The Objective:

To find evidence of Native American heritage that would satisfy the governments and the tribes requirements.

Or

Find evidence that there is no Native American bloodline.

Research of family members that has already been found:

The believed Native American in the family is the women in the yellow box.

The possible names of the individuals

Back Row: unknown female (Estelle Sims or Pauline Cash ?), TW Cash Jr. ?, Virginia Botts (baby), TW Cash Sr., Ada Cash Botts, Mattie Sargent Cash, J. Mark BottsSr, Minnie Cash Carroll?, Gussie Lou Carroll ?, Charles M Carroll ?, unknown female (Pauline Cash Barnes ?. Front row: unknown boy (Amos Jones ?), unknown boy (Bill Jones ?), unknown boy (Cauthren Jones ?), James M. Botts Jr., Flora Jones ?, Stela Carroll ?, unknown girl. J. Mark Botts and Mannie Cash Carroll.

My name is Joshua Nestlebush and I believe that im 1/16 Native American. This is all on my Father’s side of the family.

His Uncle was Jack Lee Botts


1902 - 1976

I believe his father was

James Mark Botts
Birth 27 Mar 1881 inSouth Carolina
Death 15 Feb 1926

And his mother was

MelvinaMandaHagewood (something like that) and there isn’t any information I can find on her so I believe she is the Native American…..She is the women in the picture within the yellow box.

Here is some comments I found when trying to figure out her identity:

  • The 1880 Census in Mocassin, Rabun, GA shows John W Botts married to Amanda. Later maairage certificates (1890) show marriage to MelvinaHagewood on one and MandaHagewood on another. Perhaps they (Amanda/Manda/Melvina) are all the same and the marriage filing in 1890 was simply making the earlier "marriage" official for some reason.
  • J Mark Botts was born in 1881, so I'm assuming that his mother would have been Amanda who I believe to be the same as Amanda/MelvinaHagewood. Was she Cherokee?

Unofficial Marriage in 1880?

•The 1880 Census in Rabun, Mocassin, GA shows Amanda to be married to John W Botts. Marriage certificates in 1890 show John W Botts marrying MelvinaHagewood on one and MandaHagewood on another. Its possible this was an official tying of the knot after 10 years or perhaps a legal requirement having to do with Cherokee land and such. Or it could be different wife altogether but the Amanda/Manda link would be fairly coincidental.

Family Tree

Possible Native Americans

Thomas AsaBotts, b 1824, Abbeville, SC, m Matilda Wright

•James M Botts, b 1849

•John W Botts, b 1851, GA, m MelvinaMandaHagewood[link to Thomas AsaBotts not yet firm]

•James M Botts, b 1881, SC, m Cordelia Fisher (1st marriage)

•Jack Lee (Fred) Botts, b 1902, GA

•John W Botts, b 1908, GA

•James M Botts, b 1881, SC, m Ada Pearl Cash (2nd marriage)

•James M Botts, b 1923, Chattanooga, TN, m Dora Lorene ThompsonB-1

•Asa North Botts, b 1859, m Mary Lou Wright

•Asa Thomas Botts, b 1887

•George W Botts, b 1892

•William More Botts, b 1897, m Sarah Smith

•James H Botts, b 1900, m Edna Poss

•Ernest Grey Botts, b 1902, m Irene Goodman

Jacob R Botts, b 1826, Abbeville, SC, m Louisa Jane Cannon

William P Botts, b 1829, Abbeville, SC

John George Botts, b 1830, Abbeville, SC, m Catherine Robinson

•Samuel Oscar Botts, b 1860, SC

•John Botts, b 1873, SC

•Charles Botts, b 1874, SC

•Jacob Botts, b 1879, SC

Charles Alexander Botts, b 1841, Abbeville, SC

•Thomas Henry Botts, b 1872, Abbeville, SC, m Jennie McCord

•Angus Botts

•Walter David Botts

•James Mabry Botts, b 1876-78, Abbeville, SC

•William Archer Botts, b 1879, Abbeville, SC

•Arthur TraywickBotts, b 1879, Abbeville, SC

•Charles A Botts Jr., b 1885, Abbeville, SC

Joseph James Botts, b 1844, Abbeville, SC, m Sallie Arnold

•G L Botts, b 1876

•Jesse L Botts, b 1886

•W C Botts

•Tom Botts



Not sure which Botts this was:

That is all the information that I have been able to collect so far. Like I said I believe that the key is the woman in the yellow box. I would like to find out for sure if she was Native American.