Paul, We have a similar tale . . . Our ancestor, Newt Hendrix, was injured at Gettysburg and left for dead on the battlefield. He was taken prisoner and placed in a hospital for about a year. He says at the end of the year, he was released by the "Yankees" at Washington and returned home. The confederates considered him deserted. The union said he took the oath. We believe he may have been desperate to go home (he was only about 19 years old, lost an eye and was severely injured in the knee) and after a year, threw up his hands, took the oath and got to go home. He says he didn't take the oath, but who really knows? He was denied a pension because of it, though! Karen