I'm looking for the parents of my father's paternal grandfather. We got this information from his Confederate Pension, but no word at all on who his folks were. Apparently, he didn't talk much about his early life to his own children and grandchildren. I've found him listed in the "Compendium of The Confederate Armies" as 'James A.'. Seems that I've seen that middle initial confusion elsewhere, too, but I'm not sure where. Name: J.I. Blackshear Born: Henry County, Alabama Date: October 3, 1839 (from unknown but probably realiable family source) [Note: this birthdate is *not* contradicted by his pension form but it's not confirmed, either.] -- Julia Blackshear Kosatka Forthcoming in BLACK GATE - "Bones of the Dead" BLACK GATE: Adventures in Fantasy (first issue, November 2000) www.blackgate.com