I send messages to all of the counties that I do because everything is in a general area where I'm searching!! I show that a Joshua (EASTRIDGE or ESTES) was born in 1840 in Georgia. (He died in March of 1864, a civil war casualty.) Frances Hart (who was born in 1842 in Georgia), and Joshua were married on 2 December 1860 in Troup County, Georgia. They had two children ---- BEN or BENNETT born in 1862 (in Tallapoosa County, Alabama) and Dixie (nicknamed Bud) who was born in 1863 (in Troup County, Georgia). I have been unable to find out whether good Ole JOSHUA had the surname of EASTRIDGE or ESTES!! One story floating around says that during the 1860 Census, the enumerator couldn't spell EASTRIDGE, so the entire family became ESTES. Which would explain why it may have been changed on the census papers!! But I really don't think a census enumerator could make people use a surname that wasn't the one they were born with!! I have quite a lot of information on both Ben and Dixie, including wives names, and children's names. My information on Dixie is more extensive because he is allegedly in my direct lineage!! Apparently, DIXIE used the name EASTRIDGE but I just got a feeling that I'm overlooking something fairly important!! I have been able to obtain a Copy of a marriage license from Troup County, Georgia for a JOSHUA ESTES and a FRANCES HART Dixie's death certificate shows that his mother's name is "FANNIE HART", but lists his father as unknown. Any ideas??? Mike Eastridge