James W. Darby, a well known and reliable business man of Garland,
Butler county, is a native of Alabama, born in the county of Pike,
January 15, 1840, and is a son of Benjamin F. Darby and Evaline Darby.
He had the advantages of a common school education and in April, 1861,
entered the Confederate army, as a private, enlisting in company E,
Fourth Alabama infantry, with which he served during the war,
principally in Virginia, where he participated in the battles of Seven
Pines, second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Antietam, South Mountain,
Suffolk, Gettysburg and many others, in one of which, the engagement
at Gaines farm, he received a painful wound in the left leg just below
the knee. He was made captain of his company in 1864, and was with his
command in all the battles around Richmond, and at the final surrender
at Appomattox laid down his arms, bidding adieu to military life  nd
returning to Butler county, Ala., and engaging in the mercantile
business at Garland, where he has ever since resided.

Mr. Darby  was united in marriage with Mary J., daughter of J. J.
Simkins, on the 27th  day of May, 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Darby have three
children, namely: John J. Darby, engaged in merchandising at Dunham,
Ala.; Anna E. Darby, wife of A. W.  Powell, and William A. Darby. In
his political belief Mr. Darby is identified with the democratic
party, fraternally he belongs to the K.of H. and Masonic orders, and
in religion is a communicant of the Baptist church, as is also his
wife. He is a man of fine intelligence and of good business capacity,
and has stamped the impress of his character upon the community of
which for so many years he has been a prominent factor. His father,
Benjamin F. Darby, was born in Montgomery county, Ala., on Line creek,
about the year 1818, and was a man of much more than ordinary powers
of mind, a great reader, especially of literature pertaining to the
political history of the country. He was first married about 1838 in
Pike county, Ala., to Evaline Rainer, who died in 1841, leaving one
child, the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch.
His second marriage was consummated in 1842 with Anne E. Moore, by
whom he became the father of seven children, namely: Benjamin C.
Darby,  Melissa Darby, wife of J.B. Bockman; Susan Darby, wife of L. D.
Bass; Martha  Darby, wife of Mr. Douglass; T. J. Darby, John W. Darby;
and Ida  Darby.

Benjamin F. Darby was about one year old when the Indians forced the
family to move to Clarke County, where they remained a short time
only, and then removed to Pike County, Ala., remained until 1838, and
then changed his residence to Butler County, near Garland, where he
lived until the breaking out of the war, at which time he entered the
Confederate service as a member of the Seventh Alabama infantry.  He
was made a prisoner at LaGrange, Ga., in 1864, and taken to Camp
Chase, where he contracted a disease, from the effects of which he
died the same year.

James Darby, father of Benjamin F., was born of Scotch Irish parentage
in Edgefield district, S. C., and became a resident of Alabama about
the year 1815, settling in Clarke County, thence moved to Pike County,
where his death occurred in 1849.