All are invited to join the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution for a patriot grave marking on September 12 at 3 p.m. The grave belongs to Captain Thomas Reagan, a revolutionary war veteran whose descendants still live in Clinton County. It will be held at the Old Town Cemetery (Kirklin Cemetery), at the corner of West Monroe Street and S. Perry Street, Kirklin.
Captain Thomas Reagan was born on June 5, 1749, in Frederick County, Virginia. His family moved to Newbury County, South Carolina, where he spent most of his childhood and young adult years. He married Hannah Pugh in 1775. They would raise seven children together.
During the American Revolution, Reagan enlisted in the South Carolina militia. Eventually, he was promoted to Captain. During the war, Captain Reagan’s main duty was to defend the Saluda River, which runs for 200 miles through South Carolina. He also fought in the Battle of King’s Mountain, the first major patriot victory after the British invasion of Charleston in May 1780.
After the war, the Reagan family moved west to Ohio, then to Marion County. In 1830, Thomas’ oldest son, Rezin, moved the family to a new piece of land he’d purchased in Clinton County. Captain Reagan passed away in 1838, at the age of 88. The ceremony will be held at his original gravesite.
Many of Captain Regan’s descendants stayed in Clinton County, including Dorothy Reagan Neff, Ronald Scott Reagan, Frank Arley Neff Jr., Floyd Kaser, Frank J. Parsons, Rita Renee Parsons Land, and Rex LaMarne Goodnight. The patriot grave marking will celebrate Captain Reagan’s life, service, and legacy through his descendants and the country he helped defend.
This event will be conducted by the local William Henry Harrison Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. It is free and open for all to attend. For questions about the local chapters of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution, contact George Frantz, [email protected] or Debby Niemesh, [email protected].