That certainly makes sense on the ages. One thing I've noticed is Tennessee has a lot of heritate type sites, at both the state and county level. I've been hitting the Smith County and Putnam County sites and while I'm still trying to tie my Andrew Jackson Minton (b. 1830), John Minton, Jr (b. 1839), James Minton (b. 1828), and Joel Walker Carter Minton (b.1825) to various Civil War veterans with similar names, I have found the cemetary sites on Andrew Jackson Minton and Joel Walker Carter Minton and hope to get by one day and see if there's any indication in the grave records or tombstones, which would help. I've also found various legal entries pertaining to several of my clan.

One individual I've found quite a bit of information on is a John L. Minton (aka John S. Minton, aka Jack Minton), who apparently served with both the 4th Tennessee Cavalry and the 8th Tennessee Cavalry, who was captured twice and apparently died as a POW at Ft Delaware and is buried in the Finns Point National Cemetary.

Depending on the source, he died either 11/20/63 or 10/30/63, of small pox (although one source had it diarrhea). He was apparently captured by the 1st Tennessee Mounted Cavalry, USA, (2nd time captured) at Trousdale Ferry, TN. He's listed as a bugler.
One source had him enlisting first on Jul 22, 1861. His age is close to that of my relative, John Minton, Jr, who was born about 1839. That makes me think he could be the same as my ancestor. Another interesting item, John Minton, Jr., died "between 1863-1870). With no specific date given, it makes me believe that if my relative was one and the same, the family never knew he died as
a POW. There is no record (which I've been able to locate) of a John Minton, Jr., being buried in Smith County or Putnam County, where most of the family died.

tkx/ Ken M.