I typed a message to the list yesterday in response to the article below but somehow it got deleted. Now it seems that a partial message was sent. Well, anyway... I found the name, Thomas J. Benton interesting because my son's father-in-law is named Thomas Benton, but since he is not into genealogy, I don't have information on him. What I'm looking for, tho, is information on my great grandfather, Marion Johns, who married Martha Chestnut and had 3 children---Eliza (abt 1862) who married Jasper Skinner in Santa Rosa Co., FL on March 18, 1874, John Wallace Johns (1870), and my grandmother, Sarah Mandy Johns (about 1875). I believe Marion to be the son of Richard Johns of St. Clair Co., Alabama but have not proven that to my satisfaction. Grandma told me that her dad, Marion Johns, was killed by some old drunk when she was a tiny girl. I was hoping to find some information on this killing, which would have taken place around 1875-1880. Richard is the son of Azel Johns who married Mary Dearman in Darlington District, S.C. in 1803 and moved with the Dearmans to the St. Clair Co., AL area, probably around 1815. He owned land in T13S, R3E, Sections 13 and 24. He also owned 40 acres in R4E, Section 18. He died July 18, 1877 and the obit article in the Gadsden Times said he was about 100 years old and built about 50 log cabins in the area. I suspect he is buried in the Old Dearman Cemetery southwest of Steele, AL., but upon visiting there a few years ago, could not find his grave. I have checked at least three Marion Johns who were in the Confederacy, but all died in 1863. A bible record from Billy Bellew's bible, sent to me by my friend Rilla Mewbourn, shows a Marion Johns death date as October 19, 1863. I thought this was my Marion, but he died too young to be my grandmother's dad. My grandmother's headstone shows her date of birth as 1875. The 1910 Census suggests it was 1879, and the 1920 census indicates it was 1883. So grandma was jiving those census takers, or they didn't post it right. Would appreciate any help I could get in tying my Marion Johns to the Azel Johns line. Thanks, Rod Willis, Tallahassee, FL. -----Original Message----- From: Patricia Landwehr [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 3:06 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [31] Alabama maps on line Sam, thanks so much for the links! The Etowah County map I looked at did not have Township and Range indicated like one for Marshall County. I wonder if anyone on the list might know what town is nearby to Section 32, Township 10-S, Range 5-E? My great grandfather, Thomas J. Benton and his mother, Mary Martha Benton, were granted homestead certificates there. If I read the patents correctly -- and that's a big IF -- the size of their farm was about 280 acres. Thanks for any help forthcoming! Best regards, Pat Landwehr