Dear Mr. Smith: When I awoke yesterday mornimg my intention was to reply to your exciting,informational and well received letter all in response to a one line query.One thing and another seemed to take precedence and the day was done,sooo I want to take this opportunity to express my profound THANKS for sharing your thoughts and sending me BONEDIGGERS postings.As I started to read my heart raced and I wanted to read very slowly to prolong the enjoyment and learning experience-----kind of like eating an ice cream sundy with yummy toppings, you just eat slowly to savor the delicious taste.The reading thereof has generated a plethora of questions. First----let me outline for you who I am and my great interest in it all. My 3rd great grand father John Batte Baird bn 1745 in Va.md Jenny (Jennifer) Jennings abt. 1764 His father was Benjamin and he had a brother Alexander.They were well to do and owned thousands of acres of land both in Va. and in North Carolina ( Anson Co. and Mongomery Co.) They built mills,saw, Grist and lumber. Owned slaves,Were favored by the governor and king.In the HISTORY OF ANSON COUNTY NC 1750-1976 by Mary M Medley. It states in the appendix List of Major James Cottan,s accts. 1776.The claims of the loyalist James Cotton, A major, against the British Govt. for losses in the revolution in the province of N.C..and it lists BENJAMIN, JOHN BATTE and ALEXANDER BAIRD ,MATHEW RAIFORD ,JOHN JENNINGSJ;S( JENNY,S FATHER) AND JOHN SMITH along with others that I suppose are all LOYALISTS. Written by Robert O. Demond "the loyalists of NC during the revolution" Later Benjamim and Alexander and their families went to BAIRDS MILL, in Wilson Co. TN.and some to Ky. just accross the border. BUT,my John Batte went south to 96 district of S.C.where he appears in the 1790 census with his two sons his Alexander ( my great gt. grandfather )and William .They are living on a large plantation and he has 14 slaves.So, I suspect he has been living there for some time.He is still there in 1800 census with his new wife Mary Raiford and their son James Reynolds Baird,This is a second marriage for both John Batte and Mary.John Battedies in 1803. In the meantime his sons Alexander and William along with Jeanette wife of dseceased THOMAS BAIRD 1797 ,a son of Benjamin and brother of John Batte.all living in district 96 S.C.(Abbeville)move across the border into Franklin and Jackson Counties in Georgia. 1799. So--- this is the setting and these are my questions. # 1 Samuel,Aexander.s son, my gt grand father,could write very well and read.( according to a copy of a letter I have)He was bn 1801 in SC,TN, or Ga ?(1850 census says Tn.)Where did he get his education and second his maternal grandmother wasWinifred Elizabeth Patience Smith bn. in Williamsburg S.C. to Abner Smith and Mary Godwin who in turn,were md. in Duplin Co NC. 5 Aug 1780.Are you related? # 3 Samuel supposedly had a sister Mary Polly ,who some say married William F Forncrook of German ancestry. I have never been able to find any Forncrooks in the south,(a couple in NY.)but my family never went up there.BONEDIGGER talks about he strong German Lutheran influence in the area of 96.Sooo ,I wonder ,now, if Mary could have md .one of them. (my spelling of Forncrook may be entirely wrong, just a hand me down) It sure makes sense.But I can find Nothing. # 4 INDIANS --- MY ALEXANDER 1814 joines up with General Jackson at Hog Mountain in Jackson -Gwinette Co. Ga. to fight the indians who had gone on the war path and massacred a great many whites,It appears that he was killed by the indians at some point as he just disappears from all records and not only him but his family(except for Samuel)There should be about seven of them,but NOTHING. Could they have been victims of the massacre as well?Samuel died of yellow fever in New Orleans and left us nothing. History Wars,regulatorsLoyalists,Indians,education all played a big part. You have opened the door into added insight for me. Can you give me any more----Anyone out there? Sincerely Fred Baird [email protected]