Elaine, With your surnames I think it would be worth it to get the book. There is 28 references to Malicote, Malicoat, Mallicoat...and there is a feature article. There are 18 references to Nash, Dodson 10, Dotson 15 Had your Dodson/Dotson been in Johnson County? Subj: Re: TNJOHNSO-L: Does it look familiar? I hope so :-) Date: 8/26/1999 8:22:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: joe@ncta.net (Joe Wilson) Sender: owner-tnjohnso-l@rootsquest.com Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:tnjohnso-l@rootsquest.com">tnjohnso-l@rootsquest.com</A> To: tnjohnso-l@rootsquest.com Hi Jack: I suppose I could figure out for absolute certain which one of the cousins it was if I were home with the data, but I'm not. It certainly was not the oldtimer, then in his 90s, famed for his comment that he'd "...lived in four states, but never moved, and am living in the house I was born in." (They'd thought they were in Virginia when they first came to Trade, then learned they were in colonial North Carolina, then came the abortive State of Franklin, then finally the State of Tennessee. Of course he could have added the Territory South of the Ohio River, the designation the US Congress gave the area while in transition from North Carolina to the State of Tennessee.) The later lads named Reuben are named for him. He was a son of George Dotson whose will was probated under the laws of the Territory South of the Ohio River in 1794 (?), shortly before Tennessee became a state. Anyway, Okla McGlamery told me a story he got from his father who was around when this happened. He said that when Jeff May hanged Dan Shepherd in the Wallace Settlement the rope broke. So Jeff took his bridle reins from his horse and strangled Shepherd in the road. It was in the fall of the year or winter, and Shepherd had chestnuts in his pockets. So Reuben Dotson ate Dan's chestnuts while the leather reins were twisted on his throat and he writhed his dance of death and Jeff May screamed, "Die, you son-of-a-bitch!". This was revenge for Shepherd's Confederate home guard hanging of Jeff's 14 year old son. Another story about this Reuben came from my uncle, Alfred Wilson. Reuben had helped with a hog killing, and was to get some meat from the several hogs slaughtered, but the farmer-neighbor was stingy and gave nothing. So Reuben, a strong man, took one of the hogs from the rack where they were cooling, and carried it home on his back. Uncle Alf would salute this bit of bold theft and raw strength with a sly line tossed in during one of his fiddle tunes (and always aimed it at a relative): "Heigh-oh Sally, Hear that crack Yonder comes Reuben With a hog on his back. The Dotsons were honest and hardworking, and the event - and Alf's humor -- did not amuse all. Alf was the son of Julia Belle Dotson Wilson and she was the daughter of Alfred A. Dotson of Trade, a grandson of old Reuben, and great-grandson of George. Got it? Be a good boy, and do honor to that name you bear .And if an old dude of good size climbs out of your family tree and asks for a chestnut, humor him with as many as you can find. Joe Wilson ---------- >From: "Jack Dotson" <jdotson@informix.com> >To: <tnjohnso-l@rootsquest.com> >Subject: RE: TNJOHNSO-L: Does it look familiar? I hope so :-) >Date: Thu, Aug 26, 1999, 10:46 AM > > Joe- > Do you know which Reuban Dotson it was that was with Jeff May? > In a message dated 8/26/1999 1:31:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time, erthomas@nm.net writes: << Subj: Re: [TNGRAING-L] Grainger County Heritage Books Date: 8/26/1999 1:31:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: erthomas@nm.net (erthomas) Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:TNGRAING-L@rootsweb.com">TNGRAING-L@rootsweb.com</A> To: TNGRAING-L@rootsweb.com Hi Linda: Thought maybe I should make sure my family is in the book before sending a check. Any reference to Thomas Dotson (in Grainger until 1819), his son, Samuel W. Dotson, (who married Frances Nash), Thomas Nash, or Dicey Mallicoat Nash? Elaine Dodson Thomas >>