The 1880 census for Montgomery Co. IN helps to match this man and his family to Davie County NC, where he appears as J. M. Foster in 1860 and James M. Foster in 1870. He wasn't in Confederate service as an officer, but several James M. Fosters appear in North Carolina units. The closest fit is James M. Foster of Davie County NC, Co. "D", 42nd North Carolina Regiment, who served as a teamster during most of the war.

Errors frequently appear in obituaries and death certificates. For instance, the death certificate for my wife's grandmother who died in 1943 contains several mistakes. My wife attributes the errors to a relative who supplied the information, a lady who didn't know much about the deceased.