Hi, if he knew the Indian Trails and backpacked or pack puled the trails, the shortest way to asheville, North Carolina, then Cherokee, N.C. , through the Newfound Gap then the general path of the Apalachian Trail and the Park road into Gatlainburg, Tenn. then Knoxville (White's Fort ) or Watauga, then into Kentuckyand in to Bristol, Ky. We have driven this route from Knoxville south and it is not =reccomended for trucks. Folks in Kentucky and Tennesee said it was easier to go well over into North Carolina on Interstates , then South to Clarkesville- Toccoa Georgia Route. That way, they would have crossed Walton's Ferry- if it was active , at Toccoa. Thijis was friendly Cherokee country. Another route may include the Cumberland Gp or several single path Indian trails from Knoxville East or Southeast , where the Scottish Masons walked into Holston to build Dr. J,G. M. Ramsey's father's house. Any of his books from first hand experience would help you, Also, when British Episcopalians owned all the coast line on the Atlatic, they offerred the Scottish Presbyterians and friends the land between them and the Mountains as a buffer zone to protect the cities like Charleston from Indian raids. All your ancestors on the Coast back then have their records in the Episcopal Churches., mostly Charleston . Scotch- Irish and German records are in one of the two Mecklenburg County courthouses, if they didn't burn in one small fire. In 1760's the president of Greeneville College, Tenn. Hezekiah Balch, rode his horse to Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church, , S.C. near Newbury. He ordained new Elders. My ancestor John Copeland was already an Elder. He told them the "Evils of Singing Isaac Watts Hymns and anything but the Psalters ( Psalms). " Greeneville College is now Tuscullum . Dorcas Balch, his Daughter married Robert Wyly of Tennessee . Cleveland Geneaology of 1899 says Robert and his father in law founded the college with John Sevier and William Blount as Trustees. I am sure all these used narrow trails a lot, known only to them, Indians, and Longhunters. My Great Grandmother 8 timesback, Jemima Cleveland Wyly (Col. Ben's daughter - a Coffee grandchild, ) , later married Evan Eddards or Evangelist Edwards and they and several children were walking through the Cumberland Gap in 1796 with John Hall and others and were ambushed by Indians. Evan Edwards was killed and scalpped. Jemima's son,age 12, later to be Ga. Militia General James Rutherford Wyly, contracted to "Build " the Unicoi Turnpike( Wiley's Road on some maps) from Tellico, Tenn to Toccoa Ga. , where he built a 2 storyTraveller's Rest Inn in abt 1812- 18 at the intersection of the Stage run from Charleston to Clarkesville and a third branch to Atlanta.This is now a Georgia State Park. His Uncle Alfred Henderson Wyly, youngest of Robert and Dorcas Balch Wyly, was the Capt. Alfted Henderson Wyly with Cpl. Balch and 2 other Balches, who led East Texas Redlanders to join old Tenneseean Gen Sam Houston at \Groce's Crossing the day before they defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto. Their names are on a plaque in the theatre room of the San Jacinto Monument, and I suspect they and some "New Orleans Greys" enterred Texas near Fort Jessup,La. where Gen. Taylor was well established. on El Camino Real- the Old Spanish King's Hioghway from Natchitoches, La. to Nacodoches, Texas on to San Antonio. Check a newer Road Map and /or Atlas- it is a safe bet that the early wagon trails followed a path nearby, just like Old Hwy 80, the Bankhead Highway, never is far from I-20. We jojed about what makes the Smoky Mountains smoky was those Flatland foreigners burning their truck brakes up going through the Cumberland Gap. Don't miss the view from the Pinacle. Sorry I rambled, but perhaps the trails of my ancestors may overlap some of yours. If they were like my dad, He hated driving back the same road he went when out sightseeing. Take care- happy Hunting, Charles A. wyly On Fri, 18 May 2001 14:08:13 EDT JavaKittee@aol.com writes: > Knowledgeable listers, if a family were in S.C. about 1744 and by > 1800 were > in KY., what would be the like path they would have travelled? I'm > thinking > there couldn't have been more than a few ways to get from S.C. to > KY. at that > time but I have not been able to find anything. Thanks for any > help. > *paulette* in SunnyFlorida/researching: > Tanner-Newton-Wilkens-Glover: > SC-NC-KY-MO-ILL > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & > Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog >