Reading other's query regarding Civil War rank of ancestor. My Joseph Keller immigrated from Switzerland via Germany, I believe. He show up in Memphis, TN in 1845 at 25 years of age. I know there was one other man by that name in Memphis at that same time, but rosters for Confederate Civil War soldiers shows 6 men by that name. Most were shown as Private, but one is shown as a Captain. Since my Joseph Keller was educated, and since he came from Switzerland where all young men had to go through military training, do you think he might have been a captain? I sent for one of the records for a private and got no information to speak of - no age, no dates of enlistment etc. - just that he was sick. Could these six men actually be only one or two that were moved from one regiment to another as the war progressed and units were decimated? Also, my Joseph Keller died in 1864, but I cannot find any record of that in Tennessee. Any suggestions?

Hello Evelyn, Your story about Joseph Keller from Switzerland intrigues me. As you may know, the Swiss are the most peace loving people on earth. They have always been neutral and never fought in a war. I'm truly surprised to see that not only your Joseph but several other of his countrymen have fought in the civil war, on either side. I understand having fought on the Union side but on the Confederate side? There is something strange going on on the 1850 census in Shelby Co, specifically with some of the children and the older woman, who go by the name of Baumgaertner [of course the census taker wrote "Bum...something]. Have you been able to shed some light on these family members? Also, I have not been able to find Elizabeth and her children on the 1870 or 1880 census. Have you been able to check the 1894 State Census regard CW Soldiers, Sailors, Pensioners, Widows and Orphans? This census [at least in Michigan] gives the name of the surviving spouse and if she remarried, the surname of her second husband. For example, what happened to son Henry Keller who apprenticed to be a saddler? Where did you get the info that Joseph died in 1864? Just curious. Evelyn Wicke wrote: > Reading other's query regarding Civil War rank of ancestor. My Joseph > Keller immigrated from Switzerland via Germany, I believe. He show up > in Memphis, TN in 1845 at 25 years of age. I know there was one other > man by that name in Memphis at that same time, but rosters for > Confederate Civil War soldiers shows 6 men by that name. Most were > shown as Private, but one is shown as a Captain. Since my Joseph Keller > was educated, and since he came from Switzerland where all young men had > to go through military training, do you think he might have been a > captain? I sent for one of the records for a private and got no > information to speak of - no age, no dates of enlistment etc. - just > that he was sick. Could these six men actually be only one or two that > were moved from one regiment to another as the war progressed and units > were decimated? Also, my Joseph Keller died in 1864, but I cannot find > any record of that in Tennessee. Any suggestions? > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GERMANY-PASSENGER-LISTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > . >