Found this on a site "Ancestors of Robert Kenneth Kirby" on the net... Joseph Tison Hampton b Jan 1833 Grayson co Va (1st Lt Confed 8 Cav. Grayson Co Va) m/1855 Ashe Co NC Florence Higgins "Joe kept a Jack (a male donkey, which when crossed with a female horse produces a male), for breeding purposes) I have heard many versions of the following incident, but chose the one given me by Hurley H. Hampton, .........Somebody cut Uncle Joe's Jakcs" ears off one night...don't remember whether the whole ears or just part. Uncle Joe and JOHN REAVIS had some differences, I don't know what, and John lived just down the road frm here. Uncle Joe heard that John Reavis had hired a man named Wilcox to come in at night and cut the Jack's ears off, so when he was up in Oldtown and Uncle Joe was drinking a little...my father (Charles Augustus Hamp- ton) and Guy, Joe's boy, was right there. MyDaddy was just 17 years old. Joe ran across Wilcox and accused him of cutting off his Jack's ears, but Wilcox denied it. Joe knocked Wilcox down and then ran across another Wilcox and knocked him down. About that time, a gun fired .. Reavis shot him three times. Joe is buried on his homeplace east of Baywood. Joe's tombstone reads J.T. Hampton. Born Jan 17, 1833 Shot and Killed May 28, 1874. The following inscription is on his stone: I had sooner fill a soldiers grave that ike a coward hide and bring disgrace uipon the ones who are my only pride." Now, wonder who this JOHN REAVIS was, would seem to be John-4, s/o Samuel-3, s/o John-2. Does anyone know? *B