Lana,
I live in Charleston with most of my ancestors Upcountry (Pendleton Area) 
back then. My father is from Charlotte and we used to live there too for a 
while.
I began this odessy in about 1970,,,,,,,whew?  Just doing names only. Now I 
feel like I have my own library for people to use.  I have copied more books 
than allowed.  This whole process has gotten out of control.
So, on to the story.  As you know Thomas Hanks of Virginia, was listed in the 
1790 Pendleton, SC Census.  Also, there used to be a train that traveled from 
Macon, Ga to Atlanta, Ga in the late 1940's.  Her name was *The Nancy Hanks*.
Anyway, back to Pendleton, there was a tavern there, could have been my 
ancestors, George Wilson.  He was an Inn Keeper, and already related to the 
Caldwell's.  His wife, Anne Richey, was the granddaughter of the same parents 
of John C. Calhoun's mother, Margaret...i.e. Anne Richey and John C. Calhoun 
were first cousins. .. William Caldwell and Rebecca Parks were the 
grandparents.  Anyway, Nancy worked there as a barmaid and Ole John 
frequented this place.  She became pregnant.  Well, as the story goes, Thomas 
Lincoln came through town and was smitten with her and married her, where???, 
and took her to Kentucky with him.  I have found in a book copyrighted as 
late as 1889 that suggested this.  Can't remember the book.  Someone borrowed 
my copies and did not return them.  The Lincoln's were traveling with a 
couple named *Smith*.  They had a child, a little girl, 3, and when they 
arrived in Kentucky, the child, Sarah, I believe, went to live with the 
Lincoln's so as not to throw suspicion of the late marriage.  I do not know 
if the Smiths were related or not.  I do know that when the Smith girl died, 
she was buried with the Smith parents.  Also, maybe in the same book, it 
states that John C. Calhoun sought out Ole Abe and became his mentor giving 
another clue to the fact that he may have known the child to be his.
Okay, where was I? Then, my cousin was taking a course in genetics to keep up 
her teaching certificate.  Well, they were studying Marfan's Disease.  Have 
you ever heard of it?  Abe Lincoln had it.  Have you ever heard that he had 
an illness and would have lived only a few more years at best 4 or 5 if that? 
 It seems that that gene was passed down through the male line and ole John 
C. had it.  There were several articles in the paper about 10 years ago about 
it. However, I knew before then that John Wilkes Booth could have just waited 
that Abe was ill.  But, I wasn't there to tell him.!!!!!!
Also, Clemson University is the plantation of John Caldwell Calhoun.  He left 
it to his favorite daughter, Anna, who married Thomas Green Clemson.  It was 
called Calhoun, the school and the town for a while, but somehow was changed. 
 I have visited the family home that is on the campus.  Most of the furniture 
in there is the Calhoun, not the Green's.  The desk John used as Secretary of 
State is there among other things.  Weirdest thing was the rugs.....my 
grandmother had some just like them.  She is related to the Caldwell's 3 
times.  If you call, write or visit Clemson and go the house, Fort Hill or 
Mill, don't have any notes out, they will tell you the same story.  It is 
called the Calhoun-Lincoln Myth.  They have tons of information on the 
subject.  It was not disputed when I was there about 8 years ago.  John loved 
agriculture and when he was home from Washington, that is what he enjoyed 
most.  He left the plantation with Anna and Thomas to become an agriculture 
school, which it did....Clemson University.  There is a tradition that the 
main house is not to be toured until you graduate.....bad luck, I guess.
Whew.  I had no idea I would get all that out today.  I know it seem a bit 
choppy at first, but I had to get my feet wet and set the stage.

Gotta run.  Hope you enjoy this story.  It's one of my best ones.

Joy

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