I've recently been researching John Salling of s.w. Virginia. In doing genealogy over the the years, I've discovered numerous mistakes in census records. wrong age, wrong spelling of the name, even wrong gender. The fact the census recorder has him being only 4 years-old in 1860, really doesn't mean that much to me. He may have actually been 14, but I have doubts. When he applied for a pension in 1933, he claimed to have been born in 1849. By the time he died in 1959, he was listed as being 113 !
In interviews, he never claimed to be a soldier, never claimed to carry a weapon, never claimed to have a uniform. "I just done what they told me", was his standard line. I'm personally convinced, Salling was the Confederacy's "last peter-monkey" I'm also wondering if technically he could be considered a Black Confederate ? Reportedly his father was a slave belonging to his great-grandmother. In several subsequent censuses over the years, he's listed as "mulatto", and even "black".
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At one time he was recognized as one of the last three surviving veterans of the Civil War
In 1860 John is listed as "white", along with his mother and her grandmother, both named Caroline Matilda Salling. In 1850, the elder Caroline is shown with four slaves, two female, ages 62 & 60. two males, ages 30 & 12.
In 1870 He is listed as "white", and living with the half-brother of his mother.
In 1880 he is listed as "mulatto", along with three siblings, his mother is listed as "white".
John married in 1882. In 1900 his wife is listed as "white", John and his three children are listed, "Black".
In 1910 John and his entire family are listed as "white".
In 1920 John, his wife, and one daughter are listed as "white".
In 1930 John, his wife, and one daughter are listed as "Negro".
John applied for and received a Confederate pension from the State of Virginia in 1933, stating he served in the Nitre Bureau, digging for saltpeter. Young boys below conscription age, "free persons of color", and slaves were employed in that capacity. I have since found a distant relative of John's, James Salling, who was white and also served in this way and received a pension, as well as a pension for a Nathan Davidson, mentioned in "Black Confederates In The U.S. Civil War", by Ricardo J. Rodriguez, who describes him as a "free person of color", although in his pension application, he names his "master".
In subsequent census records John is listed as being "white".
