Is there a possibility that Ignatius Cooper reinlisted towards the end of the war? There is a family recorded history about how he came home after the war. The family history indicates that he was at Appomatox when Lee surrendered. That he barely made it home.
The record of him being sick verifies part of the story. That he was so hungry that he ate cornmeal mixed with water and not cooked. He was so ill that he could not go into battle. A friend and neighbor took his place in battle and was killed. Ignatius always felt he owed some obligation to the man's family.
I think I have seen I Cooper in the ranks. Can anyone confirm?