Howdy cousins! My name is Ed Erwin. I was born and raised in the beautiful countryside of Haywood County NC. My family surnames are all from Haywood County NC since the late 1800's. At present I am searching to properly identify which of the numerous James Ervin/Irvin/Irvines was my gggrandfather. It appears the more common spelling in my family prior to 1900 was Irvin/Ervin. My James died in Homeguard or Senior Reserves in the Civil War. He had three children of his first wife, she was possibly named Elizabeth. She died at or near my ggrandfather's birth (Robert) in McDowell County NC in 1853. Two older sons of this marriage were Civil War Vets: James Jr? died in a home for Confederate Vets in Raleigh abt 1905. And John, who brought brought Robert with his family to Haywood County in 1867 where Robert married Nancy Cathey, dau of George W. Cathey, b. 1-27-1829, d. Civil War, and Mary Hargrove Cathey. George Cathey was son of William(One-eyed Billy) Cathey and Hannah Dyer. John Ervin went on to Tenn in 1883 and is unknown since. Before leaving Haywood Co, he and Robert built many nice homes such as the Web Cathey Home. According to the 1870 Haywood County Census, John was a carpenter/farmer, born in SC. Surnames I am searching for which I have my lines back to 1700s are: Long, Cathey, Hargrove, Mann, Henry. Surnames I am searching for which I have limited information are Irvin/Ervin, Carpenter, MacFrady/Frady. My father's family has spelled the surname as "Erwin" since abt 1890. All records, which are few, due to Civil War burnings, indicate the spelling mostly as Irvin/Ervin prior to 1890. I have done a fair amount of research and have considerable information provided to me by other researchers regarding the well-known Erwin family of Burke Co. NC, Mecklenburg Co. NC, and York Co. SC., but my James does not appear, at least on the surface, to fit into any of these lines. A special thanks to Donna for this wonderful list. Ed Erwin, Arden, NC.