As promised, the following is a direct quote submitted by Miss Louise GRAVES to the "History of Freestone County Texas by the Freestone County Historical Commission First Edition 1978" The spelling changes from Cotton to Cotten and I just checked the photos of the headstones and it says Cotten. COTTON, WILLIAM #243 page 330 "WILLIAM COTTEN was one of the earlies citizens of Freestone County and Fairfield, Texas. Masonic records show show on July 15, 1851 he was one of the nine petitioners for "dispensation for Fairfield Lodge No. 103", was one of the charter members, and had been a member of Evening Star Lodge No. 70 in Mississippi. A native of North Carolina, born Aug. 6, 1818, he moved as a young man to Miss., where he worked for JAMES ANDERSON, owner of a plantation on the Pearl River a few miles from Jackson and near Raymond. William Cotten fell in love with beautiful MARY ANDERSON, daughter of JAMES and ELIZABETH NOLAND ANDERSON, and they were married Nov 14, 1844 in Rankin Co., Miss. The 1850 Census of Hinds Co., Miss., taken Nov. 8, 1850 records: WILLIAM COTTEN 33, Mary 26, Alice 5, Ellen 3, and Susan 1. After the move to Fairfield, a son, William B COTTEN was born in 1852, as well as daughters Frances in 1856, and Julia in 1862. William Cotten enlisted in the army of the Confederacy on Feb. 3,1862 at the age of 44; was mustered in at Camp Herbert, near Hempstead, Texas; transferred to Waul's Texas Legion, and was a Sgt. with Co. B 2 Inf. Batt., from Sept. 1862 until capture on July 4, 1863 at Vicksburg, Miss., and paroled on July 9, 1863: news clipping, presumably from the Fairfield paper, reads: "DIED at his residence one of the oldest citizens of Freestone Co., and in the point of residence, one of the oldest. He came to Freestone about the year 1850 when the county was part of Limestone and before the town of Fairfield was laid out. He settled first at old Pine Bluff which was then quite a commercial point on the Trinity River. From ther he came to Fairfield, and for many years was a well-known citizen of our town. He was a man of fine business qualifications, and was once District Clerk of the County. Mr Cotten was a pleasant, intelligent gentleman. He was a kind father and a good neighbor. His remains were brought to Fairfield for interment, and were laid to rest by Fairfield Lodge AF & AM, of which the deceased was a member. He leaves to mourn his loss an aged wife, three daughters and one son." Of the children of William and Mary Cotten (1) Alice married L. G. SANDIFER in Fairfield. She died Nov. 19, 1881, leaving several children. (2) Ellen. After the death of her sister Alice, she married as the second wife L.G. SANDIFER, and was a devoted mother to the children. She died in 1933 in Teague, Texas being killed in an explosion due to a leak in the hose to a gas heater, and was buried on the day she would have been 86 years old. (3) Susan M. Cotten was well-educated, having attended Fairfield Female College. She was a beautiful and lovely lady, with deep brown eyes, soft-spoken and gentle. She married CHARLES H. GRAVES, sone of Dr. HENRY LEE GRAVES, mentioned in the sketch herein of the GRAVES family. They had five children, three sons and two daughters, HENRY LEE, CHARLES W., MARY ALICE, BETTIE, all born in Fairfield, and FRANK H. GRAVES, born in Navarro County. (4) William B. COTTEN was born Jan. 22, 1852, in Fairfield, died August 3, 1924, at home in Teague, and was buried in Fairfield Cemetary. He was married, but had no children. (5) Frances Cotten was born 1856 in Fairfield, survivor at death of her mother, amd unmarried at the time. (6) Julia Cotten was born Aug. 3, 1862, in Fairfield, died of pneumonia on Sept. 27, 1886, and was buried in Fairfield Cemetery. Mrs. William Anderson Cotten died Oct. 3, 1899, in Fairfield, and is buried in Fairfield Cemetary." _________________________________________________________________ Free up your inbox with MSN Hotmail Extra Storage. Multiple plans available. http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-us&page=hotmail/es2&ST=1/go/onm00200362ave/direct/01/