In a message dated 98-09-25 18:57:00 EDT, you write: << William son of John in the books i have was lost at sea, but married before he left. His son was born after William was lost. I do not think he ever made it back because John wrote to Patrick Henry who contacted Thomas Jefferson who was at that time in France. TJ wrote back to Pat Henry that William had not been found. >> Hi Stella, Yes, I have read the info you posted, and have seen the letter to Thomas Jefferson, but on page 276 of the book, "Faquier County in the Revolution" the following paragraph tells the story I passed on. "At Valley Forge the game was also one of watchful waiting. For Col. John Green it was one of continued anguish. His eldest son, William, only 21, had gone to sea, influenced by some of his tidewater relatives. In May he was Captain of the American sloop Defiance off the Virginia capes. The Defiance was captured by a British figate and Captain Green was reputedly lost at sea. He cscaped and turned up three years later, but in June of 1778 Col. Green had lost, or thought he had, his three eldest sons. He fought grimly on, the war was not over and he could usually be found where the battle raged hottest. The Greens did not give up easily." Page 263 of this book tells the story of the duel where eighteen year old son of Col John Green, Duff Green was killed in a duel. He had just turned 18 before joining the war, and was killed in February 1778. Page 267 of the book tells of the death of the third son of Col. John Green, young Lt. John Green, age 20, died suddenly in April of 1778, just as the 1st Virginia Regiment under Col. Charles Harrison, was preparing to leave Virginia. I have no idea if this book is accurate and the others are incorrect, but I have seen that Capt. William Green died in 1859. What do you think? Tom Green