This is what I don't understand. There is no War Department record in his wife's pension application. In all the others I have there is. One of the witnesses she used was W.H. Beazley.
From his service record I received was this.

1. Corporal B.F. Lilly, of Captain RJ Hughes Battery, Light Artillery Appears on a list of men who are absent from the organization named above, and who have been dropped as deserters. Not dated. Date of desertion August 3, 1863. Deserted from Vermillion Village, Louisana.

2. Appears on a list of men who deserted from Captain RJ Huge's battery Light Artillery adn whose names have been dropped from the company roll duirng the yeat 1863. List dated October 27, 1863.

There was no record of him that they sent to me under his own company. I think it was just a 6 month enlistment, but I am not sure.

So now, on hs wife's pension she stated that his first command was Est of the Mississippi undr Hughe's Light Artillery. She goes on to say," After the fall of Vicksbury he joined Capain WH Beazley's Unattached Calvary by order of JB Magruder and served with him until the close of the War in MAy of 1865. For a short time he served under Comapny K, Moran's Rwegiment."

My question is why there is no record of his service beyond his reprted to be a deserter. Believe me , I have been working on this mystery for 3 years now. I am with you Craig, I just don't believe our state would grant a pension to a deserter. I just want to prove to myself that he did serve honorably. Other than the pension, I have come up empty handed. Also, why would he be Captain of a Company if he was in bad standing.

I did find a papragraph written about the Company where is states the Company was formed to give those Confederate soldiers a bad standign a chnce to serve the Confederacy Honorably. Maybe that was his chance, I don't know. Texas only had a muster roll taken from a published book about the unit. Where would the records be, if any. I can't find them in Texas or the NA.

Thanks
Christy