My great-grandfather Byrd (also Bird and Burd) SMITH was born 17 Oct 
1841. In 1850 he was listed on the census as being aged eight, which was 
correct since he hadn't yet had his birthday that year. Ten years later, 
he was listed as being 13! He had lost five years between censuses! I 
think I have figured out why... his mother died in 1857. His step-mother 
thought, because he was of small stature, that he was younger than his 
brother John, when in fact he was older. When the Civil War erupted, he 
was thought to be too young for service, and wasn't enlisted until near 
the end of the war. He married in 1864, thinking he was 16, when 
actually he was 22. He and his wife had at least five children, and he 
was widowed in 1899. Thinking the old fellow was going to just fade 
away, they were quite surprised when about 1903 he remarried and had 
another family of seven children. He died at age 88, 31 Aug 1929, never 
knowing his true age.

Carolyn HALE BRUCE
Virginia Beach, VA

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