Letter to Lizzie Ragan from Bryant Regan - Oh, how I wish that he could have answered her questions!

Redic Bryan Regan 1854-1919 & Sarah Elizabeth Gardner Regan 1851-1928
Photo courtesy of Nancy Collins

This letter, written by Bryant Regan (aka Redic Bryan/Bryant Regan or Reddick Bryan/Bryant Regan), of Ringgold in Bienville Parish, can be found on my website. I found a copy of the original when I was looking for information on last week's post Louisa Marion Regan Gregg Brice. 

I transcribed this letter over 10 years ago to place on my website. A copy of this letter was sent to me by Bill Ragan.  It was originally copied and sent to him by E. Ragan Pruitt. This letter and others belonged to Lizzie Ragan and their location is currently unknown. 

Lizzie wanted to know about "Grandpa." That would be Reddick Bryan. Bryant didn't remember anything about great-grandpa and great-grandpa. That would be the parents of Reddick Bryan and/or the parents of Elizabeth Regan. Oh, how I wish that he could have answered her questions!

However, I know so much more than I did when I received this letter! Photos of the three brothers killed in the war have been shared with me. I have a photo of Dollie Rogers, her husband and her daughter. 


                           
                                                                                                 Ringgold La apr 20th 15
                                                                                                 Miss Lizzie Regan
                                                                                                 Bronwood Ga

 Dear Cousin

            Received your letter today was surprised to get a letter   I often thought of the Regan family what had become of them   I am the only boy of the family living have two sisters left and as far as knowing any thing about grandfather Bryan  I don’t remember much about him  my father has been dead about  - 35 yr  I know I have heard him speak of him but don’t remember much he said  I am 61 yr old    there were 4 Bro of us but the 3 Bro got killed in the war.  I am the only one of papa children that bears the Regan name  I have two boy and 3 girls  all married I have eight grandchildren by the Regan name    Papa raised 10 children all of them married except the ones that got kilt in the war  I will give my sister address she is older than I am maybe she can tell you more about grandpa  I remember Jodie came ____   ___   about –30 yr ago but I didn’t get to see him they sent for me to come see him but it was so I couldn’t go   would love to see you and talk with you   I can’t write much   Grandma children are all dead that she raised here  I don’t know anything about great-grandpa and great-grandma   I can’t think of their names so maybe next time I write you I can think of more to write you    Sure was good to hear from you so you write to Sister Dollie Rogers  Gibbsland La to and maybe she can tell you more than I can be sure and send me your picture so I will quit for this time and write soon and a long letter give my best regards to Jodies family

            I am yours  Bryant Regan


                                                                                                 

People mentioned in this letter are below. Click on the links to learn more. 

Lizzie Regan – Elizabeth Leurany Ragan, also Miss Lizzie, was the daughter of Julius Leurany Speight and Dr. Spann Ragan. She wrote numerous letters to learn more about her family’s family history.

Bryant Regan – Reddick Bryan Regan was the son of John Regan and Martha Davis. He was married to Sarah Elizabeth “Sallie” Gardner.

Grandfather Bryan – Reddick Bryan

Grandma – Elizabeth Regan Bryan

My father – John Regan was the son of Joseph Regan, Jr. and Elizabeth S. Regan who later married Reddick Bryan.

Three brothers killed in the war were John Tolbert Regan who died January 20, 1864, James Monroe Regan who died July 28, 1864, and Thomas Span Regan who died February 5, 1865.

Bryant Regan’s children –  John Tolbot Regan, Amy Howard Regan, Joe Bryan Regan, Mary M. Regan, Katherine Elizabeth Regan, Ollie Ola Regan, James Richard Regan

Bryant Regan’s siblings were John, Louisa, James, Elizabeth, Sarah, Thomas, Joseph, Mary Catherine, Dorthy  (also mentioned as Dollie Rogers) and Lucy.

Grandma’s children – Grandma was Elizabeth Spann Regan and the children that she raised were John Regan and Spann Ragan and the Bryan children; James, Baker, Joseph, Tilman, Terrell, Dorothy, Georgia Ann Frances, and Catherine Amanda. At the time that Bryant Regan wrote the letter, Terrell was still living in Texas.

Jodie - This may be Joseph Thomas Ragan, son of Spann Ragan and Julius Speight, brother of Lizzie. Her brother's visit many years ago was mentioned in another letter.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other interesting finds. 

Diana

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