Genealogists have a love-hate relationship with clerks. Sometimes they cannot write, use the word “unknown” as if it were going out of style, and have handwriting that would send third grade penmanship teachers into spasms.

And then there’s this guy: R. H. Bacon, the “Enrolling Officer” who wrote the Civil War era draft lists for part of western Illinois. This page of 17, 18, and 19 year old registrants from Northeast Town (actually Northeast Township) in Adams County, Illinois, included the date of birth for the registrants in the remarks column.

This image was obtained from the “U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865” database at Ancestry.com and has been reduced for publication on our blog.

The entry for Herman Behrens indicated that he was born on 28 September 1845. Of course that’s secondary information as Herman would not have firsthand knowledge of his precise date of birth. That does not mean it is wrong. What sort of documentation a registrant had to give for his age I cannot say.

Herman’s date of birth agrees with his christening record which also provides his date of birth and would be considered primary information.

There’s always the possibility that a draft registrant lies about his age.

But you never know what an ambitious clerk may decide to add to a record until you look. That’s why you have to look-even if every other time the record didn’t provide that much information.

It makes up for those clerks whose attention to detail is lacking.