A brick wall - maybe a fake name???

[Ohoopee]

Have you tried researching G. W. Smith and his family?  He was born in 1837 in Edgefield.  (The family was living in Gilbert Hollow, Lexington, South Carolina in 1870.) I wonder if they could have been related.  Of course, Smith is a terribly common name.

I did find the G. W. Smith family but I was never able to determine who the parents of G. W. Smith were.  If he is related to Payton, he is likely either an older brother or cousin as he is too close to Peyton's age to be his father.

[Lisa in California]

Thank you for providing additional details.  What a quest to take on, but I would imagine it is very rewarding and interesting.

Have you checked to see if the soldiers possibly knew each other before signing up? Did any live near others during the 1860 census? If men chose to sign up with Company A, two or more friends could have encouraged each other to sign up together. Have you found any other soldiers born in or near Edgefield? 

Your research seems extensive so you’ve most likely run across the following, but suggesting it in case it helps:

https://www.cem.va.gov/nationwide-gravesite-locator/

I believe some of the headstones include company or battalion numbers.

You’ve most likely thought of and run across this, but the ages provided by the men could be inaccurate, allowing them to serve if they were too young or too old.

Have you found any men who had shady backgrounds?  Were they allowed to sign up? Is it possible that Peyton signed up with them?

You’ve most likely searched for various Smith spellings for Peyton? (I tried, but obviously it didn’t help.)  Have you searched for Smiths in the Edgefield or South Carolina area to see if boys or girls had  “similar” given names?  Perhaps Peyton was a surname in the family and the parents gave Peyton’s siblings similar names, such as Gordon Smith or McKenzie Smith?  Or, as previously suggested, he switched his name around.  Possibly his surname was Peyton and wanting to cover up his past he changed his surname to Smith.

Apologies for all of the questions; I’m hoping that I’ve asked one or more points that you’ve not yet considered, or perhaps they may make you think of other ways to search.  Other RootsChatters may come along with better ideas.

Added: perhaps it’s been mentioned but did anyone else in his company desert around the same time or place as Peyton?  Do you know if Cottonwood Crossing was a notorious place for desertion and if so, have you researched where other deserters ended up?  Of course, they could have scattered in all directions.

I will have a look around for details for G. W. Smith and family.

[Ohoopee]

Have you checked to see if the soldiers possibly knew each other before signing up? Did any live near others during the 1860 census? If men chose to sign up with Company A, two or more friends could have encouraged each other to sign up together. Have you found any other soldiers born in or near Edgefield?

  Yes there were others from Edgefield County South Carolina but none who enlisted on the same date as Peyton.  Edgefield Co South Carolina is actually very close to Augusta Georgia, Edgefield, Aiken, and Barnwell Counties South Carolina are just across the Savannah River from Augusta and all three of those counties are represented in this company.  The odd part is that for Smith to be such a common name, Peyton was the only Smith in either Company G, 3rd Battalion Georgia Infantry or Company A, 4th Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters.  I already looked into the possibility that Payton enlisted with someone...and he still may have but I have just found no evidence of it.  Peyton is not the only member of this company that I have found no record of at all.  There was a Corporal named Robert S. Rozier/Rosier.  The only clue I have about this man at all comes from the soldier who wrote about this company after the war.  He wrote that Corporal Rozier was a Professional Artist...and that is all I have ever found on this man.  I believe he was probably an immigrant, either from Germany or the Alsace Region of France but have found no actual record of this man at all other than his military record. 

In regards to other members of the Battalion who were captured, enlisted in the US army and deserted, off the top of my head, I can think of 4 who did...3 from Company A, and 1 from Company C.  Two from Company A were Peyton Smith and my GG uncle Joshua Daughtry as discussed.  My gg uncle Joshua Daughtry and his brother Berrian Daughtry were both from Bulloch County Georgia.  After the war, Joshua moved to Telfair County Georgia.  The other man from Company A who deserted the US army was named Pinkney Silas/Cilas Redding.  According this his US army enlistment papers, Pinkney Redding was born about 1844 in Abbeville County South Carolina.  He deserted the US Army at Fort Wardwell, Colorado Territory.  The US Army stated "he was enticed away by teamsters and immigrants by receiving offers of clothing and money and a means of escape."  I actually believe I managed to find a little info on Pinkney Redding.  I believe he was the son of a Samuel Redding/Reddin and his wife Elizabeth of Abbeville South Carolina.  After the war, Pinkney moved to California where he married a woman named Elizabeth J. Thomas on June 24, 1881 in Ventura County CA.  I last find him in a register dated 1894 in the town of Bakersfield California.  He did have one child, a daughter named Ida May Redding who married a man named Jesse Horton.

The man in Company C who deserted the us army was named James Whatley Collier.  He was actually placed under arrest by the US Army for "trying to incite other members of his company to desert by stealing horses and escaping to Texas or Utah at or near Forth Leavenworth Kansas.  He was actually convicted and sent to prison but interestingly enough, escaped prison.  He ended up in Ellis County Texas.  His wife and two children ended up moving to the town of Wichita Falls Texas where his wife would own and operate a boarding house.  His son would later serve as Mayor for the city of Wichita Falls.  However, I have found no evidence that he ever went with them to Wichita Falls with them.  He may have but if so, died shortly after the move...or he died in Ellis County Texas and this his wife and kids moved to Wichita Falls...am not sure which...so as you can see..these men all pretty much spread out after they deserted.

[Lisa in California]

I intended to continue with this topic in August; I’m finally back.

Re James Whatley Collier…
Perhaps you’ve already found the following, but mentioning it in case it helps -

Death certificates for James’ children (providing that I found his actual children)
On Frank’s certificate, the father’s name is John Wesley Collier
On Rhonda’s certificate, the father’s name is a closer match, James Watling Collier

Perhaps at some point James started using different given names, or whomever filled out Frank’s certificate made an error?