Catherine, This information is from a Chalmers family file at the Pickens Co Historical Society. Mary Chalmers was the daughter of James Chalmers b Nov 1820 in Paisley, Scotland, who died in 1899 in Salem, Va. Her mother was Eliza Campbell who was born in New York, daughter of Jacob and Mary Skaats (sp?) Cambell who settled in Pickensville in 1839. James and Eliza married 10-21-1841 in Pickens Co. On April 4, 1861 Mary married William H. Ferguson, only son of Bryant Ferguson. After the Civil War most of the Chalmers family moved to Salem Va, including William and Mary Ferguson.

I am interested in this family because of their tie to the Miller family. Drury Miller, b 1822 Tn, d 1888 Pickens Al was a brother of my husband's 2great-grandfather Andrew Lewis Miller b 1809 Tn, died 1865, buried Screven Co Ga. i am trying to trace their family, and have connected them with a George Miller b 1746, d 1823 Kershaw SC. Drury was living with James and Eliza Chalmers in the 1850 Pickens Al census, listed as a merchant. The Chalmers file says that "
James Chalmers was engaged in merchandising with Drury Miller, owned a cotton brokerage firm with Messrs. Miller and Stinson in Mobile and owned a large plantation between Pickensviille and Bridgeville."
This Mr. Stinson may have been James Stinson who married Nancy Cotton. Is this your relative?
I think there is some possibility that James Chalmers and Drury Miller were related, and there is also a marriage in Kershaw SC between George Miller's granddaughter and a William Stinson.
I would love to find more information about these people.