John B. Salling
Encyclopedia
John B. Salling claimed to be the second-oldest surviving Confederate
Veteran of the American Civil War
, though his claim of being born in 1846 has since been debunked. According to the 1860 census for Scott County, Virginia, John Salling is listed as being four years old, making him born in about 1856.
In 1991, William Marvel examined the claims of Salling and several other "last Civil War veterans" for a piece in the Civil War history magazine Blue & Gray. Marvel found multiple instances of census
data that indicated Salling was born in 1856, not 1846.
At the time of his death, John Salling was officially considered the next-to-the last Confederate veteran. Walter Williams of Houston, Texas
was frequently listed as the last Confederate veteran, but shortly before Williams died 20 December 1959, a New York Times report cast strong doubt on his claim.
The John Salling case gained currency after Guinness World Records
listed him as the "oldest soldier" of all time, erroneously as 113 years and 1 day old (it was later found that John claimed shortly before his death to have been born in May 1846, not March 1846; Guinness had made a typographical error). Thus, Salling's age was first dropped from 113 to 112, and then a census search suggested that he was really 'only' 100. In any case, no documentation to support his claim to being a veteran was ever produced. Many of the records of Southern troops during the War Between the States are incomplete because many records were lost or destroyed. John Salling claimed in his application for a pension that he was a saltpeter digger in Scott County during the war and that he had been put on detail duty in that job after enlisting in the 25th Virginia Infantry. In 2006, Guinness pulled recognition of this case.
The last authenticated Confederate veteran was Pleasant Crump
, who was 104 when he died on December 31, 1951.
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Veteran of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, though his claim of being born in 1846 has since been debunked. According to the 1860 census for Scott County, Virginia, John Salling is listed as being four years old, making him born in about 1856.
In 1991, William Marvel examined the claims of Salling and several other "last Civil War veterans" for a piece in the Civil War history magazine Blue & Gray. Marvel found multiple instances of census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
data that indicated Salling was born in 1856, not 1846.
At the time of his death, John Salling was officially considered the next-to-the last Confederate veteran. Walter Williams of Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
was frequently listed as the last Confederate veteran, but shortly before Williams died 20 December 1959, a New York Times report cast strong doubt on his claim.
The John Salling case gained currency after Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
listed him as the "oldest soldier" of all time, erroneously as 113 years and 1 day old (it was later found that John claimed shortly before his death to have been born in May 1846, not March 1846; Guinness had made a typographical error). Thus, Salling's age was first dropped from 113 to 112, and then a census search suggested that he was really 'only' 100. In any case, no documentation to support his claim to being a veteran was ever produced. Many of the records of Southern troops during the War Between the States are incomplete because many records were lost or destroyed. John Salling claimed in his application for a pension that he was a saltpeter digger in Scott County during the war and that he had been put on detail duty in that job after enlisting in the 25th Virginia Infantry. In 2006, Guinness pulled recognition of this case.
The last authenticated Confederate veteran was Pleasant Crump
Pleasant Crump
Pleasant Riggs Crump is the last verifiable veteran who fought for the Confederacy soldier during the American Civil War. Although he was survived by several other claimants in the 1950s, such as Thomas Riddle, William Lundy, John B. Salling and Walter Williams), historical research has...
, who was 104 when he died on December 31, 1951.