Society of Colonial Wars
in the State of Indiana

CHARTERED 26 MAY 1903

Officers - History - Past Governors - Join the Society - Links - Markers - Members - Clark Papers

The Society of Colonial Wars is instituted to perpetuate the memory of those events, and of the men who, in military, naval, and civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by their acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, defense, and preservation of the American Colonies, and who were in truth founders of this Nation. To this end, it seeks to collect and preserve manuscripts, rolls, relics, and records; to hold suitable commemorations, and to erect memorials relating to the American Colonial period; to inspire in its members the fraternal and patriotic spirit of their forefathers, and to inspire in the community respect and reverence for those whose public services made our freedom and unity possible.

Any male person above the age of eighteen years shall be eligible for membership provided that he is lineally descended from an ancestor who during the period prior to the Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775, served as a military or naval officer, soldier, sailor, or marine, or as a privateers man, or held office in any of the Colonies.

Officers 2009-2012

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Charles Bragg, Rick Gann, Graham Denby Morey, Donald Gradeless, Dennis Babbit, Bob Rati, and Allen Moore

Calender Dates

2010 Summer Court	15 May 2010
2010 Winter Court	13 November 2010

Governor	Rick L. Gann E-mail: RGann46201@aol.com 16 Bankers Lane Indianapolis, IN 46201-4607 Office Phone 1-866-931-7057, ext. 22611
Lt. Governor	Dr. Charles F. Bragg E-mail: CFBragg@iquest.net 9771 Logan Lane Fishers, IN 46037-9171 Phone: 317-570-4550 FAX: 317 - 570-4551
Deputy Governor General	Dr. Donald E. Gradeless E-mail: DrG@execpc.com 1402 East 225 South Winona Lake, IN 46590-2031 Home Phone 574-267-6020
Recording Secretary	Dennis L. Babbitt E-mail: DLBabbitt@sbcglobal.net 315 W Jackson Street Muncie, IN 47305-1070 Phone: 765-286-4484
Corresponding Secretary	Allen W. Moore 1109 North 400 West Kokomo, IN 46901-3880 Home Phone: 765-452-3502
Treasurer	Allen W. Moore 1109 North 400 West Kokomo, IN 46901-3880 Phone: 765-452-3502
Registrar	Allen W. Moore 1109 North 400 West Kokomo, IN 46901-3880 Phone: 765-452-3502
Historian	Robert D. Rati E-mail: RatiSR@prodigy.nett 4919 Regency Place Carmel, IN 46033-5959 Phone: 317-571-9166
Chaplain	Graham D. Morey E-mail: Graham45@att.net 427 Avon Village Pkwy, Unit 212 Avon, IN 46123-8223 Home Phone: 317-271-4933

      The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Indiana was organized 23 April 1903 in the City of Indianapolis and was chartered by the General Society on 26 May of the same year.  "Officers were elected and an organization perfected at a meeting in Indianapolis July 1, 1903.  The first annual Court and dinner was held at the University Club, Indianapolis, February 10, 1905, anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris, 1763, on which occasion the Hon. Jacob Piatt Dunn delivered an address on 'Indiana in the Colonial Period.'"
      The 1927 report of the Historian Report noted that "For a few years during and immediately following the World War, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Indiana was inactive although its organization was maintained.  In April, 1924 an effort was made to renew its activity, and a court and dinner were held on the evening of Thursday, May 22, 1924.   A new constitution was drafted and adopted at that meeting, which fixed February twenty-forth as the date of holding the Annual Court, this being the anniversary of the fall of Fort Sackville at Vincennes after it had been invested by George Rogers Clark."
        By the 1950s the Indiana Society was again completely inactive, but in 1966 a group of members from Ohio led by Lawson Whiteside, Lawrence Lewis, Richard Thayer, and Col. Jules Germain Kiplinger decided to reactivate the dormant Indiana Society.  At that time Colonel Kiplinger was appointed Governor of the reactivated Society and from then until the time of his death he worked ceaselessly to improve and enlarge the Society and its scope of activities.  Upon Colonel Kiplinger's death in 1971, the Indiana Society again fell into an inactive state.
      However, on 19 October 1991 eleven gentlemen met at the Propylaeum Club in Indianapolis to revive the State Society.   They were David C. Becker, Frederick Bobier, Carter M. Fortune, Scott Hosier, Jr., Hugh B. Lee, Jr., Allen W. Moore, Neal Chase Pitts, M.D., Robert D. Rati, John A. Roberts, Jr., Gordon P. Tierney, Gene Van Sickle, and a special guest. T. Kennedy Helm, Jr., the Governor General.   Gordon Tierney was elected Governor, and Fred Bobier was selected Secretary - Treasurer, Hugh B. Lee, Jr. was elected as Lieutenant Governor and Deputy Governor General.

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Join the Indiana Society

      Any male person above the age of eighteen years shall be eligible for membership provided that he is lineally descended from an ancestor who during the period prior to the Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775, served as a military or naval officer or held office in any of the Colonies.   Annual dues: $30. (Subject to Change.)   Please read the Application Procedure very carefully before contacting the Society

Download             Application Procedures           Preliminary Application

For further information contact Allen W. Moore, Registrar & Genealogist.

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Monuments and Markers Erected by the Indiana Society

Fort Miami	Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Ouiatenon	West Lafayette, Indiana

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The George Rogers Clark Papers

      In 1991, Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois and the Sons of the Revolution in the State of Illinois funded the microfilming of the George Rogers Clark collection of papers pertaining to the Illinois Regiment of Virginia State Forces, persons or matters relating to the Illinois Regiment. Previously they had funded the archival storage and staff time to preserve the Illinois Regiment papers.

      The microfilm edition consists of 13 reels containing 16,858 frames with some 85,000 images of original documents. There is usually more than one document per microfilm frame. The documents were dated from January of 1778 through November 5, 1834.

      The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois and the Sons of the Revolution in the State of Illinois funded the indexing of this collection. This index was completed May 18, 1995 and has 97,579 entries for 20,110 documents filmed on 13 microfilm reels. The compiler had abstracted and numbered each document for the separate 2,850 pages of the abstract, which indicates the location of the document on each microfilm frame when there is more than one document on a frame. The index references both the microfilm and the abstract. The abstract shows the original document numbers. dates the abstract of each document\. The originals are at the Virginia Archives in Richmond. A master microfilm negative was prepared for producing microfilms which have been deposited in several libraries as well as a limited edition books. Now the work has been placed on the internet for sharing with the general public.

• View the George Rogers Clark Project

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Links

Ancestors and Members of the Indiana Society General Society of Colonial Wars George Rogers Clark Papers Hereditary Society Community Lineage Society Worksheet Links to Indiana Heritage & Lineage Societies Members and Ancestors of the Indiana Society Sons of the Revolution in the State of Indiana

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Officers - History - Past Governors - Join the Society - Links - Markers - Members - Clark Papers