Didn't you say your Helton line was from Tennessee? I went to a reunion this past Saturday for my Helton line. I've lived in the same area with them all of my life but I only knew one and we graduated from HS in the same class but didn't know each other back then.
Very few of those attending have done any research on it and most of them had no clue our common GGGrandfather was in the 32nd Alabama. They thought he lost his arm in a sawmill accident. I really hoped to find some more info but didn't. One who has been researching for a long time seems to think it's possible they were in Tennessee. The only reference I've found for anything past Alabama in the late 1820's has them coming from "Carolina". It's possible they split up and went to other areas and weren't quite honest on their original starting point. Anyway, just wanted to let you know you may well not be related to some of the best moonshiners ever in this part of the country. I've learned more family history from reading arrest reports then talking to any of them.

One other consistant thing was the use of the names Henry, James and Membrance in the different generations. Do any of those names sound like some from your area?

Pam