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If I understand, the question is, 'why would a woman, who knows her husband is dead, tell a census worker that he was still alive?'

My answer would be, 'for their own Protection'.

A woman, who was alone, was an easy target for scamer, profiteers and pillagers. A woman, whose husband was believed to still be alive, even thought he may not be physically present, held the threat that her husband will return home and deal with any improprities.

A second thought is, 'why were these people taking this census in 1866?' It had to be able to gain political information. To enumerate who had survive the war, and who didn't, or who had moved on to somewhere else, for whatever of at least a dozen reasons that I can think of. Mostly for the confiscation of abandoned properties and assesing taxes, would be a couple of big reasons.

The Government of Alabama in 1866 was controlled by Whom? Why would southern people distruct that Government? If your Husband had been on the "Wrong Side" of that present state Government, by having fought in the Confederate army and been killed in battle, would you think that, that Government might be wanting to single you out for retribution?

Distrust of Government is a strong reason for these people to tell know falsehoods to census takers. The 1860 U.S. Census has an extraordinary number of people in the south who did NOT give their Christian names and were identified by only their Intials. Why?

People even today are viewing the upcoming 2010 U.S. Census as being too nosey in the questions it will ask as to ones personal life.

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