Today In Wyoming's History: August 8. The ongoing mystery of Pvt Dilley.

Today In Wyoming's History: August 8:

From Today In Wyoming's History for this day in 1916:

1916   The Cheyenne State Leader for August 8, 1916. The mysterious disappearance of Private Dilley 

Guardsman Pvt. Dilley mysteriously disappeared.

And he still was missing a year later.

Indeed, as we earlier noted, he never reappeared and it was widely presumed that he'd deserted.

I wonder what he was doing, assuming that to be the case, a year later.  Men his age had been required to register for the draft. "Shirkers" were being arrested.  It's hard to believe that he'd still be able to avoid service.

Did he enlist under an assumed name a year later?  Did he register but something kept him from serving? Did whatever it was about the Punitive Expedition that deterred him now seem small?