No, Faldage...there was always a small percentage of desertion in any battle, but in the standard battle casualty designations of "killed, wounded, and/or missing" missing refers to those killed without ID, disfigured beyond recognition without any identifying papers, and, sadly, large numbers simply blown to bits, disintergrated or rendered into red mist by grape shot and cannister. Thousands of men were missing-in-action after the vast open-field engagement of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. This term has been carried through in warfare to this day. It's not a desertion stat. "Went missing" in this case is just flat wrong and abhorrent to the ear.