On 10 Nov 98 Helen Donald, <hgdonald@leo.infi.net> Wrote: | I'm still a Newbie at Sloan genealogy, but I think the coincidence that Archibald(2) and John Sloan | both lived in Smith County, Tennessee in the same time frame is a bit singular. Could it be that | Archibald(1)s father was the brother of John Sloan's father James Sloan?..... | Even today, that part of Tennessee is not as heavily populated as adjoining areas, | so it seems unlikely that the two Sloan lines were randomly attracted there. Helen, As far as I know Archibald Sloan #2 was never in Smith Co. Tn. However, two of his sons, Patrick (b. 1747) and Samuel (b. 1758) died there. Your John Sloan (b. 1759) is certainly a contemporary and I think, all three fought in the Revolutionary War. The coincidence of the two family living a few miles apart goes back a long way. Prior to the Smith/Sumner/Macon/Jackson Co. Tn. area. they lived in Iredell/Mecklenburg Co. NC. prior to that both families came from Lancaster Co. PA. area. Don't forget prior to 1749 Lancaster Co. Pa. covered about half the state. Your John Sloan (b. 1759) is (pretty sure) the son of James Sloan that d. 1796 in Mecklenburg Co. NC. This would make James and Archibald#2 contemporaries and possibly brothers. Here the theory starts falling apart. Archibald#2 did have a brother named James and it's been established that this James d. 25 Dec 1775 in Hanover Twp. Lancaster Co. PA. (later part of Dauphin Co. PA.) I believe that someone said that your James Sloan was born at Sea. Does anyone remember where that titbit come from?? Sometimes I think these migration patterns may be based on the fact that there weren't that many roads or trails to choose from. BTW, if your interested in historic roads & trails there is a very good website available: http://members.aol.com/RoadTrails/roadtrai.html Later Frank Mitchell