Minutes of Wilson Co. Court (1809-1819) RE: Wm & Eliz. Gates

WILSON COUNTY MINUTES OF COUNTY COURT VOL. 2 (or B)1809-1819 
What follows is a listing of plantiffs and defendants listed in Wilson County Court Minutes. 
Plantiffs Samuel W. Sherrell vs Defendants Hulda Sherrill & others 
SOME WILSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE CHANCERY COURT LOOSE RECORDS This is number FIVE of SEVEN files. 
5342 - 1865 Sept. 5 - Petition to sell land. William C. RICE of Wilson Co., TN against the unknown heirs at law of Elizabeth GATES, non resident of state. Orators father Benjamin RICE, died about 2 years ago, intestate in this county. He owned a small tract of 100a in Civil District 23 bound by Samuel SHERRELL, by the farm which Newton SHERRELL now lives, Lara HARALSON, on which dec'd. lived at time of his death. He left no widow surviving him and his only heirs at law your orator, his son, and two children whose names and ages are unknown to your orator, the children of a dau. of the intestate whose name is Elizabeth, but who married (blank) GATES several years ago and moved with him to MO and there died leaving two or more minor children. 
1865 Dec. 4 - Deposition of J.F. HOOKER says he heard Benj. RICE say that he had furnished Wm. GATES with a land warrant for 120a.... - Depositions of George SANDERS, V.C. HARALSON, and W.S. WOODRUM. 
1866 June 6 - Plat description of land ... near Gladesville upon the Sinking Prong of Pond Lick Creek, a branch of Stone's River.... Lara HARALSON'S line ... dower of Mrs. Agnes SHERRILL, dec'd. ... heirs of Asbel SHERRILL, dec'd. ... Houston THORNTON'S line ... 100a and 20 poles... G.B. MCPEAK and J.H. RICE, chain carriers. - Decree - Ben RICE died Sept. 1863.... 

Source

In case you didn't know, "intestate" means dying without a will.

What's very interesting about the statements William Rice made to the court is that he makes it seem like he doesn't know the names of his sister, Elizabeth's children and doesn't even know how many kids she had.  However, I have seen some letters between William Gates (Elizabeth's husband and the father of her children) and the Rices referencing the children.  I assume they are arguing over this very issue because in an 1860 letter, Gates tells Benjamin Rice that Elizabeth's children have "as much right to part as bill has to all" and he says that Elizabeth “has wated on you and her mother for weeks and months when bill would not so much as speak to his mother”.