I am attempting to track down whether or not what is apparently a fairly old family story is true. My grandmother claims that her grandmother told her that part of the family came to eastern NC from Tennessee and that they crossed the mountains "on the backs of camels" and that they "washed their hands in the clouds." While this has now passed into oral tradition, this used to be written down at one point, but our branch's copy has faded into the mists of time. While researching the branches mentioned. I couldn't find any ties to Tennessee, much less camels, except for one hint that my 4xgreat-grandmother, Lucinda Basden, might have been born in Tennessee. After doing a bit more research, I found several more documents claiming Lucinda's birth was in TN and not NC as a few documents suggested.

While it's not certain, it's the best connection I have to such a strange story that my grandmother swears is true. Below is the information that I have on Lucinda. If anyone has any information on this, I would be very grateful. I'm trying to sort out what's actual history and what is family myth.

Lucinda W(haley?) Basden
b. 1820 (perhaps 15 Mar) in Tennessee
m. 2 Dec 1840 to Robert Louis Jarman
d. 3 Jun 1895 in Richlands, Onslow, North Carolina

I do not have parent's names for Lucinda

Thank you for any help you can give!