BJ, As in the migration to Tenn. from North Carolina and Virginia, there were numerous motivating factors behind the migration to Texas. Families were affected differently by these factors and I doubt one could create a one size fits all for an underlying cause. One cause which I feel was a prevalent one dealt with the aftermath of the Civil War years. Middle Tenn. had been occupied territory since the fall of Ft. Donelson in early 1862. Three years of occupation in a war torn area did not leave a great deal to rebuild the lives that were so disrupted during this period. Reconstruction was not a happy event to live through for most Southerners who had sided with the Confederacy. It took years to win back the freedoms suspended during the occupation and reconstruction periods. Texas offered the opportunity to start anew and attempt to rebuild the lives that were so deeply affected by the war. The grass must have looked much greener out west than the barren countryside laid waste by three years of occupation by opposing armies in Middle Tennessee. I'm sure there were many other factors and maybe some of our other readers can assist in building such a perspective. I also had relatives that "went west" in 1870 and settled in Ellis, Freestone, and Limestone Counties in Texas. I, too, have been curious as to what drew them to that particular area. Best Regards, Danny Nichols ----- Original Message ----- From: "BJ Martindale" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 12:36 PM Subject: [TNCANNON] Re todays discussion re Fences and Civil War > Thank you Kevin, Danny, Jess and others. I wish you (one or all) would > write an expanded organized version of this discussion so we could all > have it - like a magazine article or a new paper article we could save. > You know so much! Maybe the Courier would print it, like they recently > did on Bradyville. Maybe a monthly column? (yes I am greedy for > information). Putting events onto social, cultural, and historical > perspective really helps fill out the picture beyond the bare facts. > > I am particularly interested in what motivated the GTT (gone to Texas) > movement after the war? My Moore relatives did it, (I have a wonderful > picture of the wagon train if you'd like to use it for your article?), > but I do not understand why they went. > > Thank you again for your great discussion. > > BJ Patton Martindale > > > ==== TNCANNON Mailing List ==== > Several people subscribe and unsubscribe from the list each month. > You are encouraged to resubmit your queries once or twice per year > to reach new listmembers. > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors > at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: > http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429 > >