| JB's Story Element | Where it probably came from |
| Major John Cowan was KBI'd | Ann Walker's husband Samuel Cowan, and Margaret Handley's husband John Pauley, were KBI'd. |
| Son James was CBI'd | William Walker was captured at the same time that Ann Walker Cowan was CBI'd |
| Mary Walker Cowan was CBI'd | Margaret Handley, and Ann Walker Cowan were CBI'd in separate events; the first name of Samuel Handley's wife was Mary. |
| Mary was taken north to the Great Lakes | Margaret Handley Pauley and Ann Walker Cowan were taken north to the Great Lakes |
| Mary and son James were separated, and went with different captors | Ann Walker Cowan and nephew William Walker were separated and went with different captors |
| Mary escaped after 7 years. | Margaret Handley Pauley was released after 7 years; Ann was probably only held captive for 3 or 4 years. |
| A troop of "100 mounted volunteers" rode north to save Mary | Probably didn't happen at all. This looks suspicously like a trace of Major John's (then Captain John) company in the "Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen" during the Creek War. |
| "Is there a man by the name of Russell, Major Russell" | This could be William Russell of Castles's Woods, a local leader, but it is more likely a reference to another William Russell---major William Russell of the Creek War, in whose unit Captain John Cowan served. |
CBI---Captured by Indians. KBI---Killed by Indians