Dear Alan,

So glad your wife got her UDC approval. Great group of ladies.

I thought it would be very simple to be a member, already knew a few of the very gracious ladies......but thought I would just use my very old cousin's DAR papers to go back to my CSA soldier, David Wesley Ruff 1827-1862 from Fairfield Co., SC. Seemed simple enough.

The proof page for the lineage noted tombstone records that had been documented from a certain cemetery, but UDC wanted the official verification from a Cemetery book in the SC Archives..........so tried to get it, but could only find his wife? and her dates....but no verification of the soldier's burial site, or who wife was. or kids.

Courthouse records for David's wife burned. ditto marriage records.....did find census for 1860 and 1870......widowed wife living with relatives with the second and first child........ the second child born two months before David wounded at Winchester, removed to Ashland, VA hospital where he died.....Lots of unmarked graves and some marked.....next task to get to the cemetery in Ashland.

Thanks for all the interest and help, folks.

Cordially, Linda Peyman, Richmond, VA