Funny research finds

[Stryker65]

I've been doing orders of battle and army organizations for several years now, and I've found a lot of funny, weird, and interesting mistakes or occurrences in the sources I use. Over time, I'll paste the ones I find here.
Everybody/Anybody can post!

 

[Stryker65]

OR V48P2: He really didn't have to say "killed one-third of Jeff.'s command" when it was just. three.

Perryville Confederate Order of Battle (wikipedia): Aren't these the same unit?

I kinda feel bad for this guy: Mr. Minor Major. What were his parents thinking?

 

[Stryker65]

This guy's name is "R. Tillery."


Surprised he didn't serve in the Ar-Tillery.

 

[TallTallMan]

I kinda feel bad for this guy: Mr. Minor Major. What were his parents thinking?

This can't be a real guy...

Minor Major (1835-1891) - Find a Grave Memorial

Mr. Major was born in Franklin county, Kentuck}', August 10, l835, where he lived until thirteen years old, and, then moved with his parents to Missouri, and settled in this county. He is a son of Oliver T. and Nancy Major, of Franklin county, Kentuck}-. He was educated at Bethany College...

www.findagrave.com

 

[Fairfield]

I found one in an old Illinois newspaper that startled me. It was a wedding announcement which reported that the marriage was consummated at 1 PM with 300 people in attendance.

 

[Stryker65]

I found one in an old Illinois newspaper that startled me. It was a wedding announcement which reported that the marriage was consummated at 1 PM with 300 people in attendance.

I'm guessing "consummated" meant something different back then; I'm not sure 19th or early 20th century people would be voyeurs.

 

[TallTallMan]

I found one in an old Illinois newspaper that startled me. It was a wedding announcement which reported that the marriage was consummated at 1 PM with 300 people in attendance.

I'm guessing "consummated" meant something different back then; I'm not sure 19th or early 20th century people would be voyeurs.

And that's before the camera was invented.

 

[Stryker65]

General Barton was apparently an ice hockey player! They colorized that photo pretty well, too.

 

[Stryker65]

AHA! So the Confederacy WAS using poison!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Michigan_Infantry_Regiment_(3_months)

@GELongstreet

 

[Stryker65]

Wonder if his men called him "Jaw" Thomas.

 

[bamaman]

View attachment 493902
General Barton was apparently an ice hockey player! They colorized that photo pretty well, too.

There wasn't the NHL in 1900!

 

[DixieRifles]

General Barton was apparently an ice hockey player!

Weird!

But if you Google him, you do see that title with those photos. When you open link to Wiki, it is only about the Confederate general—- who WAS a chemist, but never a hockey player.

 

[BCS1973]

Wikipedia has had some funny edits over the years. Google "Funny Wikipedia Edits" and see what comes up.

 

[John Winn]

I've found a number of amusing things doing research about folks buried in the cemetery where I volunteered for fifteen years. One that I seem to remember often was for a CW vet who was quite the character and led what we can just call a 'colorful' life after the war when he moved west. Anyway, when he died the local paper published a lengthy and detailed obituary which wasn't common then, even for well-known citizens. In the obit many claims to fame were made that just didn't seem likely to me. Anyway, with some effort, I checked every statement of fact and found every one of them to be untrue, including his place and date of birth.

My theory is that the paper was short on news that day and just happened to find a fellow miner who maybe had known our hero a bit and he just spun a yarn (maybe as a joke) and it was so good the paper published it. I always say it was 'that slow day in the social and obit department.'

 

[marktwainenjoyer]

This can't be a real guy...

Minor Major (1835-1891) - Find a Grave Memorial

Mr. Major was born in Franklin county, Kentuck}', August 10, l835, where he lived until thirteen years old, and, then moved with his parents to Missouri, and settled in this county. He is a son of Oliver T. and Nancy Major, of Franklin county, Kentuck}-. He was educated at Bethany College...

www.findagrave.com

Yes. A friend of mine was descended from his brother B-flat.

 

[Biscoitos]

Minor Meriwether was an engineer in the C.S. Army. Although promoted to Lt. Col. near the end of the war, he spent most of the war as a Major.

His Memphis home was eventually demolished for construction of the Peabody hotel, home of the famous marching ducks.

 

[Stryker65]

Yes. A friend of mine was descended from his brother B-flat.

Also I just realized... "Sharp" is an actual name...

 

[Stryker65]

I found a new general! Brigadier General Somebody!

Anybody know anything about him?

 

[BCS1973]

View attachment 504037

I found a new general! Brigadier General Somebody!

Anybody know anything about him?

I heard he was kind of a nobody...

 

[Bentonville]

View attachment 493902
General Barton was apparently an ice hockey player! They colorized that photo pretty well, too.

This other thread makes so much sense now.

Funny story about Fort Delaware escapee | Prisons & Prisoners

Hey all, I remember when I went to Fort Delaware last (only Civil War site in my state, unfortunately), and a ranger there told us about an interesting escapee story. Apparently, during the winter, the guards would ice skate on the frozen river, and one day, a prisoner in one of the overflow...

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