Dallas & Dave, We corresponded briefly about this a couple of years ago. I haven't found anything new since then. I've looked into that line and the Martha that is the daughter of the John & Rachel Pierce is somewhere between 10 & 18 years too old to be my Martha. According to the Benton Co., TN book John & Rachel's Martha was born Feb. 23, 1822. According to the 1870 Census my Martha was 38 years old, on the 1880 Census she was 40 years old, and something else that suggested she was b. 1839 (can't put my fingers on it right now). That would make her birth date either 1832 or 1839/1840. Taking into account her children's birth years (1862 to 1879), I believe the 1839/40 date is more accurate. The information I have regarding her father being named Augustus/Augustine b. 1798 NC, came from a fellow Bethany researcher, but I don't know where he got it and I haven't been able to find it. He also had the names of the siblings and a second marriage to Middey Thompson on February 25, 1856 in Henry Co. I have found a record of an Augustus Pierce buried in the Barbee Cemetery in Henry Co., and Martha married Charles in Henry Co. At the moment I have accepted this line, but I would really like to have some better documentation. I have reread all the old posts to this list and Benton Co. that I had printed out a couple of years ago on the Pierce line. The only idea I have about how Augustus and family fit into the other Pierce lines are that he is possibly a cousin or brother to John (m. Rachel Ross) and or Hiram (m. Kizziah Greer). Their birthdates are close enough for them to be siblings. Another thought occurred to me regarding the story about Hiram being Indian and taking the name of the Pierce family he worked for, and the story that Martha Angeline was an Indian baby left with the Pierce family because her mother died. Maybe they are connected??? Any thoughts? Well, that's all my brain can deal with tonight. Thanks for the help, Jean