During The Civil War, General Sherman lead his Union Army down through the South. He burned down cities, and he also burned down all the Court Houses he could find. It is said that one court house here in Union, Mississippi, was spared because General Sherman thought that the name "Union", was special.

Confederate Soldiers in some places also burned down court houses, afraid that the Union would track them down and execute them when the war was over.

Some court houses burnt down because of lightning, fires bad electrical during the turn of the century. Some court houses were able to save all their records such as land, marriage, deeds, etc. But most were not able to save them. We must remember that it was not that long ago that we could save documents through computers.

After the Revolution many soldiers were granted Land Deeds in Leiu of money owed. This started the Western Migration. From Virginia, Maryland and all the former Colonies families began their travel West. The first son was almost always the one that inherited all the money and land. Then the brothers had to find their own way. My ancestors who ended up in Kentucky and Tennessee were very poor.

Rowland Flower