My ancestor, ISAAC HARRIS was a Private in Company A of the U.S. 6th Calvary Regiment also called the 1st West Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. Company A was organized at Bethel, McNairy County, Tennessee on August 11, 1862. ISAAC HARRIS at age 23 enlisted on that date. ISAAC HARRIS died while in the service on June 7, 1863. Based on his Civil War Pension Records ISAAC HARRIS was born in Hardeman County, Tennessee on March 21, 1837. He was married to MINERVA BRADSHAW in McNairy County, Tennessee on March 4, 1856. Based on the information provided in by the Census of 1860 for District #2 ( P. O. Rose Creek), McNairy County, Tennessee, on page 50; ISAAC (age 23) and MINERVA HARRIS (age 23)and their young children were residing in Dwelling # 365. Also residing in this household was KAZAH SIMS (age 62), mother of MINERVA. Based on the information provided in the Census of 1850 for Second District of McNairy County; Dwelling #755; KIZA SIMS (as mentioned in 1860 Census above) age 50, is listed as head of household consisting of children SARAH SIMS, age 20; DAVID SIMS, age 18; WALKER SIMS, age 16; and MANERVA SIMS (as mentioned in 1860 Census above) age 12. Possibly you have noticed an apparent discrepancy here. I have previously mentioned that MINERVA BRADSHAW was the wife of ISAAC HARRIS and yet in the Census of 1850, she is known( at least by the Census taker) as "MANERVA SIMS." I am reasonable confident that MINERVA'S maiden name was BRADSHAW based on the Fayette County, Illinois marriage applications of two of her daughters who refer to her maiden name as BRADSHAW in their marriage applcations. The obvious explanation being that KEZIAH, mother of MINERVA BRADSHAW, was first married to MINERVA'S father, MR. BRADSHAW, who was out of the picture at some point after 1838 when Minerva was born at which time KEZIAH married a MR. SIMS, who in turn was also gone by the Census of 1850. THIS IS RIDDLE #1 THAT I NEED TO SOLVE: I NEED TO IDENTIFY MR. BRADSHAW AND MR. SIMS, HUSBANDS OF KEZIAH Referring back to the Census of 1850 in the household headed by KEZIAH SIMS was "SARAH SIMS", age 20. This "SARAH" was married in about 1856 in McNairy County, Tennessee to ALLEN Y. HESTER. Allen, age 28, and Sarah, age 28, Hester and their children are found in the Census of 1860 in District #3 of McNairy County on page 67. Now back to the beginning. Shortly after the death of ISAAC HARRIS in 1863, his young widow, MINERVA along with her four young children move to FAYETTE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Going to Illinois with her is sister, SARAH and her husband ALLEN HESTER. THIS IS RIDDLE #2: WHO IS ALLEN HESTER AND WHY DID THESE FOLKS SUDDENLY UP AND MOVE HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY TO FAYETTE COUNTY, ILLINOIS? After these families migrate to FAYETTE COUNTY, ILLINOIS in 1863, the young MINERVA (BRADSHAW) HARRIS, widow of ISAAC HARRIS, marries JAMES WASHINGTON HICKS, himself also recently a widower with a small child. JAMES WASHINGTON HICKS is the son of CLAYBOURNE and LURENA (BULTER) HICKS of CARROLL COUNTY, TENNESSEE. MINERVA has a daughter in 1867 by JAMES WASHINGTON HICKS and she dies shortly thereafter. Living next door to JAMES WASHINGTON HICKS during the Census of 1870 for Fayette County, Illinois is THE FAMILY OF ALLEN HESTER. But wait, SARAH, sister of MINERVA and wife of ALLEN HESTER, has subsequently divorced ALLEN HESTER and is now married to JAMES WASHINGTON HICKS. The only reason that I bring up the relationship that these two sisters had with JAMES WASHINGTON HICKS is because there are some researchers who state that KEZIAH, mother of MINERVA and SARAH, WAS ALSO THE WIDOW OF ELIJAH B. HICKS who was supposed to have died in McNairy county in 1838. Since apprarently the McNairy County Probate Records, prior to the Civil War, have been destroyed possibly we may never know the answer to these questions. DO ANY OF THESE FOLKS RING A BELL WITH ANY OF YOU READERS WHO ARE STILL WITH ME AND HAVE WADED THROUGH THIS MESS? Ron in Illinois