While I do not recall where this information came from, another researcher, Mike Little, disputes this claim, his views on this are as follows: I don't think that the Hilton brothers were traveling together if you can believe the place of birth on the 1850 census records. If they were traveling when he died in Alabama in 1843 then how do you explain that a lot of his nephews and nieces were born in Mississippi prior to 1843? I noticed one --15. i. William A.3 Hilton, born c1831 in Mississippi -- that would have been born in Mississippi 12 years before. I can understand a few "errors" but there are several that suggest that they migrated at different times. Unless there were other brothers. One researcher shows his birth date as September 19, 1770 and death date as April 23, 1843, & that his mothers name was Ann. This information was apparently concluded from a tombstone inscription found in the SC Magazine of Ancestry, Vol 1, page 194, where is shows several inscriptions from Rehoboth Cemetery in Clarendon Co SC. One stone has written, Sacred to the Memory of William Hilton, Departed this life, 23 April 1843, aged 72 yrs, 7 mo and 4 days. I cannot deny or confirm this information, but it would conflict with other sources that tell us William died in Alabama .... unless his body was shipped back to SC for burial.

According to Dr. Jackie Hilton, they also had a son, James A. Hilton, born c1829, who was married to Elizabeth Lucinda Mullican. He writes: James A. Hilton is undoubtedly the son of either William or Thomas Hilton, most probably William and Josey, though the census of 1850 shows him to be born in Mississippi. It is possible he was born after his fathers death in Alabama, or that the census is in error.

1850 census of Simpson Co Mississippi, household #439-439 has James A. Hilton, age 21, Lucinda Hilton, age 20, George H. Hilton, age 7/12, all born in Mississippi

Dr. Jackie Hilton also shows that Humphrey Hilton is the son of William Issac Hilton. From information I have gathered, I think he is more likely a grandson. In 1850, Simpson Co Mississippi, an Amey Hilton is living next to William Isaac Hilton. She is aged 52, and has a child, Humphrey C. Hilton, age 10 living with her. I believe that this is the wife of William, and that William is deceased, probably in 1843 as stated. The child may or may not be hers, but I feel more like he would be a grandchild.

1850 Simpson Co Mississippi, household #331-331, shows Amey Hilton, age 52, born in SC, and Humphrey C. Hilton, age 10, born in Mississippi

Thomas was s apparently deceased at that time.  However, I do not understand why the children, Amos and Robert are not on the census.   According to Bill Waller, they were the children of  this  family, and he also made note that Amos died in 1917.

By 1860, Phebe has remarried to Dempsey Touchstone, the son of Green Touchstone and Sally Stanley, and widower of Sally Millsaps. Sally had died in 1854.

They, along with her 2 sons, Carson, age 16, and Robert, age 14, are living in the home with CC Barlow and Mary J. Mahaffey Barlow, Mary being Phebe's niece.