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Archiver > PAALLEGH > 2008-01 > 1201042414


From: "JoAnn" <>
Subject: Re: [ALL] Civil War Research - SUMMERHILL/SUMMERILL
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:53:34 -0800
References: <028501c85d2d$69c5a090$6601a8c0@D4T3DBF1><00cb01c85d31$a02d8ea0$01fea8c0@BEVERLY><007701c85d37$fa3634a0$0ce7e8c7@homecomputer><012a01c85d46$6c4675b0$0400a8c0@RRMLSmith>


Dear Mary Lee,
I suspect that your comment about being in the service for a short time
was the case. I certainly have many more resources to explore and ideas
since I put the query on the list this morning. I have seen some rosters
that included musicians. Just not the person I am seeking.
JoAnn
----- Original Message -----
From: "MaryLee Smith" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 2:30 PM
Subject: Re: [ALL] Civil War Research - SUMMERHILL/SUMMERILL


>I searched fruitlessly for years for my gr.grandpap who, per his obit,
>served in the CW. Bates, the Nat'l Archives, etc., etc. turned up nada.
>I didn't know what unit he was in & didn't know his middle name (only had
>his name, Henry F. Beck), but I did have some other essential information
>(his birth year & place, when he emigrated to the USA, & the year he died.)
>Everyone in the family who would know anything about him, is dead, so I had
>no one to ask.
>
> At one point, I paid a professional genealogist (who came recommended by
> this List) a very nominal fee, & armed w/the info I provided her, she
> found my gr-grandpap in short order -- but his name when he enlisted was
> Frederick Beck, not Henry F. Who knew?! [Further research at this point
> reveals that apparently, after the CW, he began using Henry F. rather than
> Frederick.]
>
> Also, as it turns out, he was a member of the 57th Pennsylvania Volunteer
> Infantry which was called up for just short of the 90 days, thus he was
> ineligible to receive a pension when he applied & reapplied, numerous
> times, late in life with infirmities.
>
> So you may want to consider these possibilities -- that your ancestor may
> have, for whatever reason, gone by a different name. As well, if he were
> in a 'militia' unit which wasn't called up for very long, records would be
> scant, & no pension granted. However, there could be several pension
> application letters -- always in hopes of receiving a pension. [US
> military pension requirements were updated every-so-often.]
>
> It is documented that young lads of 14 or 16, etc. did serve in the CW,
> even though the regulations required them to be 18. Since birth
> certificates & other documents to prove identity/age were not
> common/required 'back in the day', it was simple enough to 'fib' about
> one's age/identity. One 'trick' that young boys would often use, would be
> to write the number '18' on a piece of paper & put it in their brogan
> (shoe) -- thus they could 'truthfully' say they were 'over 18'.
>
> Drummer boys/musicians were typically younger lads.
>
> It has been documented, as well, that many women served in the CW --
> disguised themselves as men. Many were not 'found out' until they died in
> the battlefield hospital, or perhaps, years later, in a veteran's
> hospital. ["An Uncommon Soldier" is a collection of letters from Pvt.
> Lyons Wakeman aka Sarah Rosetta Wakeman.]
>
> \MaryLe'
> in Phx. (married to a CW aficionado)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Ruth Sprowls
> To:
> Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 1:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [ALL] Civil War Research - SUMMERHILL/SUMMERILL
>
>
> Since James Armstrong SUMMERILL/SUMMERHILL cannot be located, a
> possiblity could be that because of his young age he may have
> registered under a fictitious name.
> Ruth
>
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> Visit our Allegheny County, PA Website:
> http://www.rootsweb.com/~paallegh/
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> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
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