MONROE COUNTY, GA - BIOGRAPHIES Capt D.S. Redding Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Volunteers See E. Robertson's page http://www.rootsweb.com/~gamonroe/biographies.htm Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/crawford.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm 'MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA", Historical and Biographical Sketches, by S. Emmett Lucas, Jr., PUBLISHED IN 1896. Typed by Donna Wall Capt. D. S. REDDING, planter, Juliette, Monroe County, Georgia, son of Thomas and Maria (Searcy) Redding, was born in Monroe County, July 5, 1832. The Redding family is of Irish descent and members of it came from Ireland to America about the middle of the last century. The grandfather of Capt. Redding, Anderson Redding, was a soldier in the Patriot army during the Revolutionary War, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. He migrated from Virginia in 1782 and settled on land subsequently included in what is now Baldwin County, Georgia. He lived on this land until late in the twenties, when he followed his son (the father of Capt. Redding) to Monroe County, where he lived the remainder of his life. He raised a family of six children – all now dead. One of his sons, W.C., represented his county in the General Assembly. He was a Methodist and very devout. Mr. Redding’s father was born in 1792 and was married in Baldwin County and moved to Monroe County in 1822 and settled near Pope’s Ferry, on the Ocmulgee River. Later he moved to where Capt. Redding now lives, and the house he then built is still standing. Here nine children were raised, of whom two only are living. These children were: Martha, died in Macon; William A. and James M., killed at Griswoldsville, Georgia; Thomas A., killed at Jonesboro, Georgia; Charles, captain of Floyd Rifles of Macon, Georgia, killed at Gettysburg in Pickett’s famous charge; Mary E., widow of Thomas Dougherty, Macon, Georgia; D.S., the subject of this sketch; Sallie M., deceased wife of Capt. Joseph H. White, who was killed at Manassas; John M., a member of Capt. Redding’s company, killed in the battle of the Wilderness. Capt. Redding’s father began life very poor, but by hard work, economy and good judgment he accumulated a good property. He was one of the first settlers in Monroe County, which was organized in 1821. His mother’s father (Searcy) was a teacher quite prominent in his day and accumulated a fortune, and one of her brothers was a fine physician, and another was a Baptist preacher. She died in 1857. Mr. Redding was a Democrat and a very pious member of the Methodist church. He died in 1877, aged eighty-five years. Excepting when absent during the war, Capt. Redding has passed his life on his plantation in Monroe County. He enlisted in March 1862 in Capt. J.H. White’s company, which became Company D, Forth-fifth Georgia regiment, and was made sergeant. The command went at once to the front, and subsequently participated in the great battles of Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, the Wilderness and others. Having been detailed to guard prisoners, he was not in the Pennsylvania campaign. In 1864 he was appointed captain of the company, and was captured at Petersburg six days before the surrender. He was taken to Johnson’s Island, where he was kept about two months. It is an incident worthy of record that of six brothers in this family, five of them gave their lives to the “lost cause.” Few families can parallel this devotion, and such a sacrifice for what they deemed the right. Capt. Redding was married the year he was twenty-seven years old (1859) to Miss Clara P. Blantor, of Spalding County. She was a graduate of the Female College of Griffin, Georgia in 1860, was the valedictorian of her class and was a woman of a superior mind and much intelligence. Her education and refined habits enabled her to be of great aid of her children in their early training; and by them she was idealized. Her goodness endeared her to neighbors and friends and it can be truly said, “None knew her but to love her.” She was a conscientious Christian and was president of the Woman’s Missionary society of her church when she died. Twenty-five years of a happy married life and she passed to the other shore, leaving by her pure life, holy influences, good lessons and bright works such as impressions that even time can never obliterate. By this marriage there were born to him nine children: Charles D., physician, Bibb County, Georgia; W.B., teacher, Bibb County; Mamie, teacher, Bibb County; Julia, teacher, near home; Annie, at home; Alice, wife of Redding Howard, Houston County, Georgia; and Rosa; Arthur T.; and James A., all at home. The mother of these children died in 1885, and Capt. Redding was married in Jones County, December 4, 1888, to Miss Addie J., daughter of J.C. and Addie C. White. Her grandfather, James White, migrated from Virginia to Georgia, and lived first in Meriwether County, and then in other counties, and died at the age of forty-eight years. Her father settled and lived in Jones County, where his father had lived before him, and where her parents raised ten children, of whom, besides Mrs. Redding, four are living: George B., William F., Thomas A. and Carrie, wife of F.C. Goolsby. Altogether the Redding family has a rather remarkable history in war and in peace, in its patriotic sacrifices through generations, for country, and in its historic connection with the portion of the state in which they live. Among the first settlers in Baldwin and Monroe Counties, on both sides, their names are connected with their historical records, and written in blood on battlefields. It is the pride of Capt. Redding that he gave all his children the best education in his power, that they are intelligent and useful members of the communities in which they live, and are honored and esteemed, the elder ones who have gone out into the world occupying honorable positions. Capt. Redding is a Democrat and has served a term as county commissioner. He lives and is enjoying life on a fine 500-acre plantation nine miles east of Forsyth. He is a master Mason and is a member of the Methodist church, of which he has been a steward and class leader for forty years.