It's always dangerous to do correspondence before the coffee goes to work! Obviously, the will written in 1821 in Wilkes County won't be one that you'd need to check. (It does seem unusual that there are only four Compton's listed in the whole of NC for 1665-1900. Wonder why.) A lot can happen - and did happen - in the decades between the 1860's and the 1880's to 1890's. Do keep in mind that many families relocated after the war, and so their wills won't be in the same locations as where they lived during the 1860's. Some might have moved further south, but others could have migrated to the west. Land records might be helpful in terms of finding out if and when they left the area, as well as the census records. Katherine ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.