This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------1BE75C6C738A Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit For your information!!! -- Tim mailto:phwalls@prodigy.net --------------1BE75C6C738A Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-ID: <361C334F.37AA@prodigy.net> Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 23:36:47 -0400 From: PHWALLS <PHWALLS@prodigy.net> Reply-To: PHWALLS@prodigy.net Organization: Prodigy Internet X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Uncle Clifford <bhds26a@prodigy.com>, Aunt Dorothy <HFGV79B@prodigy.com> CC: CIVIL-WAR-IRISH-L@rootsweb.com, CIVIL-WAR@rootsweb.com Subject: Naturalizations prior to Civil War: Most likely Required. Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear Civil War list: An excerpt from Page 15 of "American Naturalization Processes and Procedures 1790-1985" by John J. Newman, Indiana Historical Society, 1985, states the following: "NATURALIZATION BASED ON MILITARY SERVICE: Special considerations regarding the naturalization process were given veterans. An act of July 17, 1862, permitted 'any alien, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who has enlisted, or may enlist in the armies of the United States, either the regular or the volunteer forces, and has been, or may be hearafter, honorably discharged, without any previous declaration of intention to become such; and he shall not be required to prove more than one year's residence.' While this legislation was used to induce aliens to enlist for the Civil War, it applied to any war, including the Mexican, Indian, and the Spanish-American wars. One would not find any declaration made but would find proof of residence, good moral character, and proof of his honorable discharge." The implication of this? Soldiers were REQUIRED PRIOR TO THIS DATE to declare their intent to become citizens prior to enlistment and were required to show residence in accordance with the law giving them 3 years, if under the age of 18 when entered the US, or 5 years otherwise. If I am correct, Matthew Green was convicted of assault and battery in March 1852 after he had enlisted March 1851 and the Army got him out to New Mexico Territory and out of trouble. I need to find his first wife, Margaret, and his daughter, Mary Ann someplace, without Matthew in the household. As I said, I need experts like you two to find them in Saratoga County in 1855 and prove my theory correct. I have already ordered the CD database for the 1850 Federal Census. It cost me $30. If I get good results from using this, I will work on Jane Armstrong's whereabouts next, if our work does not somehow uncover her in 1850 with Matthew Green nearby. The booklet also talks extensively about naturalization fraud. In New York, there was "colossal fraud", beginning in 1828, mainly involving voting fraud. As you know, the certificate shows Matthew is 22, in August 1850, and he was naturalized in three years, not five. Another nail in my theory. The possibility exists that Matthew Green was forced to serve in the Army because he was an alien convict. During the Civil War, the government used naturalizations (implication: without permission) to gain the right to draft aliens. It could possibly have been forced on him due to his conviction, in the years prior to the Civil War. The Mexican War had raged a few years before. Many Irish went to serve in that war, on both the Mexican side and the US side. Guess they just loved to fight. -- Tim mailto:phwalls@prodigy.net Researching MCCLINTOCK, ARMSTRONG, GREEN, all of Irish descent, especially County Tyrone (MCCLINTOCK, ARMSTRONG) and Co. Meath (Green) --------------1BE75C6C738A--