Thank you for your response. I am sure you have contacted Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, about your Cherokee relative; that tel # in Tahlequah is 9184560671; they have the Cherokee Rolls; much of the information on these rolls was the result of land division following the Civil War; the Cherokees brought their slaves to Oklahoma during their removal from the SE US/after conclusion of the war, the slaves could take a "freedman" title and receive land; or, they could opt not to partake in the land, in which case their name would not be on the Roll. I am sure that you have a Cherokee Center in Georgia holding the names of families living in/removed from that region; but the Nation in Tahlequah probably has the best inventory of names. Like you, I had never heard the name Mahaly until I began my family search; it is a beautiful name; I do not know its origins but intend to find out; if you discover info about the origin of that name, please email me. Are you USN Ret or active? Either way, thank you for serving in our county's military. My husband was a WWII USMC (Naval Air Corps) flyer of P38's and Corsairs in the Pacific theatre; he was an Ace/flew with Wolf Pack/Swashbucklers (which later became Black Sheep) Squadrons. I am a retired VAMC employee. Good luck with your search; it sure is fun, BUT sometimes it makes me dizzy, trying to keep track of so many family tracks...