John Valentine Bull, a Revolutionary War veteran born on Valentine’s Day, married Fetnah and settled in Grainger County, Tennessee, where he operated a stagecoach line and worked as a skilled gunsmith. The Bull and Bean families had a longstanding connection, as John’s father had purchased land from Fetnah’s father.

However, by 1827, the Bulls found themselves in Alabama, with their eldest son, Pleasant, already in Texas by 1832. The reasons for this move are shrouded in mystery, but family tensions and financial difficulties may have played a role. Letters from Pleasant reveal a sense of heartache and repentance, suggesting that Tennessee held a special place in their hearts.

The journey to Alabama was undoubtedly challenging, especially with seven children in tow. Traveling by steamboat down the Holston, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers, they faced treacherous conditions like the narrows below Walden Ridge and Lookout Mountain, as well as the dangerous Muscle Shoals.

Once in Alabama, the Bulls settled in Russelville, Walker County (later Winston County). Pleasant wrote to an uncle in Moulton, Lawrence County, mentioning “Aunt Nancy and Cousin Emaline,” but their exact relationship remains unclear.

The Bulls established a beautiful home near the Sipsey River, but tragedy struck when the two-story house was destroyed by fire. John, a resourceful man, built a new home using pine saplings and a spring house for water storage.

The Bull family’s legacy lives on in the memories of their descendants, who recall the pecan tree planted by Rausamond and the stories of their adventurous journey from Tennessee to Alabama.