Hello, everyone!
I am looking into a soldier I have reason to believe enlisted under a fake name. I was wondering how common that was and how hard it is to trace. His name was Arthur Edward Bixby. He was born in 1843 in Massachusetts. He initially enlisted in 1861 in the 14th Massachusetts Infantry/1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He deserted in May, 1862.
My five reasons for believing he enlisted under a fake name:
1. There is no listing of him in the 1865 Massachusetts Census, nor any other reasonable explanation for his whereabouts the rest of the war.
2. His mother would claim that she believed him to have died of wounds at Folly Island (alternately reported as Fort Monroe) while serving with the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry.
3. In 1870, while on trial for larceny, he claimed to have served in the Army three times. He served in 1861-62 in in the 14th and briefly served in the Regular Army in 1866.
4. He enlisted underage in the 14th and, because of that and the fact he had epilepsy, his mother attempted to get him an early discharge. He may have though enlisting in a different unit under a fake name would get him out from under his mother’s authority.
5. The 14th performed guard duty in Washington for much of Arthur’s time with them. It has been theorized by at least one Bixby family genealogist he enlisted in a different unit to see combat.
6. Arthur disappears from record after 1879. I believe it is possible he may have gone back to using his wartime alias to make it easier to receive a pension .
I believe it is quite likely he served in the 22nd (possibly 24th if at Folly Island, though) under an assumed name and was wondering how to find out for sure.
I am looking into a soldier I have reason to believe enlisted under a fake name. I was wondering how common that was and how hard it is to trace. His name was Arthur Edward Bixby. He was born in 1843 in Massachusetts. He initially enlisted in 1861 in the 14th Massachusetts Infantry/1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery. He deserted in May, 1862.
My five reasons for believing he enlisted under a fake name:
1. There is no listing of him in the 1865 Massachusetts Census, nor any other reasonable explanation for his whereabouts the rest of the war.
2. His mother would claim that she believed him to have died of wounds at Folly Island (alternately reported as Fort Monroe) while serving with the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry.
3. In 1870, while on trial for larceny, he claimed to have served in the Army three times. He served in 1861-62 in in the 14th and briefly served in the Regular Army in 1866.
4. He enlisted underage in the 14th and, because of that and the fact he had epilepsy, his mother attempted to get him an early discharge. He may have though enlisting in a different unit under a fake name would get him out from under his mother’s authority.
5. The 14th performed guard duty in Washington for much of Arthur’s time with them. It has been theorized by at least one Bixby family genealogist he enlisted in a different unit to see combat.
6. Arthur disappears from record after 1879. I believe it is possible he may have gone back to using his wartime alias to make it easier to receive a pension .
I believe it is quite likely he served in the 22nd (possibly 24th if at Folly Island, though) under an assumed name and was wondering how to find out for sure.