Thanks all. It seems like it's definitely a possibility that my ancestor could have enlisted upstate even if he was from Brooklyn. So: My guy: 42-year-old (-ish) Irish-born painter named Richard Toner who lived in Brooklyn This guy: 24-year-old Irish-born painter named Richard Toner who enlisted at Utica Is the age discrepancy a "typo"? Did he lie about his age? Was there an incentive (perhaps financial?) to travel upstate and lie about your age to join the Army, particularly if you were just going to desert three days later? (Which Richard Toner did! Apparently to ensure that he wouldn't be found in pension records, the 1890 Veterans Census, etc. so I'd never know whether he was my 3x great-grandfather.) Were men financially compensated for enlisting such that they might do so and then try to sneak away with the cash? The letters "DM+DR" is written several times in the margins of this (NYS) record. I don't know what it means. This man's brief enlistment was in April, 1864. My Richard Toner was listed in the 1864 Brooklyn City Directory as a laborer, and enumerated in the 1865 NYS Census living in Brooklyn. He didn't have any living sons named Richard. A (not particularly extensive) search doesn't easily turn up any Richard Toners of the correct age living in NYS in either 1860 or 1865. I've come across other Richard Toners in the past, but none who was a painter. Any further insight? I keep wanting to think it's him, but seem to be jumping through a lot of mental hoops to make it plausible. Kathleen On Sun, Mar 27, 2016 at 12:28 AM, <mizscarlettny@aol.com> wrote: > > One did not have to enlist near home. Men often enlisted with brothers or > friends. Various regions offered enlistment bonuses as an enticement. These > proverbial "carrots" were not equal to each other. My g-grandfather from > NYC enlisted in Avon/Palmyra NY. Another thing. This was definitely a poor > man's war. > Any man could buy his way out of the war for $300. I have two brothers, > one served as a substitute for > a wealthier draftee, the other brother paid his $300. for a substitute. > > > If you're uncertain about the records you have, try to cross reference the > soldier. There are several free sites online and the information is not > always consistent. >

Ah! It looks like this guy may have been a bounty jumper: https://spotlights.fold3.com/2013/07/15/bounty-jumping/ "Bounty jumpers were men who enlisted in the army to get the money offered for joining, then deserted before reaching the front lines." Still not sure whether he's mine, but at least now I have some context in which deserting after 3 days would make sense. On Wed, Mar 30, 2016 at 1:19 AM, Kathleen Scarlett O'Hara Naylor < kathleen.scarlett.ohara@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Is the age discrepancy a "typo"? Did he lie about his age? Was there an > incentive (perhaps financial?) to travel upstate and lie about your age to > join the Army, particularly if you were just going to desert three days > later? (Which Richard Toner did! Apparently to ensure that he wouldn't be > found in pension records, the 1890 Veterans Census, etc. so I'd never know > whether he was my 3x great-grandfather.) Were men financially compensated > for enlisting such that they might do so and then try to sneak away with > the cash? > >