Thomas Hall, who was born in 1834 in West Feliciana Parish, was listed as an engineer (railroad???) in the 1860 Pointe Coupee Census, and an armorer/gunsmith in the 1870 and 1880 Baton Rouge Censuses. I've eliminated all the Louisiana Thomas Halls who are listed as having served in both the Federal and the Confederate Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery units, and am left wondering if he may have been a civilian employee working with arms and munitions, etc. I don't find him (so far) as a contractor with the Confederate or Federal government. I have a hard time believing a 26 to 30 year old man could have dodged service, in some capacity or other, the entire war. Any ideas?