[William T. Allen joined Company H, the Floyd Infantry, 8th Georgia Volunteer Infantry, on May 13, 1861. He was granted a certificate of discharge, on account of disability, July 2, 1862, but action taken thereon is not shown. Deserted at Bull Gap, Tenn. March 22, 1864. He was wounded in the arm at First Manassas, July 21, 1861.]

The status of her husband, William Thomas Allen, has never been determined. Obviously, he must have visited her between 1861 and 1864. In fact, when the 8th Georgia Infantry moved to TN, she may have moved there then to be near him. The only thing known in the family is that he simply never returned. Searches of census records from 1870 have not shown him. It has always been the tradition in the family that he met with foul play or was killed in Tennessee. CSA records show him as deserting on March 22, 1864, but that only means that he was not present at that time or after. Henry Harper of Co. E stated in his diary that on March 22, 1864 there was a "big snow." The regiment at that time was near Bull Gap, TN on its way back to rejoin the Army of Northern Virginia.