Hi Gaila! You asked: "So by asking for holes in your story, I guess I am asking for more substantiation on why in your scenario you have all of the brothers die so closely together and what brought you to that conclusion without obituaries, wills or family tradition of that happening." That is a good, and important question. Let's consider Benjamin Jr. first. The document I had copied is from Edgefield Equity No. 2189. I have 12 pages so cannot transcribe it all for you. It is a petition for Sale of Sale, B. Buzby VS Nathan Norris. Again, I am dealing in legal documents so am a bit over my head. I can only explain what is straight forward to me. The petition deals with land that George Sawyer sold to old Benjamin and old Benjamin left in his will to Benjamin Jr., with the understanding that Benjamin Jr. would give $400 to Reese. Now the petition. In the petition, Burrel Buzby mentions the last will and testament of his grandfather which gave a piece of land to Burrel's father with the charge that his father give Rease Buzby, the uncle of Burrel, $400. Burrel states that his father has since died intestate without having discharged the division of the legacy to Rease. Burrel was the administrator and heir of Benjamin Jr., and stated that the $400 could not be paid out of the heirs of the estate of his deceased father without great injury and inconvenience to them. On behalf of his sisters and brothers, he asked that the tract of land be sold in order to discharge the said legacy. The petition is signed by Burrel but mentions his mother Eliza and John Bond, guardian ad litum for Elizabeth Buzby, Bartholemew Buzby, Artimisa Hariot and Louisa Buzby. Included in the packet is the original land deed and survey. The next document in the packet is by the guardian John P. Bond. He stated that the tract of land in the petition is small and poor and the greater part of it cut down. He felt that by the time the minor children were of age that by cultivation the land would be of little value. He felt the sale of the land would promote the interests of all. Thus the petition was granted and the land was sold. Included in the packet is the indenture for the sale of the land on October 6, 1817 between Nathan Norris and Whitfield Brooks. Based on those documents, I feel completely confident claiming that Benjamin Jr. died before October 1817. I am also confident that there was no will for Benjamin Jr., as clearly stated by his son Burrel. I also see Burrel Buzby receiving a payment of $24 from the estate of his grandfather on May 15, 1821, most likely as the oldest son of Benjamin Jr. who was deceased. This email was long so let me go to another for other documents. Kathy

Hi Kathy, I went to see what other estate papers I have to see if I could find an indication that once named in estate papers, one wouldn't be renamed. In the estate pages I have for Alexander Johnson (believed to be the son of Lillian Busby & John Johnson, Houston County, GA), a person comes up a second time [Stancil Howard ]. To me your proposition doesn't apprear so straightforward,I feel it could be a clue or it could be a coincidence. For both of us the evidence seems to be ancedotal, so I have asked South Carolina researchers if they have information that could clarify this. Secondly, I think we would have to be careful of Seniors and Juniors, in the time period we are speaking of and well into the early 20th century, a Junior was not always the son of a Senior. In Benjamin's will, Benjamin Jr is named as the son of Benjamin Sr; but in other cases, it could be nephew and uncle, or cousins. [I have a case of two cousins one older than the other born circa 1850 and the older cousin was Senior. So deciding relationships by names and the junior appendage isn't proof. First cousins: Bailey Armstrong Heard, Sr - son of Jacob Foreman Heard and Bailey Armstrong Heard, Jr - son of Isaac Foreman Heard. This Junior -Senior convention is wide ranging and documented] In another message you mention that you feel Zachariah is a son of Benjamin, Sr. I agree, but he is in the same age range as William Reese, so he would promote my theory that Reese and William Reese are the same person. I agree that Benjamin Jr died prior to Reese and Miles. I have Mile's estate papers, but have not connected him to Miles the Revolutionary soldier so that is another project. So your evidence is more compelling to you than to me. I do agree that I no longer can take it for granted that Reese and William Reese are the same person. I will be looking at finding more evidence. Certainly if they are seperate people, then I have no reason to assume that they are father and son. Regards, Gaila