Looking for a little help interpreting Civil War roster notations.
While posting military service records for an ancestor, I came across a curious notation.
The record showed that the person had enlisted on date 1 but was not present on roster date 2. They were listed as "deserted" on that date. Subsequent records showed the person had been transferred to another unit and finished their enlistment there. I have seen this before numerous times, and I am wondering if the term "deserted" just meant the person had left the unit and the reason was not known. Or did it actually mean AWOL? It almost seems that the writer meant to say "has left the unit' for whatever reason, instead of actually "deserted".
Just wondering if anyone else has come across this, and how you handled it in RM.
Thanks
Rick