A couple of years ago, some of you were helpful in getting me started researching my great grandfather's service in the 3rd Kentucky. What follows is a compliation of information I have gathered, which references a number of other veterans. It's a few pages long. If it does not copy legibly and you want a copy, email me and I'll send it in Word format.
Thanks to all
David Boyd
dboyd@bsfllp.com
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The Roster of the Third Kentucky Mounted Regiment, Company B, includes D.L. Davis as well as F.M. Boyd and Robert Boyd. See Henry George, History of the 3rd, 7th, 8th and 12th Kentucky, C.S.A., (Mull-Walthen Historic Press, 1911)(Limited Ed. Reprint by the Filson Club, Louisville, Ky, 1970). Other information available on the internet confirms that D.L. Davis enlisted in Company B of the 3rd Kentucky at that time.
As is indicated in the following discussion, the military service records of David L. Davis were incomplete. In fact, after he was captured, imprisoned and paroled in 1863, he rejoined his unit and fought with the Third Kentucky until he was wounded in at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads toward the end of the war. He remained in Mississippi to recover from his wound and surrendered with his unit at the end of the war. This history is documented in the application of his widow, Artie A Davis, for a Confederate pension from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Military Service Records:
The first military record for David L. Davis, captioned “Company Muster-In Roll,” indicates that he joined as a private in Captain H.H Bowman’s Company of the “3Reg’t Kentucky Infantry” on August 19, 1861 at Camp Boone, Tennessee for the duration of the war. The record further indicated that he first enrolled on July 5th and that he had traveled 160 miles from his place of enrollment to Camp Boone. July 5th is listed as his enlistment date in subsequent records. Davis was listed as 22 years old at the time.
A subsequent record, captioned “Company Muster Roll” and encompassing the period October 15, 1861 to January 1, 1862 indicates that Davis was last paid on October 1st by a Captain A. Boyd and that he was absent and in the hospital at Bowling Green, Kentucky. A separate record indicates that he was admitted to the hospital on November 20, 1861. The record for the period September 1, 1862 to January 1, 1863 indicates that he was last paid on September 1, 1862 and lists him as “Present,” however. Interestingly, the service period is stated to be “3 years or war.” No other significant information is provided.
The military record for the period December 1, 1862 to July 1, 1863 lists Davis as having enlisted for “3 years or war” and records him as “Absent” and noting, “Captured at Mechanicsburg June 3, 1863. The Company Muster Roll for the period September 1 to November 1, 1863 indicates that David Davis was last paid on November 1, 1862 and again lists him as “Absent” with a similar entry indicating that he was captured at Mechanicsburg on June 3, 1863. In this Muster Roll, his service period is indicated as 3 years.
Subsequent Muster Rolls for the period November & December, 1863 and March & April, 1864 are similar to the earlier records, reporting him “Absent” and noting his capture. The Muster Roll, apparently dated June 29, 1864 lists Davis as “Absent” and states:
“Captured at Mechanicsburg June 3, 1863. Has since taken the oath to the Lincoln government and is now living in Kentucky.”
The confederate military records contain additional entries related to his prisoner status that are not consistent. One, captioned “Prisoners of War,” indicates that he was in the custody of “Provost Marshall, Memphis, Tennessee.” The record indicates that he was captured “rear of Vicksburg” on May 26, 1863, received by the Provost on June 15, 1863, and “sent north June 16, 1863.” Another, captioned “Roll of Prisoners of War, indicates that Davis was “Captured by the Army of the Tennessee and sent to Memphis, Tenn., May 25, 1863. This record indicates that he was captured at Champion Hill on May 17, 1863. A third record indicates he was captured on June 4, 1863 at Mechanicsburg, Mississippi and received on June 14, 1863.
Another Confederate record, captioned “Prisoners of War,” indicates that Davis was captured at Mechanicsburg, Miss on June 4, 1863 and received on June 20, 1863 in the military prison at Alton, Illinois. It further states, “Released July 20, 1863 on oath.” Another undated record, captioned “Roll of Prisoners of War” likewise indicates that he was released on July 20, 1863 “on oath.” Other Prisoners Rolls also indicate his date and place of capture as June 4, 1983 and Mechanicsburg
Kentucky Pension Records:
The initial Confederate pension document is a printed form captioned “Questions for Applicant” and was signed by Artie A. Davis and dated May 6, 1912. Ms. Davis indicates that she was born as Artie A Futrell on May 4, 1864(?) in McCracken County, Ky. The application indicates that David L. Davis was born on April 26, 1839 in Graves County and that the two were married in McCracken County on January 22, 1876 by Rev. R. L. West.
The application states that David L. Davis enlisted in 1861 in Lovelaceville, Ky., served “about four years,” and surrendered in Alabama. David L. Davis died on July 30, 1887 near Melber, Ky. and left a life estate in a house and lot near Melber, valued at $450 to $500. The application also states that Artie Davis had five children, all of whom were married, and that she lived alone.
Another printed form, captioned “Questions for Witness,” was executed by Benjamin C. Sims of Paducah, Ky. and James T. Hill of Kevil, Ky. That form is dated April 27, 1912. In the form, Sims stated that he enlisted in Company B of the 3rd Kentucky Regt. with David L. Davis in Lovelaceville in 1861 and that he was discharged in Canton, MS on December 8, 1863 “on acct of wounds received.” James Hill stated that he was captured in Paducah, Kentucky in March 1864 and was in prison at the end of the war. Both stated that they were informed that the Company and Brigade surrendered on May 13, 1865 at [Citonel] Alabama. They stated that they had “always understood” that David L. Davis was present at the surrender.
The application apparently was accompanied by a Certificate, executed by A.E. Boyd, her son-in-law, on May 10, 1912, which attached a copy of the Davis marriage certificate, as found in the family Bible formerly owned by David L. Davis and then owned by Artie Davis, and a declaration by a W.J. Bass, a physician in McCracken County, Ky., which attested that Artie Davis was “about fifty eight years old and is unable to earn a support for herself by manual labor wholy [sic] or in part.” Another declaration by Charlie B. Whittemore attested to the death of David L. Davis and stated that Artie Davis “has very little property, is a woman about fifty eight years of age, has no income and is wholly unable to make a support for herself.” Both declarations were notarized by A.E. Boyd.
The record also contains an order from the Graves County Court, Regular Term, dated June 17, 1912, which recites some of the facts set forth in the above documents, and concludes that “it is the judgment of the court that said applicant should be granted a pension and the court so recommends.” The order appears to have been entered by L.D. Morris, D.C.
Correspondence in the pension file indicates that the application was initially denied in the fall of 1913. Although the communication of this denial is not contained in the file, a copy of a letter dated September 12, 1913 from A.E. Boyd refers to the determination, based on the military records, that D.L. Davis did not return to service after being released from prison. A subsequent letter by A.E. Boyd, written on October 7, 1913, advises that his subsequent discussion with Artie A. Davis had prompted him to learn that her husband had served throughout the entire war. Boyd’s letter attached an affidavit of Warren Otey, who had known David L. Davis from childhood, had joined and had served with him in the Confederate forces. Mr. Otey’s affidavit detailed the history of his service and that of D.L. Davis as follows:
“I, Warren Otey, state that I am now 71 years of age and live near Gainsville, Arkansas; and that I was born in McCracken County, Kentucky and knew David L. Davis from childhood; that David L. Davis joined Company B, Third Kentucky Regiment at Lovelaceville, Kentucky under Captain G. Bowman in the early part of 1861; that I, together with Sam W. Davis, a brother of David L. Davis, joined Company F Seventh Kentucky Regiment at Camp Burnett near Clinton in October 1861. After the Battle of Shiloh, the Third, Seventh and Eighth Kentucky Regiments were consolidated and made on brigade under Brigadier General Buford, and I saw David L. Davis frequently after that. I was captured in Mississippi in the summer of 1863 and carried to Alton, Illinois and placed in prison. David L. Davis had been captured shortly before myself and I found him in the prison at Alton when I was placed there. The prisoners were dying every day with smallpox at an average of about three a day. The Federal authority tried to make us take the oath of allegiance which we refused to do. David L. Davis of Company B, Third Kentucky Regiment and Sam W. Davis, Jim Ragsdale and myself of Company F, Seventh Kentucky Regiment, with others whose names I do not remember, took the oath of amnesty about July 1863, and were released from prison. David L. Davis, Sam W. Davis, Jim Ragsdale and myself returned to our homes in Graves County and the Federal authorities located at Paducah, Kentucky, attempted to draft us into the Union Army. In trying to force parties into the Union army, they killed Bill Kargel. David L. Davis, Sam W. Davis and myself then went to Mississippi and rejoined our old commands near Cold Water in the Fall of 1863, as well as I remember. After that David L. Davis served with his command until he was wounded at a fight at Price’s Cross Roads [sic], Mississippi. I was wounded in a fight at Harrisburg, Mississippi about one month later and was carried to the hospital and never able to do further service. As I remember I was wounded about July or August of ’64. I never knew anything about David L. Davis after that until the war closed but understood that he surrendered with his command after the close of the War at some point in Mississippi.”
Artie Davis provided an affidavit in November of 1913 that stated, in part, as follows:
“The affiant, Artie A. Davis, states that she is the surviving widow of David L. Davis, and that the said David L. Davis was wounded in 1864 in the fighting around Vicksburg, according to statements made to her by her husband during his lifetime; and that the scar caused by the wound was just below his knee; that she has also heard her deceased husband tell of being in the battles around Vicksburg, Shiloh, Corinth, Grand Junction and other places; that the David L. Davis also contracted while serving as a soldier in the Confederate Army, a cyronic[sic] diarrhea and that he suffered form said diarrhea form that time until the time of his death; that the attacks of the said diarrhea were more frequent during the last twenty years of his life, and that he suffered a great deal and severely from these attacks. She further states that she has heard from the said David L. Davis speak time and time again of being in the Southern Army in the year of 1864, and after he took the oath of amnesty at Alton, Illinois in 1863 . . . .”
In May of 1916, A.E. Boyd submitted the affidavit of W.M. Keesee, which stated in relevant part as follows:
“I, W.M. Keesee, state that I am nearly 80 years of age and live at PeeWee Valley, Kentucky, and that I was born near Lowes, Graves County, Kentucky and knew David L. Davis from his early childhood; that the said David L. Davis joined Company B, Third Kentucky Regt. at Lovelaceville, Ky. under Capt. G. Bowman; that after the Battle of Shiloh the Third, Seventh and Eighth Kentucky Regiments were consolidated and I was a member of Company F. Seventh Kentucky Regiment and saw David L. Davis frequently after that; that the said David L. Davis was wounded in the fight at Brice’s Crossroads on or about the 10th of June, 1864; that the said David L. Davis was never able after that to do any further service; that he was in the hospital and later was let out about the end of the war; the said David L. Davis was shot in the knee at the time he was wounded and always suffered from this wound as long as I knew him; that the said David L. Davis was not able to get hom[e] until in the early summer of 1865 after the war had closed and most the other soldiers had returned.”
A letter from the Commissioner dated May 11, 1916 acknowledged the receipt of the Keesee affidavit but stated the following:
“The war records show that on his company roll dated June 29, 1864, it was shown that the was absent from his command, having taken the oath of allegiance, and was at that time living in Kentucky, which is in direct conflict with the statements made by Mr. Keesee, and the record made at the time by his company officers must be given more weight in consideration of David L. Davis’ military record, than that of any other soldier, than the memory of any man long after the incident occurred.”
A further affidavit, dated May 19, 1916 and executed by Annie E. Shivell in Ballard County, states that David L. Davis was at work with her father, G.W. Howel, and enlisted in Captain Bowman’s Company. The affidavit stated that she never saw Davis during the war but “he came home wounded in company of my brother, Black Howel who had been in prison at Camp Chas [?] and Dick Baugh was with them.” She further stated that, although she did not know for certain, “my opinion is he was just out of prison because he came home with my brother Black Howel who had been in prison after the close of the war.”
Two more affidavits describe David Davis’s wound. One, executed by Artie Davis on February 12, 1916 states,
“[T]he wound from which said David L. Davis suffered was caused by a bullet entering his lower limb just below the kneecap and ranging downward through the leg coming out behind the leg; that there remained a scar caused by said wound; and that by reason of said wound his limb was crooked or twisted in at the knee, making him walk with the wounded knee twisted in towards the other to such an extent that he walked on the inner side of his foot, and the toes in that foot were turned in towards the other foot, making his walk considerably lame or crippled; that he never could during the remainder of his life walk but a short distance at a time; and that much walking always caused him great suffering with his wounded limb; that the condition of his limb was very noticeable at all times during his life, disfiguring his walk, and he suffered from said wound during all the remainder of his life.”
An affidavit dated January 8, 1917 by E. Futrell, Sr. stated that Futrell had served in Company B of King’s Brigade and described Davis’s wound in terms similar to those of Artie Davis’ affidavit. Futrell also stated that he had heard David L. Davis speak of his wound on many occasions that that Davis had indicated that the wound was received at “the battle of Price’s Crossroads.”
The available record contains a partial undated document from the Pension Examiner’s Office, Frankfort Company, which appears to reflect the ultimate determination to grant the pension to Artie Davis. The available portion of the document, which appears to be formatted as a file binder cover, states in its entirety as follows:
“ Indorsement
________________
MRS. ARTIE A. DAVIS
widow of
DAVID L. DAVIS
Who enlisted July 5, 1861, in Co.B 3rd Ky. Inf’y., and was captured June 4, 1863, and was released on July 20, 1863, on taking the oath of allegiance to the U.S. Government, proven by the record.
Proof filed with this application, made by his comrades, shows that in the fall of 1863, after having taken the oath of allegiance to the U.S. Government, he returned to his command and served with it till the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads, at which time he received a wound in the knee which rendered him unfit for further military service; said Battle at Brice’s Cross Roads having occurred un July, 1864, from which time it is shown that Davis remained in the hospital until about the close of the war. That proof in connection with the proof filed this January 11th, 1917, shows that he was never able for service after receiving the wound and remained seriously crippled dur- . . . .”
Sept 8, 2005