If anyone out there considers himself or herself to be good at comparing signatures, then I’d like you to take a look at some signatures and give me your opinion on which ones match.

I am trying to connect the J. E. Jones that signed his military parole upon his surrender at Vicksburg (first signature on the attachment) with the J. E. Jones listed on two marriage licenses (second and third). I know the person on marriage licenses is the same person, but their signatures clearly do not match.

I also have various signed legal documents, though I can't yet say for sure if that J. E. Jones is the J. E. Jones that I'm looking for. The full name of J. E. Jones is James Edward Jones. Some of the legal documents address him with more than just initials, and all of them are in the right place at the right time.

Speaking of the non-matching signatures on the marriage licenses, is it common for other people to sign a marriage license on behalf of the groom?

I apparently can't attach a .doc, .docx or .pdf to this posting, so reply to me and I can e-mail the signature samples to you.