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