NORTH CAROLINA LETTER

Below is a letter from a retired Presbyterian minister which gives us a number of matters of interest to those who are anxious to trace their family history. This is particularly true of the Brawner and Gammon families. The letter is as follows:

Rev. William J. Gammon

Presbyterian Minister

Box 323 Mississippi Road

Montreat, N. C.

Rev. Calvin Gregory

Lafayette, Tenn.

Dear Rev. Gregory:

I have your literature, and wish to thank you for your generosity in sending me copies of your paper after subscription had expired. I had decided to discontinue my subscription, as we could not afford it.

I am supposed to be retired, but have preached, on request, a large majority of the Sundays since we moved here to live last September. And I am now preaching regularly 14 miles east of here since April, and will likely continue there for some time.

I enclose $1.00 on subscription to your paper, if you continue occasionally to publish such as you did in issue lately on Brawner family.

Some DAR official publications state that Harris Gammon, Sr., of Pittsylvania County, Va., married Elizabeth (Bettie) Brawner. He later moved to Knox County, Tennessee, buried near Knoxville, was a soldier in Revolutionary War. I have a copy of his official pension papers from Washington, D. C. I would like so much to know names of his father, his brothers, etc. But I searched carefully some years ago, will, marriage, deed records of Pittsylvania County, but found none of these facts; but some of oldest county records were destroyed.

In my note book from that county, I find the following:

In 1790, William Gammon buys land of Jacob Morton; Dozier Brawner is a witness; also John and Harris Gammon are witnessis, In 1805, John Gammon, Sr., and Jr., sell land to William Gammon, again Dozier Brawner is a witness. 1807, Dozier and wife, Jane, George Ward, William Gammon, Drury Brawner and Alice Brawner sell some land. There was a Drury Gammon in that county also.

From whence came the name of my great-grandfather, his middle name I donot know, but his name was Richard Dozier Gammon, lived in Norfolk County, Virginia, and about 1795 moved to eastern Kentucky, where he reared his family, lived until he died in 1845, aged about 80 years.

If you know of anyone who can suggest names of brothers, sisters and parents of Harris Gammon, Sr., I will be thankful. Harris, Jr., is buried near Knoxville; Lewis Gammon, another son, lived there; daughters also married in that county; William another son of Harris, Sr., lived in Roane County, Tennessee.

I hope that sometime I might meet you. I would be glad if time and means permitted me to visit your county, and talk with the Gammon members. I did visit some fifteen years ago one Richard A___ Gammon, who lived on Goose Creek, or near it, and a Robert Gammon, at Westmoreland, your county or near your county. I talked personally with Harris Coleman Gammon in Nashville, about 1915.

Let me hear from you. I have church work, as well as other minor duties, church work first.

With thanks,

William J. Gammon