In the December edition of North & South Dr Gregory Urwin of Temple University wrote and article on the Battle of Helena AK on July 4, 1863. According to records at Alton Federal Prison at Alton, IL. my gg grandfather William B. Meek was captured at that battle and subsequently died at Alton on December 23, 1863 and is buried in the Confederate Cemetery at Alton. The monument at Alton shows his unit as A Company 7th Missouri with no other designation. A Mr. Mike Meatte had a web site on the 7th Missouri Calvary which showed William Meek as a member of C Company and also as being captured at Helena and dying in Alton(At this time this web site does not appear to be functioning). However the Missouri Sons of Confederate Veterans roster of Confederate Units do not show a William Meek in any company. I do not know whether these roster are supposed to be all inclusive are were at a particular time. Secondly Dr. Urwin could find no 7th Missouri Calvary in his notes of Confederate forces involved at Helena. The National Park Service Civil War History site show the 7th Missouri Cavalry Regiment CSA being formed on July 9, 1863 (five days after Helena) with Col. Kitchen's 7th Missouri Cavalry Battalion being the nucleus. So if the Missouri SCV's 7th Cavalry Regiment roster is for that unit then William Meek would not be in it as he was already a POW. However, at the time of the 7th organization on July 9th it was assigned to Maraduke's Cavalry Division which had fought at Helena. To complicate matters the National Park Service site shows William B Meek as a member of A Company 16th Missouri Infantry. Two problems with this scenario exist. First the 16th Missouri Infantry was not formed until early 1864 and as such it could not have fought at Helena and my William B. Meek was dead. The 16th was formed from Caldwell's 7th and Jackson's 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment and assigned to Parson's Brigade of Price's Infantry Division both of which fought at Helena and Parson's Brigade had a 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment under the command of Col. L.M. Lewis that was in the thick of the fighting. My question is two fold. How common was if for a unit to carry the roster of men from units it was made out of and second which record is more likely to be accurate, the Alton prison records or the Missouri SCV unit rosters. I guess a third one could be on this scenario. William B. Meek was a member of Col. Lewis' 7th Missouri Infantry, was captured at Helena, and was carried on the roster when the two 7th Regiments were combined to form the 16th. Everything would then fit, but the notation on Mike Meatte 7th Missouri Calvary site about William Meek. However, since Alton Prison's records do not show whether he was in an Infantry or Calvary regiment that could just be a mistake. Anybody got any ideas where to go to resolve this. In their memory, "LEST WE FORGET" Bob Meek Hickory, NC