Caleb Day - was he really in the 1st Oregon Cavalry?

[Anneatki]

Hi everyone,
I have no idea where to put this one! I'm about to give up on Caleb, but maybe roots chatters have some ideas.
Caleb Day was born 1841, Maidstone, Kent, UK.. I have him in Kent, 1851, but can't find him 1861 (or his father Samuel, a Baptist Minister).
Caleb married Serena Vale, Julyqtr. 1862, Birmingham UK. They arrived in Melbourne, Australia, March 1863. Caleb was a Draper's Assistant in Geelong. His parents & siblings lived there too (Samuel was Baptist Minister there for 41 years).
Caleb's wife died in 1877, then he seemed to move to Greenwich Park,NSW, where he got married to Susan Phillpot in 1879. This is the tricky bit - in the newspaper announcement he is described as "late captain adjutant, 1st Oregon Cavalry, US Army". It's also mentioned that he is the son of Samuel of Geelong, so it's the same man.
He died in Geelong in 1881, of pneumonia, & only his first wife is mentioned, his occupation was "Draper". His daughter's Death Cert in 1936, said he was an "Army Captain".
I don't know much about American military things, but could he be telling the truth about serving in the Army - I've searched (mainly Ancestry) but can't pin him down, although Caleb Day seems a common name.  I'm beginning to think he was telling "porkies"!  Cheers, Anne

[MaxD]

According to Civil War history http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unortr.htm#1stcav, the 1st Oregon Cavalry existed only from 1862 to 1866 so he wasn't there in 1861.
There are three Caleb Days to be found in US military records, none of them though from that regiment and his name does not come up in a civil war name search in Oregon.
While he physically  could have gone to Oregon after arriving in Australia in 1863 I'll leave you to speculate on the likelihood.  Funny thing is it seems an unlikely out of the way regiment for someone to make up a story about (or perhaps that was deliberate)?

maxD

[Cas (stallc)]

May gain further info if contact tree owner?

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Day-3463

http://www.hoadly.com/

Cas

[Anneatki]

Thanks for that MaxD - I agree with you, that maybe it was a good story!
His children were born 1863, 65, 66, & 68, so not much space for a trip to the US after arriving in Oz.
Cas - thanks for your reply, will check it out now!