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Author: cyclometh
Surnames: Snow
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.Military.united-20-states.civwar.uscwin...
Message Board Post:
Hey folks- I've been trying for some time to find out data about my Great-Great
Grandfather, James (B.?) Snow. He married Anna Mary Reed in about 1870, had 2 children
with her, then was gone by 1876, when Anna turned up in Michigan with her children (who
were living as step-children of her new husband).
Family lore said he was in the Union Army, and I do have information that a James B. Snow
enlisted in the Indiana Cavalry on 3 Mar 1862, and mustered out in 1865 in Indianapolis.
He was the only James Snow who both served in Indiana regiments and actually survived the
war from what I can find.
I've never been able to find much more about him, even when he was born, only that he
was born in Indiana (according to his son Arthur and daughter Syrena's data which in
multiple places cites his birthplace as Indiana). I estimated his birth year as about 1840
based on his military service and when his children were born.
Recently I've also found a list of Enlistments which indicates a James Snow enlisted
in the U.S. Army in 1855 and deserted shortly thereafter- within a few months. This record
places his date of birth in 1834 (something not on the other records I have) which is not
way off my initial estimate of 1840.
My question is this: Would it have been within the bounds of reason to believe that a 20
year old man would enlist in th US Army in 1855, desert and then 7 years later, enlist in
the Union Cavalry to go to the Civil War? I'm not familiar with military lore of this
era much so I'm not sure if desertions were common or how the state regiments were
connected to the US Army in that time.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
For context, here's James Snow:
http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.aspx?pid=-1480333217&tid=5220141
Here is the Civil War enlistment record I believe to be his:
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=hdssoldiers&h=6390219&a...
And here is the US Army Register of Enlistments showing that a James Snow enlisted and
deserted in 1855:
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=usar...
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