Being a Corporal had nothing at all to do with being a deserter. As for being Corporal,he may have been promoted to that rank or enlisted as that rank. Back to deserter-
muster rolls were taken every 2 months. If a soldier was not accounted for at muster roll,he may have been listed as
deserter. Many times a soldier would go home for the Spring
planting and come back later,sometimes he was in fact a deserer,and other times a soldier in the infantry would join the cavalry without permission thus he he would be listed as deserter in infantry and may in fact have served to the end of war. Also bear in mind that many records were lost in the evacuation fire in Richmond. And also some units kept better muster rolls than others.