In News 198d97ae-d859-44a5-9b85-e10ac512bb13@m77g2000hsc.googlegroups.com,, JDLail at JDLail@yahoo.com, typed this: > 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. I would say that your evidence is very strong. There is seldom any such thing as slam-dunk proof when you're dealing with records that old.

"James A. Doemer" <ckdbigtoeNOSPAM@comcast.net> wrote in message news:OrCdnbVnt9l2rxnanZ2dnUVZ_g6dnZ2d@comcast.com... > In News > 198d97ae-d859-44a5-9b85-e10ac512bb13@m77g2000hsc.googlegroups.com,, JDLail > at JDLail@yahoo.com, typed this: > >> 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. > > I would say that your evidence is very strong. There is seldom any such > thing as slam-dunk proof when you're dealing with records that old. This is one case where, if there are males with direct descent from the apparent 2 Jameses, y chromosome DNA analysis would provide a large bit of help. It will at least show that they have a common male ancestor. Lesley Robertson