Lawrence County Genealogical Society Annual Deadline-First Tuesday in September Civil War Society Chairman for recognition at that years November banquet PO Box 1035 Proctorville, OH 45669-1035 OBJECTIVES OF -- CIVIL WAR SOCIETY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO The prime objective of THE CIVIL WAR SOCIETY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, STATE OF OHIO is to identify and honor the memory of those who served in the armed forces during the War of the Rebellion and were residents of LAWRENCE COUNTY, OH, during some portion of their life. The research and work necessary to discovering those who served and their descendants, should promote and encourage interest in the people who contributed in any way - great or small - to the establishing of LAWRENCE COUNTY, STATE OF OHIO, and its customs, culture, genealogy, and history. REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP IN CIVIL WAR SOCIETY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO Only members of the Lawrence County Genealogical Society may apply for membership in the Civil War Society of Lawrence County. Applicants must fill in the Civil War Society of Lawrence County application, showing either their direct or co-lateral Lawrence County Ancestor(s), listing their line of descent from the applicant back to the ancestor(s), and proving each line of descent with acceptable documents. The ancestor must have served from or lived in Lawrence County, OH, during some portion of his life. Proof is required for line of descent, relationship if co-lateral, military service, and residence. Proof may not be omitted for any step. Copies of documents must be (1) Copy machine, photo or other facsimiles of the original document: or (2) EXACT copies of the original document, Certified as TRUE COPIES by a Courthouse official, Genealogical librarian or other official. ANY PROOF MUST SHOW IT'S SOURCE. The application and documents must be accompanied by a NON REFUNDABLE $15.00 (one time only) application fee, which covers as many ancestors as can be proven, either at the time of first application or later, as supplements. Civil War Families of Lawrence County applications may be legibly hand written, printed, typed, or computer generated. The CWFLC committee will review the application and proof of lineage. The applicant will be notified of acceptance or the need of further information, in which case the application will remain inactive until requested information has been received by the committee - thereby reactivating the application. Basic Rules of Evidence For Civil War Society of Lawrence County, Ohio The nature and extent of the evidence submitted as proof in this application shall be sufficient to prove that the applicant is either directly descended from or that their direct ancestor is a brother or sister (Co-lateral) of the Civil War Veteran(s) named in paragraph "E" of the First Families of Lawrence County application. The evidence must be sufficient to differentiate between any two persons of the same name residing in the same area at the same time. The evidence must also plainly show that the named veteran(s) were resident in Lawrence County, OH at some time during their life. 1. Primary or collateral evidence from vital statistics, court house or other Government Records, Church and School records, etc., are considered usually to be beyond doubt, and excellent proof. 2. Secondary evidence, such as census records, newspaper clippings, old letters, bible or other family records are considered almost as authentic. 3. Circumstantial evidence, implied facts, or hearsay are not considered as proof, unless backed up by primary or secondary evidence. 4. Oral, written, or published family traditions are often wrong, and are not accepted as proof. 5. Printed or manuscript genealogies, genealogical records, or genealogical compilations are not accepted as proof, unless they are well documented and proved in themselves, or unless backed up by other acceptable proof. Family group sheets and unsupported information from an amateur or professional genealogist are considered in this context as genealogies, and not acceptable as proof. 6. Lineage papers from other patriotic or hereditary societies, by themselves are not considered proof. The document copies used for proving the lineage might be considered proof, if they follow these rules of evidence. 7. Material authored by the applicant, or his family, cannot be considered as proof. page 2 - Basic Rules of Evidence 8. Documents used as proof must, either by themselves or in conjunction with other acceptable documents, actually state the fact to be proved. If the document merely implies the fact, this is not considered proof. An example is the expression, "heirs" or "heirs-at-law" used in some estates. This indicates different things in different states, and at different times, and is not necessarily a proof of direct descent. If these statements are to be used as proof of direct descent, the applicant must include with his application, copies of the inheritance law of the state, showing that, at the year the proving document was dated, it was proof of descent "in blood line", and must also include proof that the testator had at least one child. Ohio's laws on inheritance have changed many times through its history, and what is true during one period, may not be true at another. Other examples of implied evidence which is not acceptable as proof are: A. A father is not proved as being in the area just because a child was born there. A birth proved only that the mother was certainly there on the birth date. B. Blood descent is not necessarily proved by owning the same land as an earlier owner by the same name, whether the land was received by inheritance or purchase. 9. Old letters, family records, etc., can be accepted as proof for only the facts the writer of the record or letter would logically know, of his own knowledge. They cannot be accepted as proof for facts the writer could only have obtained by hearsay from older generations, or other sources. Identification of the writer and the date of the letter or record are a must. This same rule is true of County Histories or other published biographies. The personwho probably gave the biographer the information, must have been able to know the information of his own knowledge. 10. Proving female ancestors may be difficult. They must be proved as individuals by their maiden name. Marriage records, church records, newspaper obituaries, family bibles, etc., sometimes show their maiden name. Birth and death records of their children usually do. These, or similar records, in conjunction with a dated deed showing: (1) her married name with her husband's and (2) their place of residence as Ohio. 11. The ancestors(s) proved in Lawrence County, Ohio by 1840 must be in a direct line back from the paternal or maternal ancestors of the applicant. "Collateral descent" as sometimes used recently, is not descent at all, but relationship to a brother or sister of a direct ancestor, and is not an allowed line for the First Families of Lawrence County. 12. All proof documents must indicate their source. Bible records must be submitted with their Title page, showing the publication date. Newspaper clippings must be identified by the name of the newspaper, and the date of the clipping's appearance. Owner/writer's name of bible should be shown. 13. Typed, hand-written or printed copies of original documents, to be considered as proof, must be certified as a "true copy" by a COURTHOUSE OR OTHER OFFICIAL, LIBRARIAN, etc. An applicant or member of his family CANNOT CERTIFY HIS OWN COPIES AS TRUE! If copy machine or photocopies of an original document show changes or corrections to the original document, those changes must be verified and signed as "True Copies" by the same type of unbiased official. 14. When a Father or Mother are above the normal age for having children, the parentage claimed is suspect, and MUST BE PROVED BEYOND A DOUBT. 15. Married female applicants must include a copy of their marriage record to prove their change of name. 16. If more than two ancestral lines are to be submitted, an ancestral chart must be included to show the inter-connected relationships, and the ease the burden of the reviewer, trying to puzzle it out. 17. Photographs of tombstones usually prove only birth and death dates. However, sometimes relationships are shown and are usually considered good proof. Printed compilations of cemetery inscriptions are usually accepted as proof, unless it is obvious or known that the compiler has added information which doesn't appear on the tombstone. 18. DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. Only photo copies of documents are necessary. Certified copies are required only when a document is typed or handwritten by a Court House or other Government official. All records/applications with proofs - when approved by the First Family of Lawrence County Committee become the property of the Lawrence County Genealogical Society, and will be deposited in the Hamner Room for Local History and Genealogy of the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library in Ironton, Ohio. 19. Please list proof being used for each line of descent in spaces on last page of application. Also, just before putting the application in the envelope to mail, PLEASE take a few moments to: (1) Number each sheet of paper on the back left hand TOP beginning with the number 1 and continuing to the end of your papers; (2) Place your name and address directly across from number on all papers; (3) Place your Lawrence County Genealogical Society Membership number below your name, on each sheet paper. Page 1, CWS-LCGS APPLICANT MAY COPY FORMS TO PROVIDE AS MANY SETS AS NEEDED INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT: Fill in blocks B, D, E, and the lineage pages List your main ancestral line on pages 3 & 4, beginning with yourself as #1. List the person who served in section #7 on page 4. Type or hand print clearly all information. A NON-REFUNDABLE check for $15.00 must accompany the application. Applications due by first Tuesday in Sept. to be included in that years recognition banquet. A. LCGS of OGS USE ONLY B. Application filled out by PROVED VETERANS & RELATIONSHIP name._________________________ 1._______________________________ (print) 2._______________________________ 3._______________________________ C. LCGS of OGS use only 4._______________________________ Civil War Society 5._______________________________ of LCGS number_______________ 6._______________________________ 7._______________________________ Date Application 8._______________________________ Received ___________________ 9._______________________________ 10.______________________________ Date Accepted_________________ 11.______________________________ 12.______________________________ Fee Received?_________________ APPLICATION for D. CIVIL WAR SOCIETY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO APPLICANT'S NAME Street Address County City State Zip Phone E-mail ****************************************************************************************************** ********* E. DIRECT OR CO-LATERAL ANCESTORS OF THE APPLICANT: WHO SERVED IN THE CIVIL WAR AND LIVED IN LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO, DURING SOME PORTION OF THEIR LIFE DO NOT LIST COMPLETE LINE-JUST THE VETERANS BEING PROVED NAME OF VETERAN Direct or Co-lateral Year proved in Law. Co. Unit served with ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ I am member # ______ and my Lawrence County Genealogical Society-Dues are paid for the year ____________. *********************************************** *********************************************** APPROVED BY: Lawrence County Genealogical Society Chairman:_______________________________________________Date______________________ Com. member____________________________________________Date______________________ Com. member____________________________________________Date______________________ SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE CIVIL WAR FAMILIES OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO Any member of Lawrence County Genealogical Society who is either a direct or co-lateral descendant of an individual who ever lived in Lawrence Co. OH, and served in the armed forces during the War of the Rebellion, may become a member of THE CIVIL WAR SOCIETY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO. This application, with proof of such descent and the payment of a $15.00 application fee, must be examined and stated facts verified before you will be notified of acceptance by the CIVIL WAR SOCIETY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO, committee. ****************************************************************************************************** ******************* Page 2 CWS-LCGS-Lineage1 DIRECTIONS Give volume and page for book references and include a copy machine, photo, or other facsimile copy of the pertinent pages, and or all published or unpublished records used for proof. Typed, hand printed or written copies, and any other transcriptions of documents must be certified as "True Copies", or will not be accepted. 1. I_________________________________________ was born on __________________________________ at_______________________________________________________________________________________ City County State Proof_____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. I am the child of _______________________________________________who was born on ___________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on ___________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b. & d._________________________________________________________________________ and_________________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at___________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b., d., & mar. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. The said _____________________________________________________was the__son / daughter___ of____________________________________________________________who was born on ___________________ at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b. & d.__________________________________________________________________________ and_________________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b., d., & mar. ____________________________________________________________________ 4. The said ______________________________________________________was the___son / daughter_____ of___________________________________________________________ who was born on ___________________ at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b. & d.__________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b., d., & mar. ____________________________________________________________________ Page 3 CWS-LCGS-Lineage2 5. The said _______________________________________________________was the _____son / daughter_ of____________________________________________________________who was born on ___________________ at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs of b. & d. __________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at___________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b., d., & mar. ___________________________________________________________________ 6. The said _______________________________________________________was the son / daughter___ of____________________________________________________________who was born on ___________________ at___________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b. & d. _________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs of b., d., & mar. _____________________________________________________________________ 7. The said ____________________________________________________was the___son / daughter___ of____________________________________________________________who was born on ___________________ at___________________________________________________________ City County State died on ____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs for b. & d. _________________________________________________________________________ and__________________________________________________________, his wife, who was born on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State died on____________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State married on_________________at____________________________________________________________ City County State Proofs of b., d., & mar. _____________________________________________________________________ Proofs submitted should be numbered in the top front right corner and have your name, address, and Lawrence County Genealogical Society membership number on the top of the back. The document type and number should be listed on the proofs lines; i.e. Birth cert.(BC) #1, Obit., Death Cert., Fam. Bible, Mar. Rec., Census (yr.), etc. Page 4 CWS-LCGS-Lineage3 Please fill in the appropriate section A. I, ______________________________________________am applying for membership in the Civil War Society of Lawrence County, OH based on my direct descent from Civil War Veteran________________________________ who is listed above in section # ________ B. I, ______________________________________________ am applying for membership in the Civil War Society of Lawrence County, OH based on my co-lateral relationship with the Civil War Veteran _________________________________________who was a son /brother of ____________________________________, who is listed above in section #____ . The veteran was: born on __________________at __________________________________________________ died on __________________at __________________________________________________ served in the (unit)_____________________________________________________________ entering service on ___________________ at_______________________________________ discharged/died on ___________________ at _______________________________________ He also served ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ LIST THE PROOF/S THAT THE INDIVIDUAL CITED SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES DURING THE CIVIL WAR: Discharge, Pension papers, 1890 census, news item ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ IF THIS APPLICATION IS FOR A CO-LATERAL RELATIONSHIP: LIST THE PROOF/S OF RELATIONSHIP OF THE PROVED DIRECT ANCESTOR WITH THE PROVED SOLDIER. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ LIST THE PROOF/S THAT THE INDIVIDUAL CITED LIVED IN LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO, DURING SOME PART OF HIS LIFE: census, birth, death, etc. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ I, _____________________________________ do hereby swear that to the best of my knowledge and belief, the statements set forth in this application are true. Signature of Applicant _______________________________Date_________________ This application, information, and all supporting documents and data become the property of the Lawrence County Genealogical Society.