Phil
I will give you what I have in the hope that between the two of us and others we may be able to nail for certain the identity of Maj. Ward. The best guess that I can give from the scant evidence available is he may be a James R. Ward. See what I have below.

Formation of Ward's Battalion of C.S. Prisoners at Lynchburg

864/06/11
In Lynchburg this day, Ward's Battalion of C.S. Prisoners was formed from persons who were under the charge of the provost marshal, Lynchburg. Capt. Van. R. Otey, the Provost Marshal, was in charge of the C.S. Military Prison there. The battalion, assembled to defend Lynchburg, was a temporary organization of members of various organizations from various states. On 29 June 1864, Brig. Gen. Francis T. Nicholls, commanding at Lynchburg, wrote the A&IGO, General Samuel Cooper, that among the few troops he had left at Lynchburg were men “who before the late attack on Lynchburg were themselves prisoners, and whom I released for the occasion. I wish you would get the President’s pardon for these men. They have done there duty since their release, except a few whom I would want to except from the general pardon.” [42Va: 72t, 769]. The men in the battalion were pardoned by President Davis and directed by A&IGO Special Order 179, dated 30 July 1864, to be returned to their respective commands. [42Va: 4, S.L. McDaniel].

864/06/29
Brig. Gen. Francis T. Nicholls, cmdg at Lynchburg, this day writes CS A&IGO General Samuel Cooper that among the few troops he has left at Lynchburg are men "who before the late attack on Lynchburg were themselves prisoners, and whom I released for the occasion. I wish you would get the President's pardon for these men. They have done their duty since their release, except a few whom I would want to except from the general pardon." [42Va: 72t, 769]. [Note: The released prisoners that Nicholls sought to have pardoned were probably those who were formed into a unit named Ward's Battalion.] [See entry at 864/07/31 for desertions from the battalion, commanded by James R. Ward, at Lynchburg]

42nd Virginia Soldiers in Ward’s Battalion, Lynchburg, Ordered to Return to the Regiment

864/07/30
AIGO SO179/1, this date, orders that "In consequence of the meritorious conduct of the [Ward's] battalion of soldiers lately released from the military prisons of Lynchburg, and their good conduct during the late operations of the enemy in the immediate vicinity of that city, the President [Jefferson Davis] directs that as soon as their present organization is broken up the men be returned to their respective commands without further investigation of or punishment for the offenses with which they are individually charged." [42Va: 47]

864/07/31
On this day, on Sunday night, ten men deserted from the battalion of James R. Ward stationed at Lynchburg [42Va: 122, 864/08/03]