I don't know if this will help. My gguncle, Lewis Hamm, deserted the confederate army and joined the 18th Indiana Inf around March of 1864. The 18th was in Indianola Texas at that time. My family lived in Indianola Texas at that time since 1860. He had joined a Texas unit, 25th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (3rd Texas Lancers) (Gillespie's) around 1861-62 but never served, he is listed as a deserter. I have no idea what he done during the in between time.
After the war he setteled in Bringhurst Indiana, married and had several kids. I visited that area a couple of years ago and got a copy of his obit and it confrmed the story. He died in 1920 and is buried near Bringhurst. I have no idea how he ended up in Indiana after the war, however my aunt told me a story about a uncle that left and went north during the war and never returned. She died in 1973, but I think this must be the person she talked about. What started all this was I found an envelope in a old trunk addressed to Jacob Hamm from Lewis Hamm and it is postmarked from Bringhurst Indiana arounf 1890. Jacob Hamm is my g grandfather. I do know the Germans around south Texas were against thw war and just wanted to be left alone.
The 18th Indiana Inf occupied Matagora Island and most of south Texas fo a while. Well, so much for the rambling, I hope some day to find the link of how Lewis (Louis) Hamm chose that part of Indiana to settle in after the war.

James R Hamm