Mrs. Ottis W. Ainsworth in a letter to Oscar Barnhill dated 1959 states, "Five of the sons of William Hodge Barnhill went to Texas, three of them settling at Center, TX just acros the Savine River, not over 100 miles from where I live, and the other two went on to Houston."  She further writes, "If you visit we could show you the very place William Hodge Barnhill settled, the grave of the Rebel soldier buried on this property, the place where Wm. Hodge (Barnhill) landed on Grande Ecore in Natchitoches Parish, LA and also tell you the story of why they came here.  In fact it probably is in the courthouse maybe in Hardin County, Tennessee.  Why don't you look up trials and see if one for William Barnhill was tried and convicted of a crime which justice would have required he die by hanging, and he was aided to escape by his father and brothers and came to Louisiana and they followed the next year. At least that is the story I have finally ferretted out, and it may be wrong."