▁forced ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁and ▁Union ▁arm ies ▁as ▁a ▁servant ▁and ▁labor er . ▁No ▁document ary ▁evidence ▁has ▁been ▁found ▁for ▁this . ▁Alfred ▁P . ▁Andrew s , ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Jackson ▁Civil ▁War ▁Round ▁Table ▁and ▁its ▁president ▁elect ▁for ▁ 1 9 6 5 - 6 6 , ▁helped ▁M age e ▁be ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁Civil ▁War ▁veter an ▁although ▁no ▁service ▁records ▁for ▁him ▁could ▁be ▁found . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁when ▁M age e ▁was ▁suffering ▁from ▁p neum onia , ▁Andrew s ▁helped ▁him ▁obtain ▁treatment ▁from ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁V eter ans ▁Hospital . ▁▁ ▁On ▁M age e ' s ▁pur port ed ▁ 1 2 4 th ▁birth day , ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁Collins , ▁Mississippi ▁held ▁a ▁party ▁at ▁a ▁country ▁gro c ery ▁store , ▁complete ▁with ▁a ▁five - layer ▁c ake ▁and ▁ 1 2 4 ▁cand les . ▁Governor ▁Paul ▁B . ▁Johnson , ▁Jr . ▁declared ▁it ▁" S yl v ester ▁M age e ▁Day ". ▁Many ▁national ▁news ▁articles ▁reported ▁on ▁M age e ' s ▁life ▁and ▁lon ge vity , ▁including ▁Time ▁and ▁Jet . ▁He ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁Mike ▁Douglas ▁Show ▁and ▁was ▁flow n ▁to ▁Philadelphia , ▁Pennsylvania ▁for ▁another ▁tele vised ▁appearance . ▁He ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁as ▁the ▁oldest ▁living ▁United ▁States ▁citiz en ▁by ▁a ▁life ▁ins urance ▁company ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁birth day ▁card ▁from ▁President