Re: Clues from Dr. James Americus Ragan's handwritten journal
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In reply to:
Re: Clues from Dr. James Americus Ragan's handwritten journal
Anna Walker 10/22/12
Hello;
The following is from the book entitled History of Sweetwater Valley by W. B. Lenoir, Pages 306 and 307.The following is taken from a letter to W. B Lenoir from W. M. Sweeney dated November 15, 1915.I (W. M. Sweeney of Astoria, Long Island, New York) wrote to Senator (John Henninger) Reagan of Texas some years ago (prior to 1915) and his reply was as follows:
"My greatgrandfather, Timothy Reagan, was a native of Ireland, but came to this country before the American Revolution; lived in Pennsylvania, was a soldier of the Pennsylvania Line in the War of the Revolution, and was dangerously wounded at the battle of Brandywine.He subsequently moved to that part of North Carolina which was west of the Alleghany Mountains, and is now East Tennessee.He helped to build Lawson's Fort, the first fort built in what is now Sevier County (Tennessee), but which was then occupied by the Cherokee Indians.The name of my grandfather was Richard Reagan.He and the wife of Major James Porter (of Sevier County, TN) were the first two white children born in the territory of what is now Sevier County, Tennessee, and they were born on the same day, but I do not know the date.My father, Timothy R. Reagan, was born in the same county, in 1797.I was born in the same county, 1818."
"My greatgrandfather had a numerous family, mostly sons, and their descendants are scattered through the Southern and Western States, and are very numerous, though I know but little of them." "I knew General James Reagan of (McMinn County) East Tennessee, and we called each other cousin, and, while we understood that we were of the same family, we did not know the precise relationship between us. ""Very respectfully, John H. Reagan."
The following is from a letter from Joseph Reagan, a grandson of James Reagan, Sr. to W. M. Sweeney, of Astoria, Long Island, N.Y. Page 307...
Conyers, GA, April 8, 1895
"My Dear Nephew (W. M. Sweeney):My grandfather (James Reagan) I never saw, but have heard that he was a man of fine and discriminate judgement.He accumulated quite a good fortune in the way of land and negroes.I can recollect that when I was a boy ten or eleven years old he sent for all his children to come to see him.Some of them were living in Georgia.My father (James R.) was one of them, and one brother, Charles Reagan, and one sister went.They rode horseback from Georgia over the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia into Tennessee, two or three hundred miles.He divided out his negro property among all of his children; I recollect my father brought home one of the largest horses I thought I ever saw and two likely negroes as his part.My grandfather kept enough to live comfortably on, but in less than a year afterward he died.In the year 1837, I made a trip into Tennessee, above Knoxville, near where he had lived.Uncle John Reagan, my father's oldest brother, lived there.I saw the old family Bible, in which I saw the record that grandfather had married three times and had fifteen children.Some of them I have never seen.One of them Peter, came to Georgia and settled in upper Georgia at Rome.The youngest William, went to Texas, and died there some years ago.My grandmother was named Cook.Grandfather married her (his second wife) in North Carolina before he moved to Tennessee.When she died my father (James R.), and his brother Charles, and his sister, Frances, were grown and they came to Georgia. "
Joseph Reagan's grandfather, James Reagan (Raggon) made a will dated July 23, 1821.The will was admitted to probate in the Knox County Court in July 1828.John, Peter, and William Reagan, were the three executors to the will - "The undernamed, ten of "my children" were mentioned as devisees in the will:John, May, Ann, James, Charles, Franky, Peter, Rachel, Rebekah, and William, and one nephew Havern Raggon (Reagan).""Who the other five of the fifteen children set down in the John Reagan Bible and whether living or not at the writing of the will is not known." Five children not accounted for.
The following is from the obituary of John Reagan, son of James Reagan, whose will was probated in Knoxville, Knox County, TN in July of 1828.
"Died on Jan. 25, 1857, at the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. Thomas McMilland, Knox County, Tennessee, Mr. John Reagan in his 87th year.The deceased was born in Rockingham County, North Carolina (then Guilford) on May 24, 1770.He emigrated and lived in South Carolina and afterwards to Kentucky, and later to Knox County, Tenn., where he resided since 1910." (Should be 1810).
Isn't Timothy Reagan listed as being in Rockingham County, North Carolina at one time?So many Reagans.How could anyone keep them straight.
Thank you,