On Jan 8, 8:47 am, Christopher Jahn <xj...@yahoo.com> wrote: > JDLail <JDL...@yahoo.com> wrote innews:198d97ae-d859-44a5-9b85-e10ac512bb13@m77g2000hsc.googlegroup > s.com: > > > > > I have a case where one of my family (Confederate) from > > Georgia was captured in the Civil War, taken to > > Fort Columbus (NY City area), took the oath of allegiance, and > > was released in Sept 1863. He never came > > home. His four children were scattered between the paternal > > grandparents and the mother. > > > However a man with his name shows up in Northern New Jersey > > within months of his 1863 release . He > > married and remained in Morris Co. NJ until his death in 1926. > > So its reasonable to suspect that these > > are the same guy. The surname here (Lail) was exceedingly rare > > at that point in time and the given name > > (James) had never been used before in the family, > > > This James appeared in 5 New Jersey census records from > > 1870-1920. In all cases he lists his birthplace > > as Georgia. In all cases but one he lists his fathers > > birthplace as Georgia as well. The exception being > > 1920 when he gave it as North Carolina. And finally In all > > cases but one he gives a birth year ca. 1846-7. > > The exception being 1880 when he gave 1836-7 for his birth. > > > The James missing from my family was born 1834-7 in Tennessee > > but was raised in Georgia. The family > > moved there ca. 1842. His father was born in NC. So do I have > > enough proof ? Thanks. > > Census data can never be *proof*; not only do they not require > documentation, you have no way of knowing who provided the > information. Was this person REALLY James Lail, or someone > pretending to be him? The census taker wouldn't know; they may > not even have ever talked to him. Neighbors often provide the > information, and they don't always know. > > While I think this is probably your guy, you need corroborating > evidence to have "proof." What you have now is only evidence. > But knowing where he was living, you know where to concentrate > you efforts for more evidence. As to proof: The widow of the James Lail in Georgia received public assistance because her husband was reported as killed at Morris Island SC in Aug 1863. His unit on that documentation was SC 1st Reg Co. H. The James Lail who was captured was also from SC 1st Reg Co. H. and was captured at Morris Island SC in Jul 1863. So the guy who was released in Sept 1863 is the same as the guy from Georgia. The question is whether he is the same as the guy in New Jersey. So far the consensus seems to be that I need a little more proof

Why not seek the 1926 death cert. for the man who died in NJ? That should (hopefully) give his parents' names so you can match him to the man from GA. Joy JDLail wrote: > On Jan 8, 8:47 am, Christopher Jahn <xj...@yahoo.com> wrote: > >>JDLail <JDL...@yahoo.com> wrote innews:198d97ae-d859-44a5-9b85-e10ac512bb13@m77g2000hsc.googlegroup >>s.com: >> >> >> >> >>>I have a case where one of my family (Confederate) from >>>Georgia was captured in the Civil War, taken to >>>Fort Columbus (NY City area), took the oath of allegiance, and >>>was released in Sept 1863. He never came >>>home. His four children were scattered between the paternal >>>grandparents and the mother. >> >>>However a man with his name shows up in Northern New Jersey >>>within months of his 1863 release . He >>>married and remained in Morris Co. NJ until his death in 1926. >>>So its reasonable to suspect that these >>>are the same guy. The surname here (Lail) was exceedingly rare >>>at that point in time and the given name >>>(James) had never been used before in the family, >> >>>This James appeared in 5 New Jersey census records from >>>1870-1920. In all cases he lists his birthplace >>>as Georgia. In all cases but one he lists his fathers >>>birthplace as Georgia as well. The exception being >>>1920 when he gave it as North Carolina. And finally In all >>>cases but one he gives a birth year ca. 1846-7. >>>The exception being 1880 when he gave 1836-7 for his birth. >> >>>The James missing from my family was born 1834-7 in Tennessee >>>but was raised in Georgia. The family >>>moved there ca. 1842. His father was born in NC. So do I have >>>enough proof ? Thanks. >> >>Census data can never be *proof*; not only do they not require >>documentation, you have no way of knowing who provided the >>information. Was this person REALLY James Lail, or someone >>pretending to be him? The census taker wouldn't know; they may >>not even have ever talked to him. Neighbors often provide the >>information, and they don't always know. >> >>While I think this is probably your guy, you need corroborating >>evidence to have "proof." What you have now is only evidence. >>But knowing where he was living, you know where to concentrate >>you efforts for more evidence. > > > > As to proof: The widow of the James Lail in Georgia received public > assistance because her husband was reported as killed at Morris > Island SC in Aug 1863. His unit on that documentation was SC 1st > Reg Co. H. > > The James Lail who was captured was also from SC 1st Reg Co. > H. and was captured at Morris Island SC in Jul 1863. > > So the guy who was released in Sept 1863 is the same as the > guy from Georgia. The question is whether he is the same as the > guy in New Jersey. So far the consensus seems to be that I > need a little more proof

On Jan 21, 4:58 pm, Joy Weaver <joywe...@verizon.net> wrote: > Why not seek the 1926 death cert. for the man who died in NJ? That should > (hopefully) give his parents' names so you can match him to the man from GA. Because NJ is anal about releasing Death Certificates to non immediate family (which I am not).