Well, with the info on Sevier heritage given by Charles, things are beginning to make sense about the 'Lost State of Franklin'. I knew that the Spanish were talking to some of the people in Watauga group, know I see what was going on. By the way - that group sure furnished a lot of leaders for the south. I just read where Sam Houston was real tight with Andrew Jackson....which I already knew - they were same political party. Since Jackson was a man of the people, the other political party wanted a man of the people and chose Davy Crockett....so Houston and Crockett were rivals back in Tn. Makes me wonder about poor ole Davie getting left at the Alamo. Now Sam Houston game to the Franklin group after they had chosen to join and be part of North Carolina. But his uncle - also named Sam Houston - was part of the group. He went back to VA and was a well known educator. So the Texas Sam came there as a teen-ager. I wonder how many senators, governors, etc. for other southern states came out of that Franklin group. Their fathers were involved, so they grew up learning about government, and then spread through-out the south. To all the southern states. Boy, so much becomes crystal clear when you know the politics of the times. Why people moved where they did, and with the people they did. Why they joined the side they did. mary