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Young Nathan served in the North Carolina militia during his early years, eventually attaining the rank of brigadier general and engaging in politics. Yet, the allure of new opportunities drew him southward in the mid-1830s—a common migration for ambitious farmers seeking the fertile lands of Alabama's Black Belt. In 1842, Wetfield purchased 480 acres near Demopolis from George Strother Gaines, establishing his first homestead—a simple trout-fishing cabin that would evolve into something far more magnificent.