This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ncB.2ACE/1454.3.1.1 Message Board Post: There is a lot of good information to be learnt from SADDLE SOLDIERS and a lot more could and probably should have been included. Unfortunately Mr. Halliburton apparetnly did not leave Virginia Military Institute while working on the book. He shoudl have made a road trip to SC. Willim Stokes was a son of Williams Stokes and Ann Risher Stokes. His maternal grandparents were Benjamin Risher, Sr. and Mary Fontaine. Knowing this helps explains his relationship to William Benjamin Risher and Richard Risher, Jr. (Besides being a first cousin of Stokes, Richard Risher, Jr. was married to Sarah Appleby a niece of the colonel. Sarah's mother was Stokes' sister.) Halliburton only indicates Stokes lived in St Bartholomew Parish near Branchville, SC. The Stokes residence was on what is now known as SC 61/'Augusta Highway. The Buck Head Hunting Club is on SC 61 about 2 miles east of US 21. The Stokes home was about .33 miles further on the right. Stokes lost 5 children while living in Colleton County, three during the War Between the States. They are buried in the Stokes-Tucker/Williams Stokes Cemetery. After the war, Stokes moved to what is now Hampton County, SC formerly a part of Beaufort County. he purchased a palnatation nown as Early Branch. In footnote #173, Halliburton wrote, " Ted Jack is not identified. The latter is a neighbor known as Doctor." I don't know who Ted Jack was but Doctor was not only a neighbor, he was Stokes' brother Doctor Peter Stokes. Doctor Stokes signed the Ordinace of Secession. He was married to E. E. Anna Williams daughter of James Allen and Ann Williams. Anna Williams Stokes pased away in Feb. 1865 after giving birth to a daughter. The daughter passed away 14 years latrer. Anna Williams brother Dr. Paul Williams, a Methodiast minister, was married to Elizabeth Barnes. Paul was in his early 40's when he passed away in 1863. In CEMETERIES OF UPPER COLLETON COUNTY, SC, the Bryans indicate that Dr. Stokes married Paul's widow in 1881. Actually they were married earlier than that and one gets the impression from the 1870 census that they were married. Dr. Paul Williams and Elizabeth Williams were the parents of Sergeant Major James E. Williams who is mentioned in several of William Stokes earlier letters. In a letter written 28 May 1862, Stokes mentions the untimely death of James Williams due to illness. James was only 20. He was buried in the James Allen Williams/Stokes-Connor Cemetery in Colleton County. (At least two of Dr. Peter Stokes daughters married Connors.) James Williams remains were brought home by Garland M. Yancey who was not a native of SC but Louisiana. Not sure when he came to SC. Yancey married Sarah Caroline Williams, daughter of Paul and sister of James. By the late 1800's the Yancey's had moved to the Orlando area of Florida. One of their sons was named Paul Williams Yancey. Garland Yancey is mentioned in several of the early pages of the book and on pages 48-49 is a letter he wrote to Stokes. Bob Jacques' death is mentioend on page 194. Jacques was married to Elizabeth Risher. It is believed that Elizabeth was a sister of Richard Risher, Jr. On page 110 is a letter in which Stokes indicates to his wife that Captain Appleby would write Sallie. Halliburton's impression was Appleby was courting a daughter of Stokes. Stokes married Elizabeth Boulware in 1856, their oldest daughter Sarah would have ben a very old seven years in 1863 when the letter was wrtten. I doubt if Appleby was couritng Stokes' daughter. In a letter written on 14 Oct 1864, the death of Dr. Fontaine,Medical Director of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, is mentioned.. This was Dr. John Boursiquot Fontaine. Dr. Fontaine was the son of Edmund Fontaine, Sr. John had graduated from medical school in 1860 when he was 19 years old. He was about 24 at the time of his death. His father owned Beverdam. It was at Beverdam that JEB Stuaret last saw his wife before his fatal wounding at Yellow Tavern. Dr. John Fontaine was a great great grandson of the Rev. Peter Fontaine, Sr. and great great great grandson of James Fontaine. Willim Stokes was a great great grandson of the Rev. Francis Fontaine, Sr., brother of Rev. Peter Fontaine , Sr. (As mentioned earlier, Willim Stokes was a grandson of Mary Fontaine Risher. Mary's father was Francsi Fontaine, Jr.; her great granfather was Rev. Francis Fontaine, Sr.) SADDLE SOLDIERS is a fascinating book as one discovers relationships not pointed out by the editor.