This may be of some importance to someone. My grandmother was Essie Morphis Howell. Her father was Fleet Joseph Morphis of McNairy County Tennessee. In the 1860 Tennessee Census my Great Great Grandmother Sarah Morphis is listed. Her sons were Fleet J, James K, and Tommy. Her Husband Alsay had passed away. Interestingly J.L. Morphis is listed what appears two or three houses down the road from them as the census taker would have traveled. I have never discovered how J.L. Morphis is related to my grandmother. They had to be related living in that proximity. My guess is that J.L. was Fleet's Uncle. All of them lived between Pocahontas and Ramer Tennessee. My Great Grandfather Fleet Morphis is burried in Kirk Cemetary, secluded off highway 57. The home place was approximately half mile N.W. of the cemetary/school/church. If memory serves me J.L. started out with Avery's 39th Tennessee Inf. For reasons unknown to me he resigned and started his own small cavalry company.

My grandmother told me that her father, Fleet went to visit J.L. after the war. Things are sketchy but I'm pretty sure it was in Oklahoma. A J.L. Morphis is found there as a U.S. Marshall I believe and I believe he had a trading post. My paperwork is stored in boxes.

Ironically Fleet Morphis and his brother James K. joined the First Ala. U.S. Cavalry. James was killed at Vinsent's
Crossroads (near Boonevelle.) Several of the Kirks for whom the community and school was named fought for the Sixth Tenn. U.S. Cav. under Co. Felding Hurst.

Not to run on anymore about Torries, but Fleet and his family had to flee to Posey Co. Indiana until 1868. Their mother was ill and wanted to come home to die. Feelings had cooled down and they traveled home but Sarh didn't live to see it.
If anyone has ever heard of Morphis Corn, it was a flint type corn he found in Indiana. This corn is still grown in Hardeman and McNairy counties.