Hi Claire, I believe we have corresponded before. I am a descendant of William Wallace, b. 1780, who was the older brother of Robert Bruce Wallace. My William Wallace went to Coles County Illinois in the 1830's. He bought land but he also owned the Wallace tavern. It was referred to as the famous Wallace tavern. I don't know what it was famous for nor do I know if it was located close to a river. I do have a Madison Wallace in my data base that was a son of Robert Bruce, but I have no information on him. The information I have on Robert Bruce Wallace and descendants comes from a Robert Wallace in NC who is a descendant on this line. He may still be on the Wallace list. If you are able to solve the mystery please let me know as I would like to add it to my data base. Good Luck, Shirley Wallace Norton You wrote: >I am trying to unravel a bit of a mystery as reported in our Wallace >Family Lore. > >There were three brothers (perhaps 4) that migrated from Daviess >County, Indiana to Illinois. One of the brothers was a bit of a >gambler and drinker. He went down into the river bottom(where all of >the gambling dens and taverns were) where he got into a fight. He >evidently thought he had killed someone, and told his brothers that he >had to leave the country, before the sheriff got him. He tied his >shoes around his neck, jumped into the river and swam to the other >side, where he waved at his brothers, >and that was the last time that they ever saw him. > >Does this story fit in with any of your Wallaces? This story came >from a descendant of Charles Wallace who was the son of Robert Bruce >and Rachel Wallace. > >I had heard the story of a brother of Charles, named Madison, who went >west and was never heard from again. Another person has him being >killed in a duel in Arkansas. > >BTW, I have found reference to a Madison Wallace on the 1840 Madison >Co., IL Census (Marine Twp., page 79) and another reference on the >1860 Vermilion County, IL census ( Middle Fork Twp., page 959). I >have not seen the documents, just the index. Any connections? > >Claire Wichelmann > > >