Can you guys find evidence proving these men were Confederate veterans of the American Civil War?

Joined
Jun 12, 2017
Pleasant CrumpDecember 23, 1847December 31, 1951
Felix M. Witkoski[10][11][12]5 January 1850October 18543 February 1952
Thomas Edwin Ross19 July 185027 March 1952
Richard William Cumpston23 May 18415 September 1952
William Loudermilk23 October 1848April 1851[13]18 September 1952
William Jordan Bush10 July 1845July 184611 November 1952
Arnold Murray10 June 18461854/185526 November 1952
William Townsend12 April 184622 February 1953
William Albert Kinney10 February 184310 February 186123 June 1953
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_surviving_Confederate_veterans#cite_note-10

There was a William D. Townsend in the 31st Regt. VA Infantry... a William A. Townsend in Duff's Parisan Rangers aka. 33rd Regt. Texas Cavalry.
Still another Wm. Townsend in the 1st Regt. Confederate Infantry. Lynch's Company/ TN Light artillery. A William L.S. Townsend in the 8th Regt. NC Infantry... Plain William Townsend in 52nd Reft. GA Infantry, 1st TX lancers, aka. 21st Regt. TX Cavalry, Spaight's 11th Bn. Texas Vols., Flournoy's 16th Regt. TX Infantry, Wm. M. in Darnell's 18th Regt. of TX Cavalry, Wm. P. in the 4th Regt. TX Infantry, another Wm. P with the Roberston Five Shooters, aka. Townsend's Co. TX Infantry. Wm. K. in Whitfield's Legion/1st TX Legion aka. 27th Regt. TX Cavalry. 15th Regt. SC Infantry, Wm. D. in the 21st Regt. VA Infantry Wm. H. in 41st Regt. VA infantry. Wm. N. 14th Regt. VA Cav. A Wm. O. served with Staunton Hill Art'y. or Paris' Co. VA Artillery, while a Wm. T. was with the 31st Regt. VA infantry.
Just Wm. with 40th Regt. of the MS Infantry, a Wm. R. with the 14th Regt. MS Infantry. Also a Wm. Townsend with Meyer's 3rd. Bn. FL cavalry/ 15th Confederate Cavalry, Dyke's Co. FL lt. artillery, Wm. A. with the 1st Regt. FL Cavalry, and also a Wm. H. L. Townsend (same man?) Also, in Missouri, a Wm. Townsend with the 3rd Regt. of MO cavalry, 11th REgt. MO Infantry, Wm. B. with the 7th Regt. MO Cavalry, a Wm. Finis with the 8th Regt. MO Cavalry, and another Wm. R. in the 2nd Regt. MO Cavalry, State Guard.

Turning to Tennessee, there is Wn. with the 50th Regt. TN Mounted Infantry. In Kentucky, a Wm. with 5yh Regt. KY mounted Infantry, while in Arkansas, there is a Wm. in 18th Regt. AR infantry, Hardy's Regt. of AR infantry, Wm. A. with Wiggins' Battery, AR lt. artillery.

Quite a research project! More details might link to one or another person.

Some of those birthdates would suggest a drummer or musician or even a youthful "mascot" no?
 
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Pleasant R. Crump. Enlisted at age 17 died aged 105

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Several years ago, I did some research for Professor Jay Hoar, who wrote a series of books on the "last and youngest" Civil War veterans.

He wrote mini-bios of many of these alleged veterans (and, I think, some of the last/youngest Confederate soldiers were imposters).

You might check Amazon.com for "Callow Brave and True" by Jay Hoar.
 
Out of the ones you have listed, this is the only one Federico or I haven't found - Richard William Cumpston. I have found several William Cumpston entries and am going to re-visit those entries as well as Townsend and the last one - William Albert Kinney. I'm using Ancestry and Fold3 (military records) to find these men as well as searching in the online information at the National Archives.
 
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Several years ago, I did some research for Professor Jay Hoar, who wrote a series of books on the "last and youngest" Civil War veterans.

He wrote mini-bios of many of these alleged veterans (and, I think, some of the last/youngest Confederate soldiers were imposters).

You might check Amazon.com for "Callow Brave and True" by Jay Hoar.
What about these that actually have military records like pay records and muster records? Young doesn't always mean impostor.
 
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Felix Melvin Witoski - I cannot find any military records in the National Archives, NPS Civil War Soldiers & Sailors Database, or any state archives which are online on this individual which leads me to believe this claim is probably a fraudulent claim. Only obituaries claiming he was a water boy were found. The sources in the footnotes are also questionable. The United Daughters of the Confederacy claim he served with the 58th Alabama Infantry but he is not listed on any rosters nor are any records found for a Felix M. Witoski serving with that unit.



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Pleasant CrumpDecember 23, 1847December 31, 1951
Felix M. Witkoski[10][11][12]5 January 1850October 18543 February 1952
Thomas Edwin Ross19 July 185027 March 1952
Richard William Cumpston23 May 18415 September 1952
William Loudermilk23 October 1848April 1851[13]18 September 1952
William Jordan Bush10 July 1845July 184611 November 1952
Arnold Murray10 June 18461854/185526 November 1952
William Townsend12 April 184622 February 1953
William Albert Kinney10 February 184310 February 186123 June 1953

You may want to check out this work online which address virtually all of the men you have listed.
http://garryvictorhill.com.au/pdf/A...eterans and Participants An Investigation.pdf
 
Felix Melvin Witoski - I cannot find any military records in the National Archives, NPS Civil War Soldiers & Sailors Database, or any state archives which are online on this individual which leads me to believe this claim is probably a fraudulent claim. Only obituaries claiming he was a water boy were found. The sources in the footnotes are also questionable. The United Daughters of the Confederacy claim he served with the 58th Alabama Infantry but he is not listed on any rosters nor are any records found for a Felix M. Witoski serving with that unit.



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Regarding Felix N. Witkoski, he wasn't born in Temple, Texas in 1850, Temple wasn't even founded until 1881, incorporated in 1882 (a Santa Fe Railroad town). I guess it's possible he was born on land which eventually became Temple, but in 1850 that part of Bell County was still western frontier. The county was just being organized in 1850, with only 600 free whites and 60 slaves.
 
Regarding Felix N. Witkoski, he wasn't born in Temple, Texas in 1850, Temple wasn't even founded until 1881, incorporated in 1882 (a Santa Fe Railroad town). I guess it's possible he was born on land which eventually became Temple, but in 1850 that part of Bell County was still western frontier. The county was just being organized in 1850, with only 600 free whites and 60 slaves.
This is just one of many reasons why this is one is more than likely a fraudulent claim.
 
Pleasent Riggs Crump was the very last Confedetate Veteran.

I spoke with a gentleman who when he was a kid at the state fair in Montgomery Alabama (1948) he shook the hand of an old man in a wheelchair.

That man was Mr. Crump!
 
Many of these men I have done tireless research into the claims of, as well as every veteran claimant I could find who was alive on January 1, 1945 (there were 500+ claimants that I know of, of which 475 could be verified). Crump, Bush, Murray, Townsend, and Kiney all have enlistment documents to corroborate their claims. Loudermilk was a fraud born in April of 1860, Witkowski was also not a veteran but I can't actually find any paper trail of him at all before the 1910 census, Cumpston I'm pretty sure is literally a hoax that snuck into the Wikipedia article and people keep adding back for some reason, and Ross is...puzzling. He repeatedly claimed that he had served as a "powder monkey" at age 14 on board the CSS Virginia, and then on the tugboat CSS Wasp. However, he is not on the muster roll of the CSS Virginia. To make things even weirder, his death certificate states that he served in the Confederate Army - specifically the 5th Kentucky Cavalry. And there is a Thomas Ross listed on the rolls for that unit! Very bizarre...
 
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