Colleen:
Your family appears on the 1850 Federal Census of McNairy County, Tennessee as follows:
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Charles McDanel--age 36--born unknown
Lydda McDanel--age 30--born N. C.
Emily McDanel--age 16--born Ala.
William McDanel--age 13--born Ala.
Elihu McDanel--age 7--born Miss.
Mary McDanel--age 4--born Miss.
James McDanel--age 5 mos.--born Tenn.
Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: District 9, McNairy, Tennessee; Roll: M432_888; Page: 131; Image: 264.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
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In the above census the birthplace of Elihu is listed as Mississippi.
This family also appears on the 1860 Federal Census of McNairy County, Tennessee, as follows:
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C E Mc Daniel--age 46--born Penn.(??)
Lydia Mc Daniel--age 39--born N. C.
Emily Mc Daniel--age 25--born Ala.
William Mc Daniel--age 23--born Ala.
Elihu Mc Daniel--age 17--born Miss.
Mary Mc Daniel--age 14--born Miss.
James Mc Daniel--age 13--born Tenn.
Elijah Mc Daniel--age 11--born Tenn.
David Mc Daniel--age 5--born Tenn.
Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: District 5, McNairy, Tennessee; Roll: M653_1262; Page: 403; Image: 401.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.
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In the above census the birthplace of Elihu is listed as Mississippi, and the birthplace of the younger Elijah is listed as Tennessee.
Mississippi marriage records show the marriage of Elihu McDaniel to Lucinda Bolen in 1865 in Pontotoc County.
Source: Ancestry.com, Mississippi Marriages.
Elihu and Lucinda McDaniel appear on the 1870 Federal Census of Pontotoc County, Mississippi as follows:
Elihu Mc Donald--age 26--born Miss. (McDaniel)
Lucinda Mc Donald--age 26--born Miss.
Charles Mc Donald--age 3--born Miss.
William Mc Donald--age 1--born Miss.
Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Township 9, Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: M593_746; Page: 268; Image: 167.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2003.
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In the above census I am reasonably sure that McDaniel is incorrectly spelled, and that Elihu McDonald is most assuredly Elihu McDaniel.
This same couple appears on the 1880 Federal Census of Pontotoc County as follows:
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E. McDaniel--age 36--born Miss.
Jane--age 35--born Miss. (Lucinda Jane?)
Charley--age 13--born Miss. (Charles as above)
William--age 11--born Miss. (William as above)
Thomas--age 9--born Miss.
John--age 7--born Miss.
Jane--age 1--born Miss.
Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: , Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: T9_662; Family History Film: 1254662; Page: 26.4000; Enumeration District: 0; .
Source Information:
Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
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Elihu and Lucinda McDaniel also appear on the 1900 and 1910 Federal Census of Pontotoc County:
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E C Mc Daniel--age 55--born Miss.
L J Mc Daniel--age 55--born Miss.
Sam Mc Daniel--age 17--born Miss.
Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Friendship, Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: T623 825; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 85.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.
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Elihu C McDaniel--age 67
Lucinda J McDaniel--age 66
Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 2, Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: T624_756; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 97; Image: 699.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.
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Elihu McDaniel appears on the 1920 Federal Census of Pontotoc County living with his son, Sam. However, his wife is listed as Mary McDaniel. Lucinda may have died and he remarried, or this is a mistake. I have not pasted this census but the citation is:
Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Thaxton, Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: T625_890; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 100; Image: 1076.
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Colleen, as Elihu and Elijah McDaniel are found living in Tennessee right before before the war began, the possibility most certainly exists that they joined a company in Tennessee instead of Mississippi. And as Elihu McDaniel is found living in Pontotoc County, Mississippi from 1870 until 1920, I would bet that the grave registration found by Jeff Giambrone belongs to him, and that he served in the 19th Tennessee Calvary, as well as his brother(s). I would suggest that you get a copy of this record, and also look for a pension application under his name, and under the name of his wife, Mary McDaniel, if she outlived him, and if indeed she was his widow instead of Lucinda McDaniel.
The following 1880 Federal Census of Pontotoc County, Mississippi could possibly be Elijah McDaniel, as E.E. McDannel was born in 1852 and in Tennessee:
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E.E. McDannel--age 28--born Tenn.
Martha J. McDannel--age 29--born Miss.
Charley McDannel--age 6--born Miss.
Martha McDannel--age 1--born Miss.
Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: , Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: T9_662; Family History Film: 1254662; Page: 26.4000; Enumeration District: 0; .
Source Information:
Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
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Marriage records show the marriage of E. C. McDaniel to M. C. Bolen in Pontotoc County, Mississippi in 1872. This marriage record could possibly be that of Elijah McDaniel.
Source: Ancestry.com, Mississippi Marriages.
I was not able to find Elijah McDaniel on any other census.
Good luck in you search.
Regards---
Please remember that information found on census records should be corroborated with a variety of other records, and with as many as you can find.
Please do not confuse Elihu and Lucinda Bolen McDaniel with Ezekial and Lucinda Dancer McDaniel. The latter couple lived on Tennessee.