James Reid Dunagan was the youngest son of Ezekiel and Lydia Ann Brown Dunagan. He was born March 21, 1821 in east Hall County, Georgia. He lived on the land that his grandfather and father had settled in the late 1790’s and it was there that he died on May 22, 1900. He is buried at Dunagan Chapel’s, a church he helped establish.  The land was donated for the building of Dunagan’s Chapel and a community school. Dunagan’s Chapel has remained a thriving viable church since 1889.  Many of James’s descendants remain on this land today. It is because on his branch that much of our history has been passed on to us. I am counting on the James Reid Dunagan descendants to help us learn more about their progenitor.

The following is a transcription of a letter found in “The Wood Family Papers”.

Dunagan
Georgia
July the 10th 1895
Mr. R C WOOD dear sir
by the request of Mr. WELCHEL I write you a few lines he stated that you wanted to
no what had becom of all the BUFFINGTONs and MARTINs and DUNAGANs the
Old set of the DUNAGANs is all Ded except my self & cister BETSEY EBERHART
BRO JEF & cister JANE McCLESKEY is living yet they ar in Texas the balance of
them is ded to I have heard the Old set of the BUFFENGTONs is all dead & a number
of the yonge set is dead WILLIAM BUFFINGTON & several of his family is
dead his wife dide be fore he did TOM & BERRIAN & JOHN ar living on the old
place yet last monday we buried old Mrs LANGFORD I think she was a bout 88 year
old JONATHAN MARTON & JOHN MARTIN & PINCKNEY MARTIN & Old Squr
SPENCER MARTIN & his Brother JON ar all dead all the Old set of GILMERs is
dead Little Bull as he is cawld is living yet his wife dide a bout 10 days ago Uncle
MOSE BRYAND and wife is ded WM BRYANT & BEN BRYANT is dead AMES
BRYANT is living yet he is a bout 85 years old and his wife is living yet old man
LEWIS JONES & JACEY MORRIS and their wives ar all dead in fact all the old cittersons
that was living hear when you left is dead. DAVID MARTIN & ELISHA WILLIAMS
ar both living yet thrue the Murcy of the good Lord I have been speard. I am
now turnd in my 75th year I have good helth EVALINE my wifes helth is not very
good I was glad to hear from Mr WELCHEL that you was living. you write to me
and if there is any thin perticuler you want no I write it to you I have one daughter
living in Ala MARGARETT WATS__ they live in Jackson County Ala. I have 9 mor
children close round me all groan and all married but 3. I dont no what else to
write to you so I will close if we never meat on earth I expect to meat you in Heaven
your Truley
Jas. R. Dunagan
P. S. Durect you leters to
Dunagan
Georgia
Hall County
[Jef – possibly Thomas Jefferson McCluskey b 1833, son of Isabella Rhea McCleskey McCluskey & Miles
McCluskey]