-----Original Message----- From: Bart Cannon <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Sunday, June 20, 1999 4:52 AM Subject: TN River Timeline >Should anyone be interested, I have transcribed Benjamin's entire 110 >page journal and included notations about people and places. It is a >clunky Word 7.0 file at this time, but soon I will make it available for >download. > >Bart Cannon >(B.B.Cannon 5th) > Bart, It sounds very interesting. Your description was good. Please let us know when you have it available. I'd love to read it. My family went from Franklin Co. TN to Bell Co. Tx around 1853. It certainly seems like many of the families from Franklin went to Bell Co. I thought it was interesting that Benjamin knew the people he was visiting in Texas. Laurel Burns

This sounds like an interesting book.

Regarding river travel through Tennessee.... in 1846 if you had about $50 and three weeks time you could travel almost entirely by boat from E. Tennessee to Texas via the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi and Red Rivers. My great great grandfather Benjamin Bartlett Cannon left a detailed account of his 1846 river trip from Harrison, Tennessee to Shreveport, LA and ultimately into Cherokee Co, TX where he explored for and purchased farmland. The doctor of his wife Emily Tunnell Cannon recommended they move to a sunny climate for the sake of her declining health. This suggestion nearly coincided with the moment that Texas became a state and opening up bargain lands with long growing seasons. Benjamin already owned substantial property in Tennessee, but Texas land just seemed better. And of course, his wife's health. Though he was an attorney, a surveyor-engineer and Hamilton County Tennessee's first recorder, he listed his profession as "farmer" in the 1850 census even though, by that time, he had a law office in the town of Rusk, Texas. Early in the morning of April 7, 1846 he departed Harrison, TN (20 mi upstream from Chattanooga) by flatboat down the Tennessee River. Shortly thereafter they "lashed" with an undescribed vessel named the Wibb and Craft. A strong west wind, rain and natural obstacles, including a whirlpool known as "The Suck" downriver from Chattanooga kept his progress to under 100 miles after the first three days at which time he arrived in Decatur, Alabama. From there, on the 13th, he took the railroad for forty miles or so to Tuscumbia, Alabama where he boarded the steamer Herschel, that taking him to the former site of Eastport, TN where he boarded the steamer Mazippa (sp?). By April 18th he met the Ohio River at Paducah, KY. He would have arrived there at least 3 days earlier were he not held over catching different boats and waiting for cargo to be loaded in various river ports. On the 19th he made Memphis, well down along the Mississippi. The following day at noon an aged passenger on their boat, a Mrs. Duforce (sp?) great aunt of the Hixson family of Harrison, TN, died. She was buried at sundown 6 miles upriver from Montgomery's Point on the East Bank of the Mississippi. On the 22nd they passed the mouths of the White and Arkansas Rivers. As they cruised downstream Benjamin remarks that he is seeing "the finest farms that my eyes have ever beheld, anywhere. Cornfields, grain and cotton just making its appearance". The next day he was at the mouth of the Red River where he boarded the steamer Rudolph for the trip upstream to Shreveport. He landed at 5 PM on the 26th of April. The other members of his party stayed aboard the steamer Mazippa for the trip to Shreveport. An issue of fares. He describes Shreveport as a vibrant young town, well situated and seems impressed that drinking water is "supplied by five wagons kept constantly running from town". He set out on foot for Texas on the 28th and 20 miles later he was in that state with blistered heels and faced with Martins Creek, the first of a series of river crossings wide with spring runoff. He has rejoined his travel partners and friends from TN, John Taylor, William, John and Archibald Carmichael all of whom waded across Martins Creek, but Benjamin refused to follow them in and spent the entire day into the night looking for a more appealing crossing. The next day he was loaned a horse to take him over. As a Captain and a Major in the Tennessee Mounted Militia some years before, being buffeted in the current while on foot must have seemed so distasteful that he was willing to suffer some level of ridicule from the Carmichael brothers as part of the cost for keeping his shirt dry. On the 3rd of May he met with his sister-in-laws Emily Tunnell Bagley and Matilda Tunnell Reagan and stayed with his brother-in-law William Reagan at William and Matilda's home in Nacogdoches. They had moved there from Tennesse's Sweetwater Valley in 1836. Benjamin stayed with many people on his two month tour of NE Texas. It is interesting that most of them were already known to him from Tennessee. The tour was not a random exploration. Even though the countryside was nearly wilderness, specific people and places were visited as part of an appointed plan. The return trip to TN from Shreveport, begun two months later, took a full month because of many nuisance style delays. The last leg, along the Tennessee River from Alabama was done by a buggy which he purchased in Alabama. The trip evidently leaving him with extra money at its end and that last stretch being a difficult one to make against the current. The following April he took his family to the land he had bought the year before near Rusk, Texas. The youngest of Ben and Eliza's six children died on the boat near Muscle Shoals and Eliza died herself at her sister's, only a few days after arriving in Texas. The journey to extend her life may have prematurely ended it. Should anyone be interested, I have transcribed Benjamin's entire 110 page journal and included notations about people and places. It is a clunky Word 7.0 file at this time, but soon I will make it available for download. Bart Cannon (B.B.Cannon 5th)

At 09:08 AM 6/20/99 -0500, you wrote: >Helen, >If you do recall the name of the book that described the travels of persons >migrating from the Holstein River area to Nashville, I would be very >interested. My Laughlin Family may have taken that route. I know from the >Dairy of Samuel Hervey Laughlin that he rode by horseback as a young man, but >I believe that those taking the families and goods would have taken another >route - probably the rivers. > >Delores King i have read that a group of the men did go overland on horseback, they sent the wives and children on the river route thinking it would be the safer way to go. Boy, were they wrong...... Mary

>X-From_: [email protected] Sat Jun 19 11:58:14 1999 >From: [email protected] >Date: Sat, 19 Jun 1999 12:04:39 -0400 >To: Harold Miller <[email protected]> >CC: [email protected] >Subject: Re: early people to eastern TN >References: <[email protected]> > >Several years ago I found an old book (written early >1800s) on the migration of early settlers to Middle >Tennessee. > >I do not recall the title/author of the book, but I >distinctly remember the descriptions of the trip. > >Early settlers did, as Mary stated, travel down the >Holsten River to the Tennessee River. Then they >rafted the full length (several hundred miles) of >the Tennessee River to the Ohio River, and down the >Ohio to the Cumberland River, thence to Middle >Tennessee. > >This meant that the settlers had to cross TN from S to >N, travel through a section of Northern AL, back through >TN from S to N, across KY to the Ohio to the Cumberland >River - still more than a hundred miles from Nashville. > >I have never attempted to calculate the mileage, but it >was a VERY long trip. The Tennessee Valley Authority on >Muscle Shoals Blvd (or Rd/St) in Knoxville could probably >provide this information. > >The book also spoke of the Indians who stalked the settlers >along the river banks, killing many of them. > >If possible, I will provide a reference to the book in a >few weeks. > >Helen Gant Donald > >

I am happy to give you a couple of sites for adoption. They are both fully geared to help you help yourself, or to ask for help. I hope you have success. http://www.mtjeff.com/~bodenst/page3.html http://www.everton.com/GENEALOG/GENEALOG.ADOPTEE Gini James [email protected]

I am looking for any information I can get. On the name Bonny. Darlene Elizabeth Bonny born 1957 in Louisiana racial child. she was took to an orphanage in Chicago to be adopted out, she does not know her mother or any thing about this family. can some one help / [email protected],com

Looking for ANY connections to the following families in or near Mt. Sterling, Montgomery Co, KY or Indianapolis, Marion Co, IN LONES PENCE also researching BARNETT in Indianapolis, IN and BEYERLEIN in KY or IN will gladly share data! Penny - Indianapolis, IN [email protected]

>Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 11:30:37 -0500 >From: [email protected] (Nancy Carter) >X-Accept-Language: en >To: Harold Miller <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: Early settlers of Middle TN >References: <[email protected]> > >Harold, we are looking forward to your next posting, maybe we'll see the names of >Carter and Boatright/Boatwright ! >Leland Carter in Texas I will have to do some looking on these names, but I do have something on a Nancy Carter who married before 1813 to John Turney. John born 1780-1785, died 3 Oct 1843 Sefton Twp., Fayette County, Illinois. John is thought to be the son of Michael Turney born 1760 Shenandoah Co Va, and wife Ellender Matheny. Matheny and Turney - they lived 1785 just south of Woodstock, VA. 1787 they sold their land, show up in 1789 in KY on tax list. A whole lot of people were leaving Shenandoah Co Va area, and other parts of Shenandoah Valley of VA, and going to KY in that time frame. The war was over and it was safe to travel. Anyway, I also found a John Carter on 1788 Fayette Co KY tax list, so it would make sense that a Carter might have come out of the Valley of VA, passed thru Eastern TN, thru Cumberland Gap and into KY. His child would have then moved on to Illinois. I see you are in Texas. My Turneys - as I said the two younger ones made this VA to KY to Illnois trip. But the older siblings made to VA to eastern TN. From there they moved to Alabama, then some to Texas. So it might be the same with your Carter - some taking what I call the northern route thru KY and west, others thru eastern TN then south, or in 1830s from TN to NW Arkansas. Will do some more checking on Carter name. I know I have seen Boatwright in NW Arkansas. Mary

1786 - Peter Looney (son of Peter Looney who had been captured by Indians, but lived to tell about it. Died soon after his son born. In company of militia with Benjamin Looney, John Looney, and Captain David Looney 1776-1777 Fincastle Co., VA) - owned land adjacent to henry Turney in the state of North Carolina. (later eastern TN). From the book Smith County Tennessee History, henry Turney and Peter Looney were among the settlers who were entitled to right of preemption to land under the provisions of the act of 1782 and 1783. Others on this list were James and Mark Robertson, John Brown, Stephen Ray, and WILLIAM OVERALL. Nashville: The Cumberland Settlements, stretching about forty miles along the river, centering around Fort Nashborough, were not egalitarian enterprises, but were characterized by having had from the beginning a definite leadership. These pioneers had no doubts as to the blessings of government and they stated as much. However, these Scotch-Irish and Germans had no illusions as to power, which they took pains to channel, define, and make responsible. To James Robertson (born in Virginia, June 28, 1742), fell the responsibility of leading the military and governmental services.....Thus the revolutionary settlements had to treat with the Indians, and also with the Spanish, who were to the South; for some years, Middle Tennessee was "The mero District", a misspelling of a Spanish royal governor's name, which was Miro. Finally, on April 19, 1784, North Carolina's legislature passed an Act for the Relief of Sundry Petitioners Inhabitants of Davidson County, completing the circle, and, be it noted, endowing the settlers with the same rights as those of soldiers. The only fountain-head of law which could have operated, therefore, accepted these people as full patriots. They extended the area of an un-born nation. Among those receiving rights of pre-emption under Chapter LXIII, Act, April Session, were John Cockrill, Robert Espey, James Espey, John Buchanan, Cornelius Reddle, James Muljerrin, James Todd, Isaac Johnston, John Givson, Francis Armstrong, John Kennedy, Jr., Mark Robertson, William Ellis, James Thompson, James Shaw, James Franklin, Henry Howdeshall, Pierce Castello, Morris Skean, William Logan, David Flood, John White, Peter Looney, William Collins, Jonas Menifee, Daniel Williams, John Evans, Andrew Thompson, Gasper Mansker, George Freeland, Daniel Johnston, Edward Swanson, Andrew Kellow, Francis Hodge, John Mulherrin, James Freeland, John Tucker, James Foster, Amos Heaton, Dennis Condry, Frederick Stump, Russell Gower, Andrew Erlin or Erwin, Thomas Rater, Isaac Lindsey, Moses Winters, James Harris, John Brown, Lewis Crane, John Montgomery, Stephen Ray, Daniel Hogan, Thomas Spencer, Humphrey Hogan, Hayden Wells, Henry Ramsey, John Barrow, John Thomas, William Stewart, Samuel Walker, David Rouncevall, Arthur McAdoo, James McAdoo, HENRY TURNEY, Samuel Barton, John Dunham, Ephraim Prat, WILLIAM OVERALL, and James Robertson. (These had settled on the land prior to June 1, 1780 - 63 settlers killed by the Indians in 1782 and 1783 were represented by their heirs. They paid no price for the land except entry and survyors fees). My Henry Turney from State of North Carolina No. 176 10 Oct 1783 from Gov Alix Martin rec. tract of land. I have also seen were the heirs of a Turner rec. land. A Wm. Summers I think went from Holston River area with Henry Turney and William Overall, but think when the fighting began he went back into KY to safety so did not get any of the original pre-emptors land? If Henry Turneys wife was a Sommer/Summer, this William might have been a relative. Some of the Summers lived near a Dr Denton in Shenandoah Co Va. There are two listings in Shenandoah Co Va for a John Overall - one as a saw mill owner and another as a grist mill owner. Henry Turney grew up south of Woodstock in Shenandoah Co Va. Several Sommer/Summers in area. In early Washington Co Va records - would now be eastern TN, say area around Bristol TN......Henry Turney owned land next to Evan Shelby. Also another property line was shared with a Roger Top/Topp. he was in court with Topp over that line. Later a Roger Top/Topp in Davidson Co NC records, also early settler by that name killed by Indians near Ft Nashborough. seems maybe a father and son with same name to me. Could Topp be another of the German speaking people from Holston River area who went to Ft Nashborough? A William Overall died in King George County, VA in 1726. Abraham and Hannah Leath Overall were the ones who came into TN. he was an officer in War of 1812. he died in 1844 in Smith Co or DeKalb Co TN. PREEMPTORS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE: by irene Griffey January 13th 1783 William Overall obtained a Pre emption of 640 acres of land lying on the East fork of Mill Creek abt 8 miles from the French lick about one mile below an Improvement made by Joseph Denton beginning at the Creek abt. 600 yds above an Improvement at a Spring marked N O running East from the Creek thence down the Creek for Complt. January 16th 1783 William Overall assee of Russell Gower obtained a pre emptn of 640 acres of land lying on the right hand of a Buffaloe road leading from Roger Top's Claim to the head waters of a branch of the West fork of Mill Creek on the East side includ'g a Spring & beech marked W O beg'ing 400 yds North of sd Spring running East half a mile thence So. &c for Complt. There was a John Overall with son William Overall born about 1750 in Frederick Co., VA. They went to KY with George Rogers Clark in 1778/79. (this from an Overall researcher) So in my mind, I have Henry Turney, William Overall, Roger Topp, and Wm. Summers maybe traveling together to Ft Nashborough. Probably began around March 1780, were there by 1 June 1780. Were they all German speaking? Is that why it has been difficult to find mention of them in early records? saw a mention that a Mansker's Station had Germans living there who spoke little English. Anyway, they were there. Mary [email protected]

I am working on something......4 groups traveled late 1779 - early 1780 to built Ft Nashborough NC which is present day Nashville Tn. A lot has been written about the ones who went overland and arrived around end Dec 1779, and the group who came by boat and raft on Cumberland River in early 1780. There are some really interesting books about this, seems the river group fought Indians all the way and many died. There was a journal kept about one of the groups. When they got there, they all signed the Cumberland Compact. So all those people are pretty well documented. My problem has been my Henry Turney with wife Elizabeth (who might have been a Sommer/Summers), and their children. Henry had grown up just south of Woodstock VA in what finally was Shenandoah Co., VA. His family land was next to Abraham Bird and his Hawkins son-in-law. Nearby was the Matheny family - two of those daughters married the two younger Turney sons. There were a couple of Summers families, one for sure was German speaking while the others were not. Some of them lived near a Dr Denton. Teeter and Knisely/Nicely lived nearby and would marry into the line of Eve Turney Teeter. In 1774 my Henry Turney and wife were in Washington Co Va. Their land was next to Evan Shelby - near present day Bristol TN/VA. He was in court with a Roger Top/Topp over property line.....Last I have him there is early March 1780 court case. My theory is that since he was in court in Washington Co VA in March 1780, but at Ft Nashborough NC by 1 June 1780....that is the time he made his trip. I think a group of German speaking people left Holston River area and went by boat to Ft Nashborough - they rec. land for service in defense of the fort and had to be there by 1 June 1780 to do that. So far....I think this group had not only Henry Turney who was German speaking Swiss, but also William Overall, Wm. Summers. Roger Top/Topp might also have been with that group. Who else was there? That is what I am working on. So.....my next message will be long. I typed it for an Overall researcher so it is subject: Overall. But in it, there is a list of those early settlers and I thought the list might be interested. I am sure there is an expert out there on these people. I understand there were four different groups, from NC, SC, VA. Most of them were Scotch-Irish, but then there were the German speaking ones I am interested in. Thought someone on the list might find a relative. Mary Turney Miller [email protected]

--part1_6b2ac4f0.249711aa_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This was sent to me by another list and thought everyone might enjoy searching it. A great website for researching - takes in all states - has counties / cemeteries, some marriage / death, census, land records, tax lists, wills, soldiers, some probates, etc. VERY INTERESTING !! <A HREF="http://potifos.com/cemeteries.html">Cemeteries, Graveyards, Burying Grounds </A> >> >> Another, small but kind of interesting if you are from Texas is about Huntsville State Penitentiary. http://www.uh.edu/~cleimer/texpris.html (did not save this one to my "favorites") Hope you enjoy! --part1_6b2ac4f0.249711aa_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: [email protected] From: [email protected] Full-name: CUALLTO Message-ID: <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:04:08 EDT Subject: Fwd: GWEN > > NEW WEBSITE TO RESEARCH To: [email protected] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="part2_6b2ac4f0.24970e98_boundary" X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 13 --part2_6b2ac4f0.24970e98_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/14/99 9:03:15 PM Central Daylight Time, CUALLTO writes: << A GREAT WEBSITE FOR RESEARCHING - TAKES IN ALL STATES - HAS CEMETERIES/COUNTIES, SOME MARRIAGES, DEATH RECORDS, CENSUS, LAND RECORDS, TAX LIST WILLS, SOLDIERS, SOME PROBATES, ETC. VERY INTERESTING !! <A HREF="http://potifos.com/cemeteries.html">Cemeteries, Graveyards, Burying Grounds </A> >> --part2_6b2ac4f0.24970e98_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: [email protected] From: [email protected] Full-name: CUALLTO Message-ID: <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 22:03:15 EDT Subject: GWEN > > NEW WEBSITE TO RESEARCH To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 13 A GREAT WEBSITE FOR RESEARCHING - TAKES IN ALL STATES - HAS CEMETERIES/COUNTIES, SOME MARRIAGES, DEATH RECORDS, CENSUS, LAND RECORDS, TAX LIST WILLS, SOLDIERS, SOME PROBATES, ETC. VERY INTERESTING !! <A HREF="http://potifos.com/cemeteries.html">Cemeteries, Graveyards, Burying Grounds </A> --part2_6b2ac4f0.24970e98_boundary-- --part1_6b2ac4f0.249711aa_boundary--

I have a little information on the Box family who came out of Ala and Ms to Tx but probably twenty years later. Do you have any Box family???? Jean James and Rhonda Givens wrote: > Does anyone have information on the Rolen Box wagon train party that came > from Ala. to Tx. in 1835?Any info would be highly appreciated. > > ==== Southern-Trails Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to > [email protected] if you are subscribed to the list, > or [email protected] if you are subscribed to the digest. > In the body of your message put only the word unsubscribe

I can help with regard to several of the battles listed in the inquiry concerning Revolutionary War battles. The Battle of Kettle Creek, which took place in the southwest corner of Wilkes County Georgia, occurred on February 13, 1779. At that time a force of South Carolina troops and Georgia militia Whigs (Whigs were patriots as opposed to Tories or Loyalists) defeated a larger force of Tories and frustrated an effort by the British to subdue that part of Georgia. However, not long afterwards a Whig force was defeated by the British and Tories at Brier Creek, which is on the Savannah River south of Augusta, Georgia, and most of Georgia remained occupied by the British until the end of the War. Any standard history of Georgia will provide more detail. Also, see Kenneth Coleman's "The American Revolution in Georgia", published by the University of Georgia Press. Art Seder

That was the route Richard Gordon traveled during his lifetime. He was born in Henry Co. VA in 1766 and volunteered for militia duty in Wilkes Co., NC in 1781. Serving under Capt. Beverly and Col. Herndon, he marched to Pleasant Gardens near the headwaters of the Catawba River. After returning home, his father moved the family to Wilkes Co., GA, where Richard served 40 days under Capt. Knox at Knox Station. Later in this same year of 1782, he moved to Franklin Co., GA, on "the Tugula River" where he served under Major Jesse Walton in pursuit of the Creek Indians. Having helped to build Walton's Fort, he was privately employed by Major Walton as a spy and stayed on for two years after discharge. In 1785 he enlisted under Capt William Martin and marched to Bledsoe's Lick in Sumner County, TN, and then on to Powell's Valley in VA. There he married and later moved to Madison County, VA(KY). In 1791 he was drafted at Milford under Capt. William Cavinor and marched to Cincinnnati under Col. Oldham in General St Clair's army. Wounded in the arm, he marched the 29 miles to Fort Jefferson through the snow. This completed his Revolutionary War service but not his traveling. >From Milford he moved to Cumberland County, KY, and in 1797 he made a brief journey to Sumner Co., TN, to sell property belonging to William Fork for whom he and his wife Susanah served as administrators. In 1811 he moved to Jackson County, TN, where he applied for his pension in 1834 and ended his long and eventful life after 1840. I am interested in the trails he followed in his journeys, particularly from Fort Walton, GA, to Sumner Co., TN, to Powell's Valley, VA, to Madison Co., VA/KY. Of course I'd like to know which of the several Gordon families who lived along his route claimed him for a son. He gave us a great deal of information about his travels but none at all about his family. Joyce

-My understanding is that Cross Creek was the early name of Fayetteville, NC, now the home of Fort Bragg. -Whigs were Americans. -There is a tidal river near Charleston, SC, named Stono. -Asheville is in mountainous Buncombe County, which I feel sure is your Bunchomb Co NC. Charlotte, NC, is in Mecklenburg County. It's close to the SC border; in fact, it's on it. Highway 64 (federal highway interlaid and overlaid with more modern roads and by-passes) runs from Ashville to Charlotte, and then on to the coast via Raleigh.

I forgot to mention this about pension records. Our early soldiers were never paid in money, they were paid in land. But as time went on, we became more patriotic about our old veterans and every few years Congress would pass a new law about pensions. Men who did not qualify in early times, might qualify later on. Of course, these men died off, so many never got a pension. But......some of them had much younger wives when they died (sometimes second, third or fourth wife) who would qualify and applied for a widow's pension. also, in later laws, heirs qualified. So you might have children or grandchildren many years later - in 1850s way - sending in for pension or land. They of course had to prove they were the heirs so there is a lot of info in these papers. Also look at rejected pension records - if a man applied under one of the first laws, he might not have gotten anything and been rejected. Then if he died, he never applied for a later pension.......but his old rejected one is still there with all the info. Since the men were asked questions such as 1. where did you live when you began military service? 2. where did you live after service 3. where do you live now, etc. It is a good way to get the migration route of your family. they will often say - I left blank, moved to blank for 10 years, then went to blank. If they are going say from NC to TN to IL.......this is a big help in following them. Also notice the people who vouch for them - sometimes they are relatives of some kind, maybe even of the wife so you get a lead on her maiden name. In some widow's pension records, marriage bond is included or she will mention her maiden name. Also in one I have, she gives date and place of her husbands death and where he is buried. Mary

At 09:31 AM 6/14/99 EDT, you wrote: >What interesting and exciting information you have gotten your hands on. >Would you share with me where you got this inof? >I have a copy of my ancestors Rev. War pension application and he mentions >some of his travels with the army but nothing as extensive as what you have. >Please share. >Sandy If I can get this in a readable form, I will be glad to share. Where the papers were folded - there is a complete line on each page that is impossible to read. I got all this from National Archives in Washington. Someone had written down the main info from his pension application, so I already had that - with the number of his widow's pension. I just wanted to see the real papers rather than what someone had abstracted. Well, I now have 15 pages. It is hand written. One part of about 3 pages is pretty easy to read, it seems to have been done by a lawyer for the widows application. But the rest, either the man wrote it or had someone do it. It is part that in detail tells of his service, as he is trying to prove he was there at these battles to get his pension. Words are mis-spelled, crossed out, it is a real mess. But has a lot of stuff if I can just piece it all together. I am getting my map out to see if I can find these places. Military records are good, I have always started with them cause I think they are easy. Now I am finding pension records even better - since they have to tell about where they were, what they did, have someone vouch for them, etc. Widow's pensions might not have all the detail of the battles, etc. but has proof of the marriage. My next leap is in to warranty deeds, etc. I am finding you cannot be afraid to try something new, just ask people how to do it. The results are amazing. So if you need more help with how to request military or pension records - let me know. And it does not cost much to get the copies. When I get it all together, I will let you know. Mary

Does anyone have information on the Rolen Box wagon train party that came from Ala. to Tx. in 1835?Any info would be highly appreciated.

I need some help from anyone who knows something about Rev War battles in NC/SC.....I finally got Rev War pension records on a man I am researching...and records are very difficult to read. Since I am not familiar with the area, need help with names of places. seems he began 1777 in Mecklenburg Co NC, marched to - Cross? Creek - now ?Fayettville, then back home. Is Cross Creek correct? looks like Croft Creek maybe. Then orders to march against the British and Tores. Marched through South Carolina to Savanah River on the borders of Georgia. He was in a Severe Battle at ....Little or Kittle ....Creek with the Tories in which forty nine of the Tories were killed and Thirty eight of the Whigs were also killed. Question - who were the Whigs? Americans? the to Augusta, Georgia. Then ?Briar? Creek in Georgia. Battle against the British in which the British were vistorious, marched back to Augusta. Know what the name of this battle might be? part that cannot read, to a river called Shono/Stone??? at which place he was in that battle called the Battle of Stone? Then to Charleston in SC. then to ??Ellhou?? Spring. Then back home. Another time, mentions General Count Pulaski. Battle of Briar Creek. Then out against the Cherokee....marched from the house of Hampton in Bunchomb Co NC to the head of Broad River - a battle - Cherokee Nation - in a battle with their General Williamson who was commander and his aide de camp was killed. And it goes on, I just need some help with trying to figure out these place names, etc. So if anyone has researched some of these battles and where they marched from and to, please get in touch with me. Mary Turney Miller [email protected]