I too was thinking of the civil war actually, the RECONSTRUCTION period. The most horrendous time for the South. What a hard time to be born in. My ancestors in North Alabama near the TN border had been under occupation by the Yankee Army for most of the War and some 12 years after. Records were destroyed in many counties. I have brickwalls ends in Jackson, Madison, Limestone, & Lawrence Cos. AL. All of their crops were destroyed, all their farm animals taken; Alabama had to come from scratch after the war. Many lost everything they had. Many lost husbands and sons in the War. Among a lot of things that occured was the taxes levied on Alabama citizens to the New Federal Government to pay for the war. It was so bad that NY abt 1875 finally protested, "Taxation without Representation was unconstitutional". This was 10 years after the war. Many lost their land to Northern carpetbaggers because they could not pay the taxes. There were many who moved away, a lot moved to Texas. Those who stayed fought the oppresion or each other. During the War some Alabamians were on the Union side. This caused a great rift in families. I have one cousin who aided and abeted the Yankees invaders. Records show claims for compensation made by them after 1865. Needless to say they were ostrasized by loyal Confederates. josie At 10:08 AM 09/10/1999 -0500, you wrote: >The Civil War was 1861 - 1865. If your John James Hodges was born about >1871, he was not dodging that conflict. He may have been elgible for the >Spanish-American war of 1898. I doubt that he was a draft-doger. Just >remember >that if your ancestors did something great and wonderful, it does not make you >great and wonderful and by the same token, if they were horse theives or >something >terrible, you are not responsible for their actions. You can only be >responsible >for you. > >When I got a copy of my Dennis Newton Hodges Civil War record from the >MS Dept of History and Archives, I was happy that he served as a 2nd LT in >the 10th MS Cav until one of his roll calls or musters show him as a deserter. >He had been captured by the Yankees and spent the last part of the war in >a Yankee POW camp in Beaufort. > >Before 1900, most states kept no vital records but the 13 original states had >some cities and counties that did. If the family's church affiliation is >known, >you may find a birth record in some church records. I got a lot of info on my >Baptist Hodges through the SW Seminary archivest in Fort Worth, Texas. If >you want the address, I can furnish. > > Gerry Hodges Hackley in Houston > > >At 10:16 AM 9/10/1999 -0400, you wrote: >>Hello Group- >> >>I printed all of your messages this morning concerning John James HODGES. >>When I got to the email message about an Ellen (?) MESSER being married to a >>HODGES, I got so excited that I clicked "delete" instead of "print". >SORRY! >>PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE can someone resend the message to me. >> >>I had looked at all the 1870 censuses in Alabama because my John James >HODGES >>told one child that he was born in late October 1870, when I received his >>death certificate his birth date is listed as Aug 1871. My grandfather, the >>youngest of John HODGES' children (now deceased) was told when he asked >>anything about John HODGES' relatives "Boy, you don't need to know anything, >>and don't ask me again". My grandfather just assumed that John was born in >>Alabama. His death certificate confirmed that. >> >>I am so discouraged because I have two different birth years from him, no >>clue where in Alabama he might have been born. I find it inconceivable that >>no one knew either of their parents. My greatgrandmother died at the age of >>101 and lived with her children for almost 30 years after John HODGES died, >>and still no family members knew any of their past. >> >>Could it be that my greatgrandfather's name really wasn't HODGES, that that >>was a name he made up because he was trying to hide something? >> >>I do have information that John HODGES got married in Lamar Co, MS IN 1892. >>Mississippi State does not have marriage records back that far, we have even >>tried looking in the Archives. His wife Hannah DOBSON just lists her birth >>as in Mississippi. >> >>As far as brothers and sisters, he never would tell anyone if he had any or >>not. My grandfather never heard or met anyone from either of his parents. >> >>I did notice on his death certificate that he never served in the Armed >>Forces, do you think he was a draft dodger? I don't know the dates of the >>Civil War. What could he be trying to hide for his wife to keep a secret to >>her death bed for over 100 years? >> >>Suggestion/any help appreciated. >> >>Thanks, >>DeeDee >> >> >>==== HODGES Mailing List ==== >>Searchable Archives at: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >>Archives help at: http://www.shelby.net/shelby/jr/robertsn/rwsearch.htm >>New threaded Archives at: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/ >> > > >==== HODGES Mailing List ==== >Have you considered joining the Rootsweb Genealogical Data > Cooperative? http://www.rootsweb.com/ > > > jbass@digital.net 216 Beach Park Lane Cape Canaveral, FL 32920-5003 Home of The *HARRISON* Repository & *MY FAMILY* http://moon.ouhsc.edu/rbonner/harintro.htm Our Family WWW: http://moon.ouhsc.edu/rbonner/index.htm LINDSAY & HARRISON Surnames & CSA-HISTORY Roots Mail List GENCONNECT: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/indx/FamAssoc.html Data Managed by beautiful daughter Becky Bass Bonner and me, Josephine Lindsay Bass