Since I raised a question long ago on this list about the enumeration of children in the 1865 state census, I thought I would now (partially) answer it, in case anyone is relying on that census to resolve a question about family makeup or identity of one or more family members. The state census taker was supposed to have placed children between the ages of 5 and 16 in a separate category. However, in the case of the 1865 census of New Providence Township, Union County, a cross-check with the 1870 census shows that in many cases (in fact all cases that could be tested), the 1865 census taker incorrectly included children under age 5 in the age 5 to 16 category. Why this might have occurred remains a mystery to me. (Perhaps inflating the numbers of school age children to receive additional state assistance?) Whatever the reason, it seems pretty clear that the 1865 census, at least for New Providence, is not reliable with regard to the ages of children. Dave McMane Paris, France