Gang, Sorry for not keeping in touch. I have been reviewing several things before I put my foot in my mouth again ! Just when you think everything fits, it pops out of place, and you have to start over. It looks like we need to re-examine James Madison Spence again since we have a book saying that he died in CSA. But I can't tackle that at this moment. At present, I've re-read the Fowler book looking for the TN and KY William Spences. I didn't find them there. I've also been reviewing the book for Thomas Spence of Surry Co. NC. The Fowler book does NOT state that Thomas Spence & Sarah Harriman Spence came to NC. I think they assume that because their David Spence was in Surry Co., that the Thomas was his relation. First, David married Mary McElyea in about 1783. He met her while retreating through Surry County after the battle of King's Mountain. However I don't see his PA unit involved in that battle. I followed the McElyea family and found that they obtained their land grant in 1787 and sold land in Caswell Co. NC in 1785. Mr. McElyea first appears on the state census of 1786 in Surry County. David acknowledged by his mark payment for his War services and all the dates are listed the last date being 10/31/1795 and this was in PA if I read the paragraph correctly. The more I delved into this Spence line the more convinced I am that this line hasn't anything in common with Burwell's line. For one reason, there are recorded Thomas and William Spences in old Rowan County NC, which became Surry Co. Thomas & William are both listed in the tax list of 1768 with Thomas Spence in Gideon Wright's District which was the Wilkes-Yadkin county areas. Daniel Boone first shows up on this tax list also. William Spence is in the present Guilford County NC area in Thomas Donnell's District. Thomas Spence is still listed in the 1771 and 1772 Surry Tax lists, and I checked several different sources on that. It is evident that there were one or more Thomas Spences in Surry/Wilkes county area a full 10 years before David Spence passed through with his Pennsylvania Unit and met Mary McElyea. So, therefore, in my opinion, these Thomas Spences of Surry County were not related to David Spence of PA. Barbara of the Spence list thinks that all Surry County Spences were related to David, and I thought so too, but now change my opinion entirely. I believe that Burwell's father and mother were in Surry Co. NC for a long time, and reading between the lines of Burwell's first pension application in Grayson Co VA in 1832, I think that Burwell had lived there quite a while also. He knew his way around the area pretty well. Number one on my priority list shall now be digging through Surry County to see what I can find. However Wilkes and Yadkin will have to be investigated also, because the corner of the Allen settlement was in the corner where these 3 counties meet. I think that our Thomas may have been the one nearest Low Gap, NC just beside the Ashe county line. If anyone has already researched these counties, please let me know so I don't duplicate your efforts. Carolyn