Elmira Sloan McCorkle Roache,
                     "Vain regrets are bitter food." – The Old Set of McCorkle:

Descendants of the Scots-Irish Immigrants Alexander McCorkle
and wife Nancy Agness Montgomery McCorkle

The following was written for Dr. J. S. McCorkle, frequent mayor of Newbern, Tennessee, by his aunt, Mrs. Elmira Sloane McCorkle Roache, of, to name a few places, Rowan County, NC; Stone’s River, Tennesse; Bradley’s Creek, Tenn., "Verdant Plain" in Dyer County, Tenn.; Gosport and other communities of Indiana; and, by the time of writing this letter, of the town of California, Missouri.

Our ancestors were originally from Scotland but immigrated to Ireland during some national trouble. From thence they came to America and settled in Pennsylvania where Harrisburg now stands, Lancaster County. From there my grandfather [Alexander McCorkle] moved to Rowan County, North Carolina. His wife was Nancy alias Agnes Montgomery.

Alexander McCorkle raised ten children – seven sons and three daughters.

Sons – Samuel McCorkle, John Joseph McCorkle, Alexander McCorkle [Jr.], William McCorkle, Robert McCorkle, James McCorkle.

Daughters – Mattie McCorkle Archibald, Elizabeth McCorkle Barr, and Nancy McCorkle Ramsey. Mattie married William Archibald; Elizabeth married William Barr; and Nancy, Robert Ramsey.

Samuel married Margaret Gillespie. John married Katy Barr; Joseph, Peggy Snoddy; Aleck married Katy Morrison; William, Peggy Blythe; Robert, Lizzie Blythe [his first wife]; James, Lizzie Hall.

The three last [William, Robert, James] lost their wives and married again. William and James married three times. William’s second wife, Mattie King, died on her way home from North Carolina in what was then called wilderness; was buried in a rude grave there. ...

William McCorkle and his brother Robert McCorkle moved to Kentucky in troublous times with Indians. Then moved from there to Sumner County, Tennessee, and lost their wives. Robert McCorkle, who was my father, returned to North Carolina and married [Margaret] Peggy Morrison who was my mother.

Robert and Peggy Morrison, my parents, had seven children: Rebecca Cowden McCorkle [Thompson], Elmira Sloane McCorkle [Roach], Edwin Archibald McCorkle, Jehiel Morrison McCorkle, Nancy Melinda McCorkle (she was between Edwin and Jehiel), Peggy Pamela McCorkle and Robert Andrew Hope McCorkle. My father had two children by his first wife: Alex who died in infancy and Elizabeth McCorkle who was raised by her grandmother Blythe. She [Elizabeth McCorkle] married Thomas Anderson in Sumner County, Tennessee, and raised four children: Lizzy Anderson [McMurray], Martha Anderson, Julia Anderson and Robert Anderson. Lizzy Anderson married Mr. McMurray; Martha, Mr. Keigh; Julia never married. She and Martha are dead. Lizzy Anderson lives at Lebanon, Tennessee, Robert Anderson in Alabama (I think).

A part of Rowan County, North Carolina, was stricken off and a new county made called Iredell. In that my father settled on the Yadkin River and lived there until 1808[?]. He then pulled up stakes and moved to Rutherford County, Tennessee, settled on Stones River, lived there until 1817. There my sister Rebecca [Cowden McCorkle Thompson] and I both married.

That same year [1817] we all moved about 8 miles on to Bradley’s creek and lived there until ’27. There my sister Rebecca [Cowden McCorkle Thompson] was left a widow, went home to my father’s and in two short years died leaving two little orphans [Jane Thompson (Williams) and Polly Thompson (Dickey)] who were kindly cared for by their uncles Edwin Alexander McCorkle [and wife Jane Maxwell Thomas] and Robert [Andrew Hope McCorkle and wife Tirzah Scott].

It is a great pity we did not have our mother [Margaret Peggy Morrison McCorkle] write a history. She knew so much and could write so well that I feel it a great misfortune that we did not avail ourselves of her knowledge. It would be an inestimable treasure to her posterity. Had I been with her in her old days I might have gathered a mine of knowledge that would be invaluable to us all.

We can only regret the lost opportunity, and vain regrets are bitter food. I think your sister Sarah [McCorkle Algea] has Harriet [McCorkle] McGinn’s family record. I have it and will send it if she has not. She knew more about the old set than I do.

They were strict Presbyterians, Uncle Samuel a minister, John an elder in the church and member of the Legislature useful and much beloved, died in the prime of life leaving an only son who walked in his father’s steps and enjoyed his honors. Joseph moved to Ohio at an early day – was a man of ability – but rather eccentric. Aleck was emotional in character and joined the Methodists. William, following Barton Stone, set his negroes free and went to preaching.

James McCorkle was the last [of the children of Alexander and Nancy Montgomery McCorkle] to pass away. He died at Frankfort, Boone County, Indiana where some of his children still live. His youngest son William McCorkle is a Presbyterian minister.

Mother’s name you know was Morrison. The were strict Presbyterians and came over the same time my father did and settled in Iredell County, North Carolina. Grandpa’s name was Andrew Morrison, grandmother’s was Elizabeth Sloane. Her mother was a sister to grandfather [Alexander] McCorkle. My father and mother were second cousins. Grandfather Morrison raised 7 children.

/s/ Elmira Sloan Roach

J.S. McCorkle

1. Alexander McCorkle married Nancy Agness Montgomery

* 2. Robert m Lizzy Blythe, 1^st – Margaret Peggy Morrison, 2^nd.

2. James m Lizzy Hall, 1^st;

2. Mattie m William Archibald

2. Elizabeth m William Barr

2. Nancy m Robert Ramsey

2. Robert McCorkle m Lizzy Blythe (his 1st wife)

3. Alex died in infancy

3. Elizabeth McCorkle m Thomas Anderson

4. Elizabeth Anderson m McMurray; lived Lebanon, Tennessee.

4. Martha Anderson m Leigh

4. Julia Anderson, never married

4. Robert Anderson

2. Robert McCorkle m Margaret Peggy Morrison (his 2^nd wife)

Children of Robert McCorkle and Margaret Peggy Morrison McCorkle:

3. Rebecca Cowden m Gideon Thompson [left small children]

4. Jane M. Thompson m Ben Williams

4. Polly (Mary?) Thompson m Matthew Dickey

3. Elmira Sloane McCorkle m Dr. Stephen Roach

4. Addison l Roache m Emily Weddings

4. Robert Quincy Roache m Rebecca and Isabel Sunderland

4. Howard Harris Roache m Fell at Shiloh, buried Dyer County, Tenn.

4. Many other children who did not survive to adulthood

3. Edwin Alexander McCorkle m Jane Maxwell Thomas

4. Hiram Robert A. McCorkle, Newbern diarist of 19^th century

4. David Purviance McCorkle, moved to Obion County

4. John Edwin McCorkle m (1^st) Tennie Scott, (2^nd Mary Elizabeth Cotton), Newbern, Tennessee, area

4. Finis A. McCorkle, twin to Latina Gregory), Newbern area

4. Anderson Jehiel McCorkle, Newbern area

4. Lizzie McCorkle Reeves, lived Gadsden near Humboldt, Gibson County

4. Margaret Latina McCorkle Gregory (twin to Finis A. McCorkle), Newbern area

4. Becky McCorkle Zarecor, Newbern area

3. Jehiel Morrison McCorkle m E S

3. [Margaret] Pamela McCorkle [alias Permelia McCorkle]

3. Robert Andrew Hope McCorkle m Tirzah Scott