Civil War Zombie Corps

Numerous trees have this same information though most don't bother with records.
Comments after the jump.

 BENJAMIN CALLAWAY
 Born: 1754 in North Carolina
 Death: 1830 in North Carolina

 PARENTS
 Thomas Calloway (1712-1759)
 Mary Baker (1715-1800)

 SPOUSES & CHILDREN
 Red Wing "A Cherokee Indian " (1756- )
    Mourning Dove Callaway "SHE WAS 1/2 CHEROKEE " (1774-1840)
 Sarah Bramlett (1760- )
    Fanny Callaway (1798-1836)
 Jane Unknown (1760- )
    Betsy Callaway (1802-1900)

 SOURCES
 ✿ 1830 US Census: Benjamin Calloway; Lowndes, Alabama;
     10 free (1 male in his 40s, 1 female in her 30s, 8 children under 14), 5 slaves
 ✿ 1830 US Census: B Callaway; Autauga, Alabama; 5 free, 1 slave
     5 free (a couple in their 20s, 3 children under 5), 1 slave
 ✿ US Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles: Benjamin Lewis Callaway; Private in Texas Cavalry
 ✿ US General Land Office Records: Benjamin Calloway; Alabama; 8 Jul 1829
 ✿ Descendants of Mordecai Cooke (digitized book) 
 ✿ Story attached (originally submitted by another Ancestry.com member)
     The story contains the information from this web page.
 ✿ A photo

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✿ 1830 US Census
In 1830 Benjamin would have been approximately 76 years old. We've all seen ages vary from census to census. Keeping track of a person's birth date was not a high priority. Being off by 30 to 50 years is, however, seldom seen. Of course if someone is just clicking without actually reading and thinking it doesn't matter if the age on the record is different by 2 years or 200 they're going to attach it anyway.
✿ US Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles
Genealogy research requires some knowledge of history. A man born in 1754 may have served in the Revolutionary War but definitely would not have served in the Civil War.
✿ US General Land Office Records
This record probably belongs to the 40-something Benjamin Calloway in the 1830 census.
✿ Descendants of Mordecai Cooke
This is a digitized book. The index shows one entry for a Benj. Callaway on page 116.

"Susan Catherine Morton, born 1839, married 1859, Benj. Franklin Calloway, born 1840, no issue." - Descendants of Mordecai Cooke, of "Mordecai's Mount" Gloucester Co. Va. 1650, and Thomas Booth, of Ware Neck Gloucester Co. Va. 1685; by Dr. and Mrs. William Carter Stubbs, New Orleans, 1923

That is the entire entry. A man named Benj. Franklin Calloway who was born 10 years after the Benjamin Callaway in the profile died, married 29 years later and no children.
✿ Story attached
The first half of the attached story has the names of Benjamin's parents (from the profile) and then lists their children. No mention of a Benjamin. The second half of the story is a transcription of a will for an Elijah Calloway. Elijah has a son named Benjamin but since Elijah is writing his will in 1843 he wouldn't be leaving land to a son who died in 1830.
✿ Photo
The photo title is what looks to be a random series of numbers and letters: 783afb79-8b6c-4511-8644-153bc5b5b0f2- 3[1]. No name, no description and no indication of where it was found. The first permanent photographic image was made in 1826. Exposure time was 8 hours. The daguerreotype was invented in 1837 and was the first type of photography to be made available to a mass audience. What are the odds this is Benjamin Calloway who died in 1830? The photo has been attached to over 50 trees.

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