After the land in South Georgia was obtained in the Indian Cessions of 1814 and 1818, the state lost no time in creating counties out of the newly ceded territory. At the 1818 session of the Legislature, an Act was passed, and approved Dec. 15, 1818 laying out three new counties; namely, Appling, Irwin, and Early.Many of Appling County's early settlers came from the Carolinas and the counties north of the Altamaha River. The first recorded white settlement was located at Carter's Cowpens in the Padgett Community (south of Baxley). There were few white settlers in this ceded territory prior to 1818. The older settlers said that one of these was David Summerall. The timber men had explored this area and had persuaded David Summerall from Bullock County to bring his ox team to haul timber to be rafted down the Altamaha River to Darien. Tradition is that he might have been the first white man in the county with the exception of Timothy Barnard, who carried his merchandise through the county until his death in 1816. My Rigdon family was one of the first families to settle in Appling County - actually before the land was acquired by the state. Ephriam Rigdon fought for the U.S. in the Revolution and received a land grant in Appling County in 1820. Berry S. Rigdon also settled in Appling County about 1822. The 1850 census shows 385 white and 25 free black families with 404 slaves. There were 389 men of military age in the county in 1850. By 1860 the total population of the county had grown to 4190 people and the slave population had about doubled to 745. There were 588 men of military age in 1860 and 122 owned slaves. Of the men who owned slaves, only 1 had more than 30. Twenty-eight men had 1 slave and 15 had 2 with most of the remaining slave holders owning about 10. This book tells the story of the men who served in the war from Appling County. While Appling County saw no battles and Sherman's devastation passed north of the county, the county suffered greatly in loss of life and fortunes.