Passing on the second half of the BELL post. Sent replies to Mdeanhunt@aol.com Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 13:01:34 EST From: Mdeanhunt@aol.com Dear Friends, Here is the second part to my plea for information regarding Morning Star OAKES. John D. OAKES, born unknown in probably VA, died 1855 in probably Taylor Co., KY, married Mary Romans, date unknown. Their children were: Virginia Jennetts "Jane" OAKES, b: abt 1808, married Bailey Corder Shofner Isaac OAKES, b: abt 1811, married Barbary Childress **Mourning (Morning Star) OAKES, b: abt 1812, married John B. Bell Mar 1835 Mary "Polly" OAKES, b: abt 1815 Rebecca OAKES, b: abt 1816 Nancy OAKES, b: abt 1817 Jacob Roman OAKES, b; abt 1818, married Patsy Shofner 6 Aug 1832 in Green Co. Hiram OAKES, b: abt 1819, married Sloe (or Cloe) Shofner 18 Jul 1827 in Green Co. Sally OAKES, b: abt 1821 Daniel OAKES, b: abt 1822, married Elizabeth Wright 1 July 1852 in Taylor Co. Mourning (also listed as Morning Star, Mournen) OAKES married John B. BELL in March 1835 in Green Co., KY (that part that became Taylor in 1848) Their children were: **Rebecca Jane BELL, b: abt 1836 in Green Co., Married Jeremiah Hedgespeth 22 Apr 1851 in Taylor Co. Emily Bell, b: abt 1838, no further info (NFI) Moses BELL, b: abt 1841, NFI Hiram BELL, b: abt 1842, NFI James BELL, b: abt 1844, NFI John BELL, b: abt 1846, NFI Rachel BELL, b: abt 1849, NFI Virginia "Jennie" D. BELL, b: 1856, d: 18 Mar 1889, married John Dewitt 21 Sep 1877 in Taylor Co. Rebecca "Becky" Jane BELL married Jeremiah HEDGESPETH 22 Apr 1851 in Taylor Co., KY Their children were: Emily Jane HEDGESPETH, b: abt 1853, married Hiram Underwood Sarah "Sallie" HEDGESPETH, b: abt 1855, married William "Billy" T. Morris Mourning (also listed as Mournen) "Mode" HEDGESPETH, b: 9 July 1857, d: 26 June 1930, married Elijah "Lige"Johnson Gaddie 20 Dec 1877 John H. HEDGESPETH, b: 22 Oct 1859 NFI Lizzie HEDGESPETH, b: abt 1860, married (1) Enoch Allen 27 Nov 1879, (2) Joe M. Young, date unknown Mary E. HESGESPETH, b: 17 Feb 1861, NFI **Rachel Hiram HEDGESPETH, b: 9 Feb 1863 in Taylor Co., KY, d: 2 Mar 1933, married Robert Tunstall HUNT 15 Mar 1882 in Taylor Co., KY Sealy C. HEDGESPETH, b: abt 1864, married Taylor Farris Bluford HEDGESPETH, NFI Nanny HEDGESPETH, NFI I am not positive the last two are correct. If anyone has any additions or corrections, I would be most grateful So what can be said regarding whether Morning Star OAKES was Cherokee? If indeed she was, then her name was "officially" given to the census taker as Mourning to "Anglicize" it, perhaps so as not to arouse suspicion during the roundup of the Cherokee leading up to The Trail of Tears. But she is most definitely also known as Morning Star, certainly an Indian sounding name. I have already discounted her and her mother escaping from The Trail of Tears, which took place in the years of 1838 and 1839. However, in my research I have found that between 1790 and 1818 there took place a more or less voluntary migration of the Cherokee (who had lost their lands, ceded by the tribe under terms of a treaty, later violated by the whites) to new lands in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The migration followed, more or less, old hunting trails up through Tennessee to southern Kentucky, following the Green River to the Ohio, then down to the confluence with the Mississippi. This round about way was to avoid crossing the Chickasaw Nation in what is now the Jackson Purchase of Kentucky. This is exciting to me, as it would fit the location and dates perfectly to the story. Again, I ask if ANYONE on these lists has any information, family stories, legends, word of mouth; whatever, please contact me at mdeanhunt@aol.com. I will be forever grateful M. Dean Hunt Louisville, KY