debwallsmith
Corporal
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2021
As "keeper" of the Camp Lawton/Millen POW database, I occasionally check online sources in the hope of finding information on the "unknowns" in the database. Yesterday, I discovered that the prisoner listed as A McMahon of Co E 19th Maine,, who was sent to Millen on October 31, was actually James McMahon from Co F of the 19th Massachusetts. How did I figure this out? The Memorandum from Prisoner of War Records and, while it doesn't mention Millen, it has a note about A McMahon and the rest of the information fits.
How was this mistake made? It's hard to know for certain but it is likely that a copy of the Andersonville records was made. This may have been the result of either a transcription error - the copyist incorrectly recording the information. It is also possible that the handwriting in the original Andersonville document was hard to read so MA looked like ME. Now I have only 380 "unknowns" left to identify!
I've attached the Andersonville record as well as the relevant pension record.
How was this mistake made? It's hard to know for certain but it is likely that a copy of the Andersonville records was made. This may have been the result of either a transcription error - the copyist incorrectly recording the information. It is also possible that the handwriting in the original Andersonville document was hard to read so MA looked like ME. Now I have only 380 "unknowns" left to identify!
I've attached the Andersonville record as well as the relevant pension record.
Bringing the