Military Tuesday~Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis

Benjamin Thomas Davis was born in 1828, a son of William Davis and Julia Thurman. He was the sixth of ten children born to William and Julia. He had six brothers of which one died young,

Benjamin Thomas Davis married Mary Jane Knight, daughter of Moses Knight and Temperance Eddins. No known children were born to this union.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, William and Julie had five surviving sons of eligible age to serve their Country. Four of the five brothers did serve during the Civil War.

Benjamin Thomas Davis enlisted on 20 December 1861 and served Captain of Co. E, 21st. SC Inf. C.S.A. As Commanding Officer of Co. E, 21st. SC Inf. Capt. Davis became the Commanding Officer of three of his 4 surviving brothers.

Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis was killed in the battle at Bermuda Hundred/Ft. Stevens on 28 May 1864.

After the death of  Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis, his brother, Maj. Alfred W. Davis was promoted to command Company “E”, 21st Infantry.

It is not known what happens to the Widow, Mary Jane Knight, of Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis after the War.

Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis was buried on the battlefield but a cenotaph in his honor/memory can be found in The Chesterfield Cemetery, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39176085/benjamin-thomas-davis 

Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis is my 1st Cousin 4 times removed.

____________________________

[1] Johnson Hagood, Memoirs of the War of Succession (Camden, SC 29020: Jim Fox Books, 1997 (Reprint)), page 402.

[2] Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Citizens Who Died in the Service of Their Country and State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865 (Columbia, South Carolina: Univ of South Carolina, 1997), page 87.

[3] John V. Rigdon, Historical Sketch & Roster: The SC 21st Infantry Regiment (Cartersville, GA 30120: Eastern Digital Resources, 1997), page 78.

Surname Saturday~William, Son, Thomas Davis Family

Over the forthcoming Saturday for the next two to three months I will be highlighting and documenting 11 children of Thomas Davis and his wife Nancy Rivers.

Thomas Davis and Nancy Rivers are my 4th great grandparents. I wrote about Thomas and Nancy here:

· http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2012/01/thomas-davis-revolutionary-soldier.html
· http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2012/06/surname-saturday-thomas-davis-4th-great.html
· http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2013/04/surname-saturdaythomas-davis-family.html

We will highlight their children in the order of their birth. Last week we took a look at Samuel family; today we will examine the family of William Davis and his wife, Julia Thurman.

William Davis was born in 1790 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.¹ He appeared in the census in 1850 and 1860 Census for Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.^{2 3} William died after 1860 at the age of 70+ in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. ^4. No tombstone or obituary has been found for William.

William Davis, with Power of Attorney and acting on his Mother testified before the Revolutionary Claims Commission on 16 February 1853: 

“Know all men by these present that that I, William Davis, son of Nancy Davis and for her use and benefit as she is now unable from bodily infirmity to attend Court hereby constitute and appoint A. S. Wallace, Yorkville, S. C. my true and lawful Agent and Attorney, to prosecute the Claim of my mother Nancy Davis...” ⁵

William Davis and Julia Thurman were married about 1814 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Julia Thurman, daughter of Benjamin Thurman and Julia Shumate, was born between 1792 and 1798 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. ^6 7 She died after 1860 at the age of 68+ in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. No tombstone or obituary has been found for Julia.

William Davis and Julia Thurman had the following children:

i. William Davis was born in 1816 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He died very young, about 1821 at the age of 5 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

ii. Eliza A. Davis, born 6 Jun 1819, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Benjamin Franklin Teal, abt 1840, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 1 Sep 1883, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

iii. Carroll Washington Davis, born 20 Jun 1821, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Elizabeth Boatwright, 17 Feb 1846, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Mary B. Boatwright, 10 Aug 1854, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died Feb 1863, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

iv. William Blakeney Davis, born 1823, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Mary Jane Martin, abt 1855; died aft 1880, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

v. David Richard Davis, born 4 Aug 1825, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Mary Cornelia McNair, abt 1858, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 8 Jan 1892, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

vi. Capt. Benjamin Thomas Davis, born 1829, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Mary Jane Knight, abt 1849, South Carolina; died 28 May 1864, Ft. Stevens, Virginia.

vii. Nancy Janet Davis, born 27 Oct 1830, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married John H. Perkins, abt 1849, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 17 Sep 1887, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

viii. John Ferguson "Uncle Fox" Davis, born 1 Feb 1833, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Templeton Rebecca Jane Smith, 1 Sep 1867, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 16 Feb 1891, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

ix. Maj. Alfred W. Davis, born 1 Jan 1836, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married Mary Temperance Lowery, 7 Apr 1872, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; died 29 Mar 1915, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

x. Margaret Emeline "Aunt Mag" Davis, born 17 Oct 1840, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married James Franklin Perkins, abt 1856, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; died 18 Mar 1926, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

William and Julia are my 3rd great grand Uncle and Aunt.










_____________________
1. Thomas DAVIS and W-8655, compiled military record (1779-1783), Rev. War Pension and Land-Bounty Application Files, (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration), NARA microfilm publication M804, Roll 766.
2. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 178A, Line 8, Dwelling 1219, Family 1219, Household of William Davis; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 June 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
3. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 119, Line 24, Dwelling 357, Family 356, Household of Wm. DAVIS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 June 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
4. Harry Alexander Davis, The Davis Family (Davies and David) in Wales and America: genealogy of Morgan David of Pennsylvania (Washington, D.C.: n.p., 1927), page 122.
5. Ancestry, "Revolutionary War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/:accessed 3 May 2013), entry for William Davis on behalf of his Mother, Nancy Davis, http: www.fold3.com/image/#1|15484640.
6. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 178A, Line 8, Dwelling 1219, Family 1219, Household of William Davis.
7. 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 119, Line 24, Dwelling 357, Family 356, Household of Wm. DAVIS.
8. Harry Alexander Davis, The Davis Family (Davies and David) in Wales and America: genealogy of Morgan David of Pennsylvania (Washington, D.C.: n.p., 1927), page 122, Family 75.