I have been putting off this guy…who knows why. Each male I think is viable, I put off. This way I get to delay the acknowledging that…” no not this one, he isn’t mine”. If he isn’t ruled out, he can be a hopeful. Okay, there is a lot of blather about a Spartanburg newspaper obit for this Darby guy. The problem with obits is that they are not written by the dead…who were actually there. A 19th century obit that claims the guy came from Good Old County Cork has got fudge written all over it…it grits wrong…go drink some green beer. See below. In 1931, a DAR hopeful wrote to the Nat’l Archives to enquire about a bevy of men who may have been in the Rev War. Thus, in addition to Darby Reagan’s records, we get this person’s ( the 1931 clerk at the archives) opinions thrown in for free along with the details in the Nat’l Archives. In 1834 Monroe Co TN, where William Callaway was clerk and a Joseph Powell was Magistrate, one Darby Reagan applied for his Rev War pension. He was 77 years and 10 months old. His application was approved. The principle witness was John Denton. The approving committee was William James, Mylay Tucker, and Hiraim Lurch/Leech/ Lurah.. ?? A further affidavit was attested to by a John Betz.( Betts?) At one time he fought under Capt Samuel Buckner. (A Buckner Ragan is prominent in early post Rev.GA records). According to his sworn affidavit, Darby was born in 1756 Columbia Co , GA, and enlisted from there in 1780. At no time does he name his wife and children, though they did exist and are indirectly referred to. Darby reenlisted ( including being invalided out with wounds) six times. This took up roughly 2 ½ years. I mention this because of our time line. Darby says he continued to live in Columbia Co GA for four or five years after the end of the Revolution. Well, the war isn’t over if you are still in it. I figure Darby lived in GA until late 1786 or 1787. At that time he headed for Newbury District SC, where he stayed until 1814, when he headed for Spartanburg, SC. He lived In Spartanburg for 17 years. In 1831, for whatever reason, he moved to Monroe Co TN. On March 20 1834, he applied for his Rev War Pension. In April of 1843, he moved to Greenville, SC and applied to have his pension transferred there. When Darby applied to have his pension transferred to TN, he said his kids were all gone away and MOST of them lived in Greenville, SC, so he wanted to be near them. He held, at that time Pension # 26623.from TN. A Simpson Reagan testified to the veracity of Darby’s claim. No relationship was given. A Wm Blasingame okayed the transfer. Darby died in 1851 Spartanburg, SC. He was 95. Alright, I am going blind looking at the actual handwritten census, ink blobs and all, for the whole state. On p. 11 in Beaufort is Ebeneezer 1 1 2 x x and also Anne Riggins. X 1 3 x x . I’m betting this is either Eben living next to his widowed mom, young brother and sisters, or Eben living next to his brother’s widow. The way widows were quick to remarry, I’d vote for mom. They census may have just caught her between hubbys. But these folk are also not our present focus. On p. 66, in the Index, is a fascinating Thomas Hagans with 1 x 2 x x . Could this be a misread by the later typist?I can’t find him in the written record…where is he? http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/sc/census/1790/transcriptions/066.gif We will return to look for this guy…BUT Then in the actual hand written page I find a gem: go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/sc/census/1790/066.gif and see if you all find what I find…where does he go ? I see a William Ragins 1 5 2 2 0… my my my… but he is not on the typed index and not the present focus. We will definitely come back to this guy. On p. 60, is a Jonathan Ragan. He is by himself in Abbeville. He has 1 x 4 x x So we have one guy with four females of some sort. He may daughter out on us. Let’s move on, as he doesn’t fit our present needs. On . 77, we hit the motherlode. This is all Newberry Co SC. We have a Joseph Ragen 1 1 4 x x He is a bit apart, but on the same page with others. Remember this was a period when the names were recorded by shanks mare and a page indicates proximity. A bit further down the page we have 4 R men: John Raygin 1 1 2 x x , Reason Ragan 3 1 7 x x , Daniel Raygin 1 3 2 x x, and our possible focus guy, Darby Raygin 1 3 1 x x . All we can say about this Darby from this census, is that he is where he should be. He has what looks to be a wife and 3 young sons. There are so many R’s in the 1800, that I am going to stick to Darby for now. Every time I do the 1800 I come up with more names that could be R’s. There is no Darby in the 1800 SC. I don’t know why,. Darby would have received his 287 1/2/ acres of GA land ( I have this record) as a RW vet between 1784-7. In the early 1800’s, the later arriving vets got 294 acres and the earlier vets complained. They were given an additional 6 ½ acres. It was a logistical nightmare. I have the record of Jonathan Regan getting his 6 ½ acres. I have no record of Darby getting his additional grant, Though this doesn’t mean he didn’t get it. I feel he was gone from the state. Because the 1800 is handwritten by alphabet, we cannot check to see who was left out. This is as good a time as any to remember that there were 3 copies of every census at the Federal, State, and County level. Some good soul in SC might be able to check if the Newberry copy survived, and see if Darby is listed. In 1810, Darby is still supposed to be in Newberry Co SC. On p. 91 is a Reason Ragan 21102-101 On p. 120, a fair distance, is Cary ? Reagan 00100-10100, and on p. 121 is Joseph Reagan 01001-00101 and also William Reagon 30010-00010. I mention these three because Darby should now be 54 and could have sprinkled sons over the Newberry landscape. In Spartanburg SC on p. 182 are: James Ragins10010-00100 and Darby Ragins 30201-02001. Ahhhhh. I feel James is the son of Darby and I believe Darby is on wife #2, with 3 young boys and 4 teenagers from the first wife , 2 of each sex. This is getting perhaps too long for Rootsweb, so I will end by mentioning:All over the net I am told that a Darby Riggins married Nancy Lawrence/Laurence. In Feb 1814 Spartanburg SC ,I am told, the will of a James Laurence was probated wherein he gifts grandsons John, Darby, and James Alexander Ragans formerly meant for daughter Nancy. Hmmm. This would mean possibly two James’s, not the first time.. This needs checking. In 1820 SC census we have in Newberry, Reason and William. In Spartanburg we have Benj, James, Jesse, and William. No Darby. Where is he? One additional thought, on the Eastern Shore ,DELMARVA Peninsula are two Darby Riggin cousins. One cousin fought as a Rev soldier, one deserted and signed on as a Tory. After the Rev, one left. We cannot prove who was the Tory and who the Rev Vet. We cannot prove who left.Food for thought. Maryellen

Please don't send me notes regarding how Columbia Co GA did not exist in 1756 for Darby's birth. We know that. However, Columbia was what Darby swore to in his Rev War Pension affidavit. So that's what I wrote. Columbia was not "Officially" created until 1790. Before that it was Richmond Co, which was created in 1777. Richmond Co. was an original county previously organized in 1758 as part of the Parish of Saint Paul. However, the whole area was part of the Creek concession of 1733. In plain English, settlers were allowed into the area early enough for Darby to have been born on the land that became Columbia just about as he was leaving to go to SC. The real issue here is "who's your daddy?" The only R man I know of in GA in this period is a John Regan who is acting as a JP. He is doing stuff like issuing passports through the Creek and Cherokee Nation. I believe he is the John Raggen Esq. who holds a lottery ticket in the 1805 land lottery. However, if John was active in the 1750's and 60's, he would be an old man in the Lottery. Possible, but I need to go check all those 43 unindexed volumes of early GA in my library to really look at John's activities, instead of just tossing vapors at you all. Does anyone have any early ( pre-revolution)R men in GA.? Does anyone know beans about Darby of GA, SC, TN? We'll take guesses at this point...hey, it's a place to start. M'ellen

I am missing 2 Johns and have to ID a blob. In the 1800 Newberry, SC census are the following: The categories are M under 10, 10-16,16-26,26-45, 45+ and female the same. P. 91A Rachael Ragan 01000-21010 Any thoughts as to whose widow? p. 91B Daniel Ragan 32110-11010 P. 91B Reason Ragan 21102-02101 p. 91B Thomas Ragan 20200-10010 p. 92A William Ragan 10110-00100 P. 92B Thomas Ragin 11101-11110 p. 92B Elizabeth Ragin 01000-21010 p. 92B XXXxxx Ragin 00100-01100 This looks to me to be another Thomas. Another researcher has him as Cheason ( too many letters...no, not Reason either.) On p. 91A, I see a James or Jane Ragen 10000-00010 The James makes no sense without an older male. Any name makes no sense but a female name. Can someone else look ? The more you look at these the more R men you see. Also, another researcher has 2 John Ragins she says are in this district...I don't see them ...unless she had a different copy. Can someone look for that too? M'ellen