Mrs. Haynes Writes

Castlewood,

Murfreesboro, TN

August 3, 1953

Editor,

Macon County Times,

Lafayette, TN

Dear Sir:

I ran across a copy of "Cal's Column," that was published in your paper and found it most interesting. I do not know how long his column has been going on, but I would like to get a copy of all those that have gone before, and have mailed to me those that appear in your paper in the future.

I am most anxious to get all the data about the Puryears and Pierces, as I am a direct descendant of Polyxena Brevard, whom he mentioned in his June 18th article. You may hand this correction to him about her. She was Polyxena Mills and married Cyrus Breavard. Her father's name was Archibald Mills, and her mother was Nancy Hartgraves. Cyrus Brevard was the son of John Brevard, a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War. His mother was Hannah Thompson. Polyxena Mills died young and Polyzena's cousin, Caledonia Mills, was married to Cyrus Brevard later. The John Brevard he mentioned must have been the Lieut. John. Just where he is buried I do not know.

Polyxena and Cyrus had five children. They were: Nancy, Minerva, John, Archie and Mary. I have all kinds of data on the Brevards, but want to know more about the other side of my family, the Puryears and Pierces.

My grandmother was Dorinda Puryear, born in 1837. Her father's name was William Puryear, and her mother was Mary Ann Pierce. William Puryear's father was Daniel Puryear. His mother was a Vaughn. Mary Ann Pierce's father was Isaac Pierce, and his second wife was Mrs. Jones, whose maiden name was Oglesby. I have always heard that they came from Virginia, but have no dates or proof of any kind.

I think Cal is renderin a great service to the public in diggin up these old Court records. As I do not know his name, I would like for you to hand this letter over to him.

Most sincerely yours.

Margaret Brevard Haynes

P. S. Understand I will be glad to pay for copies of your paper, as well as those in the future. Just send me a bill for amount due.

(Editor's note. The writer of Cal's Column is Calvin Gregory, owner, editor, and publisher of the Macon County Times. The "Column" has been running for years and would require scores of copies of the paper. However, if Mrs. Haynes wants them real badly, we shall try to get them to her a little later when we have more time. We apprecitate the kind words written by Mrs. Haynes and thank her for same. We hope to have from her the information she may give us about John Brevard. John Brevard lived about seven miles south of our town of Lafayette, the old home and spring being easily located. We recently stood on the site of the old Brevard home and picked up pieces of earthenware of a long-gone day and time. The burial ground is not far from te site of the old home. Whether John Brevard is buried in the old family graveyard is not known to the writer. Polyxena's grave is clearly marked, but the other graves have no inscriptions on their head rocks. John Brevard is the man who found a baby at a ford on Big Goose Creek, not far from his home, about 150 years ago, a male child a few hours old and with no marks of identification. Because of his findings the child at the ford of the creek, he named the baby Ford. He grew to be a man and is today the ancestor of some of the most prominent citizens of Macon and other counties. It is said that the child was wrapped in garments that indicated that the child was not from a poverty-stricken home, but from the wealthier class of a century and a half ago. We thank Mrs. Haynes for her good letter and invite her to send along any data she may have concerning the Brevard and Pierce families. We understand that John Brevard left Smith County, Tenn., for Union City, in West Tennessee about 1820. We have no information whatever on the Pierce family nor the Puryears.