In a message dated 2/26/2005 6:22:22 PM Mountain Standard Time, JOARDITH@aol.com writes: That's odd because the sample I saw online with the permission filled in was for a young man of 19. It wouldn't have varied by State, would it? I think some lied about their age so they could get into the war. Joan Hi.........My great grandfather from Illinois was a drummer boy for a Illinois unit. He was very determined to go to that war, and lied about his age. He told them he was 16 but he was only 12. He got to enlist even though he was found out because his brother was an officer and promised he would watch out for him. I guess there were lots of different ways that they managed to enlist. Barb