to their home counties. For Quarles' 42nd Tennessee Regt. that should be counties in the central part of the state.

Men who weren't captured with the rest of their regiments were often reassigned to new commands, sometimes permanently or sometimes not. It didn't seem to matter about the home state of the soldiers being reassigned. For instance, a number of Alabama soldiers were assigned to the Appeal Battery from Arkansas.

Up until the latter part of 1863, Wheeler's Cavalry represented a rather small number of mounted units. The regimental history for Carter's 1st Tennessee states that it served under Wheeler during the Murfreesboro Campaign. Up until 1864 it usually operated in the Department of East Tennessee.

Could you provide names of any soldiers who were reassigned as mentioned?