Disclaimer: Not all descendants stand in agreement with the origins of the Presley family history and until such time as a final version of the history is confirmed and compiled, the entire genealogy remains speculative except for those areas already proven and confirmed by documentation.
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Elvis Presley®. The King of Rock and Roll. A legend. The legacy of Elvis lives on-- in Las Vegas. However, some Presley family members feel Elvis' should be regarded as an integral part of American history, both as himself, and as kin to a family of men--Presley men--who had, from earliest colonial times, contributed to this country as good citizens, brave soldiers, and statesmen.

Thanks to our Presley family historians, our family heritage has been brought together in a first ever detailed account, with still more data coming forth daily.

Henry Z. Jones and Ed Dunn have worked for many long years to come up with a conclusion that the Presleys are of German decent.

The descendants of Andreas Preslar who came from Maryland to settle in Anson County, NC, are John, Thomas, Andrew, Jr., and Peter.

The Presley history goes back to the earliest times of this nation, back to the time in 1709 when Johann Valentine Bressler and wife, Anna Christina Franse, originally from Palatinate Germany, arrived in New York from England on the ship "Fame." Valentine and Anna's second son, Andreas Preslar married Antje Wells from Staten Island, New York. From there the Bressler/Preslar family migrated to the Mohawk Valley in upper New York, then thru northern Pennsylvania and down into Maryland, where the children of Andreas Preslar are recorded as baptized in St. Stephen's Parish, Cecil County, MD.

It has been documented that members of the family migrated from Maryland to the Brunswick and Lunenburg Counties of Virginia. In the 1740's as documentation has been found on Thomas Presley having been there at that time.

In addition, documentation survives telling about the Revolutionary War service of the Presley men, including Thomas who is believed to have been in the militia. He certainly was a Regulator as was brother, John. There is proof that Thomas Presley was a supplier of goods to George Rogers Clark's Expedition during the American Revolution from that state. The following excerpt from Abstract of The George Rogers Clark's Papers dated 1784, on microfilm #12, and in the Virginia Library archives, is noted:

"19100-12-271-276-November 29, 1784: Duplicate filming. Faded.
Com-monwealth of Virginia account of George Slaughter. Entries for payment to individuals. Names: John May, David Ervin, John Poindexter,Thomas Presley, Sanford Edwards, James Hinton, Daniel Creap, John W. Provence, Peter Upp, Carter Tate, Mary Prager, Joseph Vermillion, Christian Donally, Andrew Franklin, Thomas Gist, Gilbert Simpson, Jacob Bowman, Joseph Bechet, James Pendleton, Margaret Finne, Joseph Leyrel?, Robert Pollard, Anthony Beall, Samuel Newell, John Gordy, Joseph Sanders, Charles Cock, William Anderson, Alex Henly, Archibald Woods, Thomas Ferguson, Joseph Wickliff, Mary McDowell, Joseph Bell, Joseph Walters, John Frazer, John Phillips, James Culbertson, Andrew Beall, John Car-michael, Thomas Dunn, D. Greenwood, Robert McLaughlin, John Hutton, Benjamin Harrison, Daniel Sullivan, Walton Wright, Richard Young, John Roberts, Jacob Grapes, Robert Montgomery, James Thomas, Jane Atkins, William Walker. Unable to read many names."

By 1751, the Presleys were in Anson County, NC, and as proven by land holdings, had owned much land in NC and also SC both before and after the American Revolution.

Thomas Presley and brother, John, were signatories on the Regulator Petition in Anson County, NC, to contest the Loyalist government before the war fell underway. The Presley men had defended their homes, some having served in local militias and others aiding the patriots. As the family name became "Presley," it originated as "Pressley." Many would later drop the added "s" while others chose to keep the original spelling or the origin of "Preslar.". The name has also been spelled as Pressler, Preslie.

During the American Civil War, the Presley men again fought courageously to defend honor and faith, in a time completely disassociated from the world Elvis came to know. Ancestor and cousin, Pvt. Thomas Presley of the 7th SC Infantry, out of Kershaw County, was killed at the Rose Farm in Gettysburg and lay buried there in a mass grave for many years before his remains had been re-interred at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Va. Many Presley/Pressley/Preslar men served from North Carolina units, some from South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and other areas. Several Presley men, such as Elias "Darling" Pressley and Lawson "Horton" Presley, were captured and sent to prison where they died. The Point Lookout Prisoner of War Descendants Organization, headed by Patricia Buck, is currently investigating the atrocites at Point Lookout Prison in MD. It is her belief that men like Darlin and Horton Presley, should have not died in the prison environment, but who should have been surrendered at the end of the war along with many other prisoners. One hundred and forty-three years later, questions remain unanswered as to the fate of many of these brave souls.

Elvis' ggggrandfather, Dunnan Presley (variations of the name have included Dunning and Dumis), served in the Civil War in Ham's Mississippi Regiment of cavalry. Questions have arisen as to Dunnan's Confederate service, whether or not he had been a desserter. The truth is that Dunnen served nobly during the Mexican War, and when the time came for the War Between States, he, now an older man and probably wounded from the previous war, had served in two separate cavalry units. He collected a pension from the Mexican War, and it is noted on his Civil War Service Record that he was present at all but one roll. He did appear on the final roll as being present for duty.

Presley men continued to serve on behalf of our country during the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and on into the Iraq War on Terror. Elvis' grandpa, Jesse D. Presley, registered for the draft in WWI along with brother, Noah. Though Noah was not drafted, Jesse was and served stateside for the duration.

Having received his draft notice during the Cold War, Elvis was anxious to serve his country both in the military and in government, unknowingly following in the very determined footsteps of his ancestors. Elvis would , no doubt, have been proud to know that his ancestors were true heroes. Heroes like those Elvis had been searching for during his lonliest days.

Take a step back in time, to learn more about the people who gave rise to the legendary performer and philanthropist, whose estate today continues to bestow gifts to charities, and whose family members continue to contribute to preserving American history, as well as the history of Elvis and those brave men who, like him, carried complete faith in God and humanity. The Presleys were very religious. Many were Southern Baptists.

At Gettysburg, we can trace the history of the Presley family through the Presley men who served here, not as only Confederate soldiers, but as Americans, with no different dreams than other Americans, but with a moral conviction to God and to country. A man's state back then was considered his country. Elvis' cousin, the famed General John Bell Hood, was severly wounded here at Gettysburg. Elvis' great aunt was the last Confederate widow in Mississippi!

On the other side of the Elvis scope, preserving American history is up to we as Americans, the caretakers of our country. And, so, now that Elvis Presley, too, has become a special part of our nation's history and heritage, let us view him in a different light, for that also he has become a part of the world's history.

As Americans, be proud of your history and heritage, and honor them always! Remember the men, your ancestors, who fought to preserve this nation, and remember our troops serving today to continue that unending line of fire that will keep our country free and proud.