Just a note to pass along to the list. I don't care to get involved in an on going debate but thought I'd add a few comments. These may have already been covered, if so I apologize to the list. Research is like money. Personal interest dictates how well it is managed. I personally have researched several hundred individuals that served in the Confederate State of America. As a member of Sons of Confederate Veterans part of our duty is to find, document and place markers for these soldiers. I'm sorry I have a long list already so I don't have time for anymore. In my home state of Texas we have researched cemeteries , ordered markers and then held dedication ceremonies for these veterans. In regards to research, problems may arise along the way but the individual must be persistent. In dealing with the National Archives I have been very fortunate. When filling out these forms they will only research one area, pension, period or compiled service records, at a time. Also only on company at a time. Since Confederate pension records are not kept in Washington it is useless to check the pension box , for a confederate soldier. If your ancestor served in more than one company at a time, a separate form has to be submitted for each. When the form is returned it may state e.g.. that a person by the same name also appears in Company D, F, & K besides the Co. C you submitted. The reason for this is consolidation of the companies and the information is all in one card file. On other occasions the individual may serve in the infantry go home wounded, not return, and reappear in a cavalry company, every infantryman's dream. The NA form ask that you complete as much info as possible, where born, died, served etc. If I want to eliminate a possible company of service, I just give the individuals name, state, branch and company. Submit several forms at the same time with the basic info but for the different companies he may have served in. You will only pay for the ones that match. Remember people misread names back then just as they do now. State Archives, college and university libraries usually have microfilm card index files for the Civil War, pertaining to the state where the repository is. The complete service file has to come from Washington. If you live in Texas and/or researching a veteran that served in a Texas unit, Hillsboro College Research Center has almost all the complete microfilm rolls of Texas units. Many universities have microfilm newspapers of the period. Battle reports were often submitted to the papers for publication, containing list of killed and wounded. Papers in Virginia, Texas and Louisiana are some states that I am personally aware of published reports. I could go on but there are books on this subject and sites on the web that also deal it. Even the Official Record of the War of the Late Rebellion ( referred to as OR) is on CD-ROM. Broadfoot has published a complete list of Confederate veterans that appear in the NA microfilm records. The several volume set is available at most large genealogy libraries. Our on library, a town of 32,000, has this set in the genealogy room, bought by donations. County Courthouses through out the south have pension application books, when available, and indigent list of widows and orphans. Some counties, I have found, also have the membership books of the United Confederate Veterans. These were usually given to the county when the aging veterans no longer had enough members for a quorum. These books usually state unit, company and branch of service, minutes of meetings. I have asked for these books all across the south, many times told no such book, but would find the book sometimes. Court house employees really don't know what all is in the records. It is up to the INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHER to find this information. Be positive, patient and convinced that you will find something. If you don't you gave it a good shoot. One last thought if your veteran had a brother that served in the same unit, usually they did, send to your state archives for his pension also. The amount of information is really surprising in the pension applications; often stating brothers, fathers that served in the same Co.; when they migrated to the state they are submitting the application. etc. If your veteran later moved to Texas you may be in luck. All southern states would only give pensions to individuals that served from the home state. Texas was an exception, granting pensions to anyone that met residency and financial requirements required by law, usually six months in a county of the state. GERALD