"a prerequisite"? I'm sorry if I used that adjective. My understanding is many/most/alot of the men who joined the 7th Btn Cav and 21st (zeke counts) had served in the state lines. At least, that's what Noah Sutherland said in the recollection of the was from books published by the family in the early 1900's. Ralph Mann's writings also cite this source and Jeff Weaver's article creates somewhat of the same impression.