This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Rich, Poteet, Hains, Blanton, Hamrick, Braddy, Smawley, Dickson, Denton Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5UB.2ACI/2784 Message Board Post: Recently I was at the local library and found a census that was taken from the 1st Monday in June until July 1, 1890. It was North Carolina 1890 Civil War Veterans Census by Sandra Lee Almasy, copyright 1990, Kensington Glen Publishing Co., 103 Meadow Ave., Joliet, Illinois 60436. In this census, I found under Burke County, page 1, Enumeration District #54, Silver Creek, G. F. Chase Enumerator: House #222, Family #225 Ransom L. Rich, Landsman, Navy, Montgomery, 1863 to June 1865, 2 yrs. "Discharge papers in hand Blake Person, agent." House #225, Family #228 Andrew J. Epley, Navy, Montgomery, 1863 to June 1865, 1 yr 6 mo. P. O. Bridgewater, "Discharge papers". On the cover page was the following: "In 1889 Congress directed the Department of Census to cause to be taken on a special schedule of inquiry, acording to such form as he may prescribe, the names, organizations, and length of service of those who served in the Army, Navy or Marine Corps of the United States in the war of the rebellion and who are survivors at the time of said inquiry..." Some enumerators exceeded their instructions - supposed to record only survivors and widows of the Union forces, they also listed many confederates." ( These confederates were supposedly so marked as confederates or lined out on the forms ) The listings for Ransom and Andrew were not marked as Confederate or lined out. Which would indicate that they served for the Union only. However, I found on Ancestory.com that Ransom L. Rich served in Co A, 6th N.C. Infantry as a private. However I could not find him listed in NC TROOPS 1861-1865 A ROSTER Compiled by Weymouth T. Jordan, Jr. Ransom's brother John L. Rich served in Co A, 6th Regiment N. C. Troops, was wounded at Gettysburg, captured in Virginia in November 1863 and confined at Point Lookout, Maryland. He was released on January 23, 1864 after taking the Oath of Allegiance and joining the U. S. Navy. I wondered if this could have been the case with Ransom, tho I have found no record of him being captured, and according to the above census, he joined the Navy 6 or 7 months prior to John taking the oath and joining. Did Ransom L. Rich serve with the South and with the North, or just with the North only?