There were two W. B. Davis (cousins) in the same outfit (Co. E., 21st SCV – William Blakeney Davis and William Benjamin Davis. This in turn has resulted in a mixing of records on Fold3 making it impossible to differentiate between the two William B. Davis.
William Benjamin Davis was the 16 year old son of Carroll Washington and Elizabeth Boatwright Davis was inducted into Company “E”, 21st South Carolina Volunteers (SCV). He gave his age as 17; but, was just barely 16 years old. He was enlisted by Capt. Davis, which is his Uncle, Capt. Alfred W. Davis.
William Blakeney Davis was born in 1823 making him to be in his late thirties when the war started. He was a son of William and Julia Thurman Davis.
After William Benjamin Davis returned home from the war , he wrote a lengthy biographical sketch of his time in the war.
Quotes from William Benjamin Davis biographical sketch:
“I, W. B. Davis, volunteered in April 1863, enlisted in Company E, 21st S.C. [South Carolina] Regiment on Morris Island. In less than a month [I] was wounded by a shell on Battery Wagener [Wagner]; it was a fifteen inch shell.”
“From Charleston we were transferred to the Northern Army of Virginia. during the battle of Warhaul [Port Walthal] Junction”
“From Warhaul (Port Walthal) Junction we went to Cold Harbor, from Cold Harbor to Drewery’s [Drury’s] Bluff, from Drewery’s [Drury’s] Bluff to Gaines [Gaines’] Mill and then to Bermuda Hundred. There I lost my uncle [,] Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis; he was wounded in the thigh and died from the wound. My Uncle Alfred W. Davis was made captain of Company E in his place.”
“From Bermuda Hundred we went back to Cold Harbor, from there to Malvernrs’ [Malvern] Hill, from there to East Petersburg. On June 18th we fought two hard battles. In one of these battles William A. Davis was wounded in (the) right chest. On June the 24th (in a battle between the Appomattox River and City point Road) I was wounded in the left side by a minnie ball [and] was carried to the rear to a Field Hospital, from there to City Point, put on the old New York boat and sent to Fortress Monroe, from there to Hampton Virginia [Prison] Hospital. Was there seven months with my bowels discharging through the wound partly[.]”
“(I) was sent from (the) hospital to Butlers [Butler’s] Bull-pen on [the] 23rd day of Jan. [January], 1865[,] I was given (a) furlough and transportation home, but on the night of the 22nd Wilmington was captured and I was turned back at Greensboro, and sent to Charlotte and my transportation taken away from me. I stayed in Wayside Hospital one night and started home on foot[,] walked two and rode three miles the first day, second day walked half mile and rode eight, was too weak to travel, begged a man to let me spend the night or sleep in his horse stable but he refused, but later hitched a yoke of oxen to his carriage and brought me two miles towards Monroe, N.C.”
End of quotes from William Benjamin biographical sketch of his time during the war.
The below documents matches the written experience of the actual soldier so clearly it’s related to William Benjamin Davis.
At the Battle of Petersburg, on 21 June 1864, Private William B. Davis was wounded and captured.
Transcription of above document
(5-11-31)
William B. Davis, Pvt E 21 SC Inf CSA
Enl. Apr 22, 1863 at Morris Island, SC.
He was wounded in left hip and captured June 21, 1863 at Petersburg, Va.
He remained in US hosp at Fort Monroe, Va until Feb. 1, 1865 when he was sent to prison at Point Lookout, Md., where he was paroled and was delivered to the conf. agent of Exch at Coxes Landing, James Rivers, Va. Feb. 14, 1865.
He was admitted to hosp. at Richmond, Va., Feb. 15, 1865 and furloughed there for 60 days, Feb. 21, 1865
No later record has been (over)
Page 2
found, there being no Co. muster rolls in file subs to Oct. 31, 1864.
(below)
The inclosed <sic> Q should be &c with date rel to William Blakeney Davis &c
(This note indicates a mixing of the records of William Benjamin Davis and William Blakeney Davis)
The military records for W. B. Davis clearly shows that he became a prisoner of War in June 1864 document shows that he received a parole as a prisoner of War in 1863. More proof that this record on Fold 3 could be for William Benjamin Davis or William Blakeney Davis.
Both William B. Davis mentioned above served in Co. “E”, 21st SCV.
Fold3 records show that William Benjamin Davis was wounded at Petersburg; thus, William Blakeney Davis was paroled in July 1863.
If you have information on either of these William B. Davis; I would love to hear from you.
William Benjamin Davis is my 2nd Cousin 3 times removed.
William Blakeney Davis is my 1st Cousin 4 times removed.
_________________________
[1] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 12 August 2012), entry for William B. Davis, Private; Twenty-first Infantry SC Volunteers; Confederate..
[2] William Benjamin Davis Civil War biographical sketch
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