Hi Gerry, I have more on this Thomas's line if you want it. Did you ever find out if this McClain was one of yours? 9 Jesse Hodges b. 5/15/1818 [ Desc. Rose Hogan and Jesse Moore] d. 6/25/1902 Knox Co., Tn. Valley Grove Bapt. Ch., Ball Camp Pk. #1 md. 9/13/1854 Knox Co. sp. Sarah E. McClain d/o James and Mary McClain HODGES FAMILY HISTORY TRACED BY MAIDEN, N.C., MEMBER OF CLAN By Dr. J.E. Hodges, Maiden, N.C. When Tom Hodges unloaded his two pack horses and two milk cows, on whose backs were transported all the world's goods he brought over the mountains, all the territory of what is now Watauga County was a howling wilderness. He had left the scattered settlement on the Yadkin far behind. Many miles down the Watauga, about Sycamore shoals, was the Watauga settlement. In the Valle Crucis section, Sam Hix and his son-in-law, James Holtsclaw, had a cabin and stockade, but it is doubtful if Hodges ever knew they were there. In fact, he was where the foot of white men had seldom trod, with nature for his companion. Just West of Boone he built his camp, for that is just what it was a "Faced Camp, in the language of the frontier. It was built of logs with back and ends solid, roof sloping front to back and front open. The big fire for cooking and warmth was built in front of the open side. The small amount of bedding brought along, soon supplemented by bear skins, was spread on forest leaves in the back of the camp for sleeping and rolled up out of the way in the day time. This camp had to answer all the purposes of a home till the pioneer could build a cabin of round logs, covered with split logs and fitted with a big rough stone chimney. Soon after this cabin was completed and enclosed with a rail fence, the family received quite a scare when the head of the house was away with the dogs and his rifle on a bear hunt. Had he stayed at home there would have been no need for a hunt, for an enormous black bear came into the clearing and proceeded to investigate this intrusion into his domain. Reaching the fence that surrounded the little cabin, he stood erect and placing both front paws on the top rail quietly, and for some time, surveyed the surroundings till satisfied, and went on his way, to the great relief of the wife and children. THOMAS HODGES CHILDREN According to the 1790 census, Thomas Hodges had nine children, four sons and five daughters. Of these, only one son was past 16 years of age. In this article only the three best known sons will be considered. These were William, Jesse, and Gilbert. William Hodges married a Mullins, a sister of Jesse Mullins, a great hunter, trapper, and old time fiddler. He owned a farm on the east side of New River lying on both sides of the Wilkesboro road. It is said that he had considerable sums of money hidden here and there in the hills, and never found. William Hodges settled on a place a short distance east of the late John Hardin home, owning a large tract of land there, which he later sold for a rifle gun and dressed buckskin. He reared a large family - Larkin, Adam, William, John (Jack), Burton, Mark, Sallie, Delphia, and Mary (or Nancy). Of these, Larkin was a Baptist preacher of some note in his day. He married Polly Moody. Adam moved to Tennessee and died there. William married a Morris and settled near Elk Cross Roads. John married a Morris, a sister of William's wife. Burton married a Miss Northern. Mark married a Calloway. Delphia married Adam Cook, and Sallie married his brother, the Rev. John Cook. Mary (or Nancy) married Soloman Greer who lived on Stony Fork. Jesse married Polly Clawson and lived in the Old Soda Hill community, later selling his farm to David Lookabill just before the beginning of the Civil War. Of his children, Frank married Nancy Ingraham; William, a Triplett; Elbert, Kattie Davis; Patsy, a Stansburg; Elizabeth, a Jones (on his death she married William Miller); Nancy, Thomas Griever of Tennessee. Thomas died during the Civil War, unmarried. Jack was killed by bushwhackers during the war. Cynthia married Edward Blackburn, and was the mother of congressman Spencer Blackburn. The third son, Gilbert, married Sallie Shearer, daughter of pioneer Robert Shearer, who built his first cabin in the pines on the bluffs where the .Three Forks& came together. The old Indian trail passed by and he concealed his home from them. According to Robert Shearer;s records, she was born March 24, 1799 and married Gilbert Hodges September 11, 1817. Of the children of Gilbert Hodges, Thomas married Mary Ingraham; Robert, Peggy Ingraham (he lived till 1914, Holland); Riley, married Violet Moody; Elizabeth, Edward Clawson; Louisa, John Green; Larkin, Louisa Gragg. People now living recall many of these people and a number of the children of the above couples are still in our midst. For example, ex-sheriff John W. Hodges of Boone, is a son of Burton Hodges, who was son of William. He is therefore the great-grandson of the pioneer, Thomas Hodges, who came to the mountains in 1781. The Hodges of eastern Carolina, while of the common stock, are descended from a different branch. They have been prominent from the days of the early settlements. They are plentiful in the Patriot Army, and while I have carefully searched the records, have found only one Hodges in North Carolina who was a Tory, Lieux (sic.) Joseph Hodges of Cumberland County, they served their country in almost every capacity during the long, heart-breaking struggle for independence. It has, as almost families, an outside feature. In this family it is a tendency to medicine in some branch or other, where you find a considerable number of Hodges you will find doctors. They do not seem to have taken to the law and politics very extensively, and I have not found that any have especially distinguished themselves at the bar, bench or the legislative halls, after medicine, as general practitioners, as specialists, druggists, chemists, etc. The ministry seems to attract them, and a great number of the name have filled the pulpit of various denominations. The Rev. William Hodges, of Orange, who participated in spreading the "Great Revival" over Tennessee and Kentucky about 1800 to 1805, was especially outstanding in the Presbyterian church of his day. As a whole, they have been a quiet, unobtrusive people, generally preferring agriculture, the mechanical trades, the mercantile and business fields to the more exciting and uncertain paths of life, and I have found but few instances where any community suffered by their being a part of it. Ken At 06:39 AM 05/27/2003 -0500, you wrote: >The following information was copied from The History of Watauga County, >North Carolina, Vol. II, 1987 > >Thomas Hodges b. Virginia 1750 > m. Betsy Cottrell > d. Ashe Co., NC > >Gilbert Hodges, son of Thomas Hodges & Betsy Cottrell > b. 25 Jul 1845 Boone Ashe Co, North Carolina > m. Sarah (Sallie) Shearer > children: > 1. Thomas T. Hodges - killed while felling a tree. He was a teacher @ >Appalacian Training School and a farmer > 2. Robert - died 1914 > 3. Elizabeth > 4. Holland Francis Hodges - died Parris, Lamar Co., Texas 5 Oct 1924 > 5. Richard Riley Hodges - book The Foster Family of Flanders, England & >America by Dr. Billy Glen Foster at Texas State Library in Austin, Texas > 6. Sarah Hodges > 7. Louisa Hodges > 8. Larkin Hodges later moves to Buncombe Co., NC > 9. Thomas Jefferson Hodges (also believe moved to area of Paris, Lamar >Co., Texas) > 10. Hannah Martishia Hodges buried Paris, Lamar, Texas > >One submitter of a lot of Hodges information in the library at ASU >(Appalacian State U. library) in Boone, Watauga, NC in 1995 was >Peggy McGee Maness of 13331 Veronica road, Dallas, TX 75234-4916 phone >214/247-0326 > >- - - - - - - - - - >William Hodges b. 1782 Wilkes Co., NC > d. 1855 (about) Stoney Fork, Watauga Co., NC > m. 29 Dec 1800, Wilkes Co., NC > father: Thomas Hodges mother: Betsy Cottrell > children: > 1. "Sally" Sarah Hodges - 1803 Ashe Co., NC spouse: John Cook > 2. Larkin Hodges > 3. Delphia Hodges > 4. William "Billy" Hodges, Jr. b. 1811 KILLED in Civil War > spouse: Jane Morris > 5. Thomas Hodges 1812 > 6. Nancy Hodges m. Soloman Greene > 7. John "Jack" Hodges m. Fannie Morris > 8. Jesse Hodges > 9. Dillard Burton Hodges > 10. Adam Hodges 1822 m. Judy Calloway > 11. Demarcus Hodges b. 1826 Ashe Co., NC m. Mary Calloway >