On February 7, 2026 the Thomas Jefferson Stubbs 2523 Conroe Chapter, Texas Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy, met for their monthly meeting.
Mrs. Garland serves the chapter as their Historian. She enlighten the chapter with information about her great great grandfather, Dr. William Boliver Darden.
The family Darden’s came from England/Wales in 1645 and they received a land grant of 150 acres in Norfork County, Virginia. Many generations later the family was in Taliaferro, Georgia, located in the area known as the Piedmont region and the town was founded in 1825.
This is where Mrs. Garland’s ancestor was born, on 4 May, 1828. He married Mary E. Wright on 30 October, 1850 in Taliaferro, Ga. William Darden became a medical doctor, surgeon to be exact and served as a assistant surgeon with Co. D, 49th Regiment, Georgia Infantry C.S.A from
March 1862 until April 1865. This unit was known as the “Taliaferro Volunteers”, it was organized in March of 1862 and fought with the Army of Northern Virginia until the surrender at Appomattox. The unit served under General’s A. P. Hill and later E. L. Thomas, fighting in major battles including Seven Pines and Fredericksburg, Virginia and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
After the war, in his civilian life, Dr. Darden and family settled in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, where is practiced medicine. Mrs. Garland is holding a picture of her G G Grandfather (he is seated) and standing is his son, Noel Darden, who was also a doctor. She is also holding an item that her g g grandfather used through out his service during the war.
There is a tin type sheet in the bottom of the box that is engraved and it reads…Dr. William Boliver Darden owned and used this portable balance for weighing drugs. He carried it through the War Between the States in which he was a Confederate surgeon. He was my great grandfather (Warren County, Ga.) signed by F. E. Brown. Mr. Brown was Bette Garland’s father.
Dr. Darden died on 21 March, 1885 in Warren County, Ga., at the age of 56 from pneumonia.
Article and picture Eva Rains, Publicity Chairman for the Stubbs Chapter