Posted By:	Paul
	Email:
	Subject:	Re: Wrong age on enlistment papers?
	Post Date:	July 03, 2009 at 07:13:06
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/civilwar/messages/26387.html
	Forum:	Civil War Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/civilwar/

Dawn: Discrepancies in age aren't that uncommon. As Alan suggested, you should check the original, but even that could be wrong for a number of reasons - ranging from an error by the person writing the record to the soldier not knowing his own age (if he was illiterate) to the soldier lieing about his age. On the last point, I have an ancestor who evidently did that. Ages listed for him in census records from 1850-1880 would put his birth year at anywhere between 1809-1818. He enlisted in an Illinois regiment in 1862 and his age was given as 45. That year, the U.S. War Department issued instructions forbidding the mustering of men above the age 45 - so it is "interesting" he was 45 in army records. From research I have done on my ancestor, I place his birth year at about 1809-1810, which would have put him at about age 51-52 when he enlisted in 1862. Paul