As for me, I don't think there's anything funny about it. Out of my direct family line of 8 grandfathers, 2 were killed in action on the battlefield. The other 6 somehow managed to survive the War and return home to the devestation and utter chaos that so many families faced. You apparently misunderstood my point. By the 1880's, my families had basically lost all hope and started the migration towards Texas - most only got as far as Louisiana or Mississippi where other family members already lived. My families were all there in the 1860 census - but not in the 1870. My point was that so many people did not feel the obligation or desire to comply/participate with any federal census. Allegiance to or "warm loving feelings" toward the yankee federal government was not a top priority of theirs - they were to busy just fighting day to day for family survival. Also, I don't think that any of them considered themselves to be ex-Confederates. They were all loyal Confederate Americans to the grave and beyond.