Henry, Why can you not believe the "uncle Jefferson" oral claim of the Eston Hemings family? And I do agree that it is a vexing mess but very easy to understand IF all facts are known and "nuts & bolts" research be done. It is a mess when the media sensationalizes it, when Samuel Wetmore adds the confusing unproved statements attributed to Madison, when Dr. Foster, without informing Nature, the media, etc., tests a known carrier of the Jefferson (Randolph) DNA.......SURE there would be a match, when Dr. Jordan assigns his Monticello Study to an "oral slave family specialist" who uses two controversial "road maps" for research, and who can come up with a completely unacceptable and laughable and biased claim that possibly all of Sally's children were fathered by Thomas Jefferson. How can a dedicated historian such as Dr. Jordan explain this when only ONE Hemings was tested. He would not even suggest the Hemings test a known son of Madison. Their report also suggested that during three of Sally's conceptions that some of Randolph's sons were present at Monticello but concluded that their ages of 14-20 would be 'TOO YOUNG" to consider. Yes, I have a copy of the Monticello Report which is well highlighted. What do you think of Dr. Ken Wallenborn's Minority Report being completely DELETED from the original release of their report? We know that Callender got it wrong in his Campaign Lies article of 1802......DNA proved him a liar....NO Jefferson-Woodson match. As you know, this was the "original" lie for many years before Brodie, and has been perpetuated since by persons, some foundations and some in academia to further their agendas. Edmund Bacon, TJ's overseerer, and before that, a young man who lived nearby and frequented there often BEFORE being officially hired as overseer, stated that he saw someone OTHER than TJ exiting Sally's quarters early in the morning. In Rev. Pearson's account, the name of a father for Harriet II was DELETED to protect the individual. I do not find the Woodson claim to being descended from Thomas Jefferson a mystery at all. Dr. Foster and I frequently discussed the fact that we didn't consider their claim as viable at all. In fact, I did much research of TJ in France and elsewhere and pretty well pinned down who a "POSSIBLE" father for ANY RUMORED child conceived in France would be. It was NOT TJ! We even discussed finding descendants of those we suspected, but when the DNA results were returned we dropped all such research. Our suspicions were confirmed.....there being NO Jefferson-Woodson match. If historians, book authors, certain foundation officials would not approach the controversy that "he's guilty" and approach it from a "level playing field" then we would be hearing a much different story. The public has been fooled, lied to and manipulated long enough...........Dr. Dan Jordan.....will YOU conduct another study, using ALL available research from any source?? The Fossett claims are not worthy of even a discussion but just shows how some people "jump on the bandwagon" for recognition after the subject has become deceased. The Waverly Watchman newspaper, an opposition paper to Samuel Wetmore's paper, pretty well reported the willingness of people to want to upgrade their image at the expense of others. Speaking of the need to collect the William Hemings DNA, let it be known that Shay Banks-Young, a descendant of Madison Hemings, and 7 other cousins oppose this and she told me that they will NEVER permit this and are "HAPPY" with their oral history.........are we? I have faith in the McMurry's book which tackles the rumor of Sally and Martha Jefferson being half-sisters. They expended much time, money and effort in arriving at their conclusions......a rumor only. Herb Barger I also don't think the "Jefferson uncle" oral history in Eston's line proves anything one way or the other. In general, the historical testimony on all sides of this issue is a vexing mess--Madison Hemings, the Randolphs, Callender, and Edmund Bacon all got some things wrong and some things right. The Woodsons are a mystery. And then we have the Fossetts--but that's for another time. As Herb mentions, the McMurrys have tried to knock down the story of Sally being the half-sister of Martha Jefferson, but I do not find their argument persuasive at all. If that story had originated as a political smear and was baseless, as the McMurrys suggest, I think Ellen or Jeff Randolph would have brought it up to deny it. Herb raises an excellent point -- we should try to extract DNA from the remains of Madison's son. History would be served, but the family doesn't want it done. A pity. It could answer a couple of big questions. Henry Wiencek ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html