I would suggest that you write to the DAR in Washington DC and ask for a copy of the application(s) that were submitted so that you can see if the lineage that was supplied by the applicant matches what you have found your line of descent to be is the same. Even though people may have submitted for your "ancestor" in the past, what is required today is actual proof that you are a descendant - with primary evidence. The people who applied in the past did not have that obligation because it was felt that the individuals who were applying for membership were in close enough proximity to the actual soldier that they might have known the soldier or would have been only one or two generations away, not the 10-13 generations we are today. Some of the lines that were or are listed in the DAR Patriot Index have been closed off to new memberships because it has been now proven the person never actually served or there was a defect in the lineage presented. Today the DAR has a better handle on who served and who didn't. Back then (early 1900s) the DAR didn't have the ability to know all the various soldiers or have access to the records like they do today. They didn't have a computer database and that sort of thing to be able to check each and every application against a muster list from NARA or the War Department to know whether the name that was listed as a soldier actually served in the military or provided aid to the government in order to qualify for membership. Back in the early 1900s, the DAR may not have had the extensive library and resources as they do today. It is because of this that the DAR now requires you to reprove those old lines. They want to make sure that the lineages are documented with primary evidence - similar to the requirements of the Mayflower Society. Christie Trapp