Live from the Redding CA Family History Expo! Talking to attendees here, People from South Carolina migrated directly into TN. Without stops along the way in North Carolina or Virginia. Coming directly from South Carolina.
Watch surnames in directories and databases for exact locations to research. This is where a less common surname is a bonus. And the strategy works for moat surnames.
You can even map where the surnames are located and then study the flow of rivers and the directions the roads run. Check the easiest and shortest route first. Then stop and search the indexes for the counties along the river, well into South Carolina. Your favorite Tennessee genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS Still working on a borrowed computer.