Hello Bell County: I believe, but am trying to confirm, that a household of my kinsmen who were in the 1850 census in Montgomery County, Tennessee moved to Bell County, Texas sometime before 1860. Montgomery Co. is in Middle Tennessee, and borders Kentucky. As appearing in the 1850 census in Montgomery Co., TN, the family was John M. Pope age 48 bridge agent b. NC [> b. abt. 1802] wife Rebecca [Looters] age 43 b. TN [> abt. 1807] son John T. Pope age 12 b. TN [> abt. 1838] son James S. Pope age 11 b. TN [> abt. 1839] son Green J. Pope age 5 b. TN [> abt. 1845] daughter Margaret age 1 b. TN [> abt. 1849] My relationship to this family is that John M. Pope was a brother of my second great-grandfather, William Stuart (I) Pope 1789-1837 of Jackson County, Florida. I know that John M. Pope moved, probably from somewhere in South Carolina or poss. the Savannah area, to Jackson Co. in the FL panhandle about 1820, as did William and two of their sisters. I know also that John M. Pope moved to Tennessee following his marriage in Lawrence Co., TN to Rebecca Looters in 1827, and was in the 1840 census in Montgomery Co., TN. Now we POPE researchers were until lately wholly stumped as to what became of John M. and family after 1850: they fell off the radar screen, genealogically speaking. Of course, the troubling possibility haunted us that the sons might have stepped over the Kentucky line, and fallen in with evil companions (e.g., Federals!) during the Late Unpleasantness. But, to our relief, I find online muster roll for Company I, 17th Tex. Vol. Inf., CSA, includes the following: Sgt. John T. Pope Pvt. James S. Pope Pvt. G. J. Pope While this is not proof positive, we've got three POPE lads here, all "secesh" and in the same unit, and even the middle initials match up. So I'm pretty confident, but am seeking to prove to my own satisfaction at least, that these three Confederate soldiers are the sons of John M. Pope, and the same boys who were in the earlier, 1850 census "up north" as we say, in Tennessee. (From the Florida panhandle, Chattanooga is viewed as being just south of the Arctic Circle). Two would-be-helpful online researchers have contacted me, one saying that a John M. Pope appears in Bell Co., TX census for 1860, and another that Green Pope is there in 1880. However, neither gave me place of birth/date of birth (age) info from those censuses that would have to be matched up (esp. as "John Pope" is, to put it mildly, a common name, even if "Green Pope" is not). Note also in passing that a Fannin Co., TX CSA Unit (9th Tex. Cavalry, Co. B) also shows a Green Pope on its muster roll (could be same man as was in 17th, as transfers etc. were pretty common, also AWOLS returning from sick/wounded furloughs sometimes were unable to get back to original unit and signed on with a different one). Also, there is thought to have been another, older Green Pope: poss. a brother of John M., and born in the 1790s and migrated to TX in the 1850s. Any info gratefully received. Geoffrey Pope