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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=652065718-24012010><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT size=2>Probably not real common, but I have an ancestor,
James Allen, that enlisted 21 Oct. 1861 for 3 years (along with 2 sons in the
same <SPAN class=902535918-24012010> infantry </SPAN>unit) and gave his age
as <SPAN class=902535918-24012010>"</SPAN>42.<SPAN
class=902535918-24012010>"</SPAN> On 23 Mar. 1863 he <SPAN
class=902535918-24012010>received a certificate of disability, stating that old
age made it unable for him to do his duties. He was discharged on 10 April
1863 with the surgeon who examined him stating he was "near 60 years old, an
improper enlistment." </SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=652065718-24012010><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=902535918-24012010></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=652065718-24012010><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=902535918-24012010>In 1860 he was listed
as age 53, (not found in 1870) and in 1880 he was listed as age 77. His
cemetery inscription lists him as age 90 in 1890. The "Certificate for
Disability for Discharge" has the most valuable genealogical information in
his pension file, giving his birth as York County, PA (all other records just
have PA). Luckily it was a preprinted fill-in-the-blanks form
that was printed "he was born in ______ in the State of ________."
Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to connect him to any Allen families in
York County.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=652065718-24012010><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=902535918-24012010></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=652065718-24012010><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=902535918-24012010>Rick
Saunders</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> apgpubliclist-bounces@apgen.org
[mailto:apgpubliclist-bounces@apgen.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>JUDY A
RIFFEL<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, January 24, 2010 8:25 AM<BR><B>To:</B> APG
Public List<BR><B>Subject:</B> [APG Public List] Civil War
question<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>To any Civil War expert:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>How common would it have been for a man in his mid to late 60s to have
served in a Union Cavalry unit during the Civil War? I am editing an
1839 letter for publication trying to ID the individuals mentioned.
It's from a wife to her husband. I traced the couple on the
census up to 1860 in Steuben Co., Indiana. Then, I found a man by
the same name serving in an Indiana Cavalry unit and dying in
the South in 1865. No mention of his age, but he enlisted in
Steuben Co. Problem is, this guy would have been nearly 70. I
thought perhaps the soldier was someone from a younger generation, a nephew or
son, but I'm not finding anyone else by that name. Plus, there is a
pension file that lists a widow with the same first name as the wife. I
don't have the actual pension record, so I don't know if her maiden name
matches. But the names are unusual enough that it would be too much of a
coincidence.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Many thanks.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Judy Riffel</DIV>
<DIV>Baton Rouge</DIV>
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