My name is Thomas A. Markham (Tommy to those who know me). I am the great great grandson of Jesse E. Markham of Botetourt County, Va., b. 1809 Washington Co., Va., and the great grandson of B. R. Markham of Bedford County, Va., b. 1835 Bedford Co., Va.. In 1837 when B. R. Markham was two years old, his father Jesse E. Markham with his entire family moved to Jennings Creek in Botetourt County, Va., where he died after having attained the venerable age of 90 years of age and over. In 1856 B. R. Markham returned to Bedford Co. and secured employment with Col. Watts near Bedford City. When Col. Watts observed the sterling qualities of Mr. Markham he arranged to have him take a course of study preparatory to taking charge of a large factory that Col. Watts was erecting on his place, but war broke out and Mr. Markham shouldered his musket and went to the front under Col. Anderson of Buchanan. He passed through many bloody battles; among them being the siege of Vicksburg, and came ou! t at the end of the war without a scar. At the close of the war he returned to Bedford County and again entered the employ of Col. Watts with whom he remained until 1878 as a partner having entire charge of the business after Col. Watts moved to Lynchburg about 1868. In 1873 he bought the Smith Farm near Lowry, Va. Where he lived to the close of his life, and where he reared a big family, seven of whom survived him at his passing. In 1976 I started researching my family records to see where I came from. First at the Bedford County Courthouse, and then going to Fincastle to search the records at the courthouse there. I made progress to the extent of a person who went to Virginia once a year for about two weeks. This past January, I got my first computer and it has been "Johnny bar the door" ever since, as I have made more time in six months, than I had in the past ten years. When I was working on Jesse E. Markham's family file, I could not get his children to fit in a pattern that could be substantiated. The main one being his third child, and first daughter Mary Susan Markham. After several months, and much help form many of my friends and cousins on the Mail Lists, I have solved the Mystery of Mary Susan Markham Vs. Mary Susan Gilmore, and the following are my findings. These findings will be posted separately due to the space required in the memory of this document- Tommy Markham