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/ >