My Hembree's came to Roane County from Spartanburg, South Carolina. James Hembree b 1729 Spartanburg, SC d bef 1810 m Sarah Bird b 1828 daughter of John Byrd and Margaret Dean. Their son Joel Bird Hembree b 1755, Spartenburg, SC d 16 Feb 1825 Roane County,Tn; m Hannah Pettit abt 1786 in Spartanburg, SC. She was b in NJ d 11 Oct 1839 Roane County, Tn. Her Father was Joshua Pettit and her Mother Rachel, last name unk. Their son Joel Bird Hembree b 26 Nov 1804 in Roane County, Tn d 11 Apr 1860 in Whittenburg, Greene, Mo m Sarah "Sally" Willhite b 20 Mar 1809 in Tn, probably Roane County d aft 1880 in Mo; Father John Willhite/Wilhoit b abt 1783 m Letta "Lettie",an Indian maiden, b abt 1785 in Tennessee. Family records state that she lived in the hills in Roane County, Tn. John and Lettie had several children: Mary "Polly" (wife of) Col Joel Hembree (family records record he was a cousin to Joel Bird), Sarah wife of Joel Bird Hembree, Benjamin Franklin, Albert, unk if there were others. Interested in exchanging information.