Lisa--My g-g-grandfather, BF McCauley, of Leake Co., MS, served under your g-g-g-grandfather, Stephen Davenport, in C Co., Davenport's Batt'n (State Troops), (First) Mississippi Cav. That unit later merged wth the 6th Miss Cav. Here is some cut-and-pasted info, including a humorous account of your g-g-gf's meeting with a Yankee fleeing to the North. Dio Vindice!

Drinking to Dixie
Captain Stephen Davenport raised a company of soldiers which later became Co. C, 26th Mississippi. In August 1863, he resigned his captaincy, was promoted to major, and placed in command of a cavalry battalion. The following account takes place after Davenport has left the 26th, but it tells us something about the spirit of this devout Southern patriot. The account is written by Rev. John H. Aughey who is relating interesting episodes in his personal travel: "...when we reached Mackey's creek we met Major Stephen Davenport and Dr. Orton Choate, two virulent secessionists, who hurrahed for Jeff Davis and the Southern Confederacy. They asked me how that suited me. I replied, 'I am in favor of the Union, the Constitution, and the enforcement of the laws.' They produced a flask of liquor and drank confusion and death to all Yankees, tories, traitors, submissionists, renegades, and abolitionists, North and South. Saying, 'We will see you later,' they rode off, brandishing their sword-canes and singing 'Dixie' in maudlin tones." (Tupelo by John H. Aughey, Rhodes & McClure Publishing Co.: Chicago 1905)

Davenport’s Battalion Mississippi Cavalry

(from Dunbar Rowland’s "Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898"; company listing courtesy of H. Grady Howell’s "For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand’)

Company A -- Brown’s Company (raised in Itawamba County, MS)

Company B -- Pardue’s Company (raised in Itawamba County, MS)

Company C -- Carter’s Company (raised in Tishomingo County, MS)

Major -- Stephen Davenport.

U.S. Gen. Dodge, at Corinth, reported October 21, 1863: "Davenport is a Fulton [MS], not armed and only partly mounted. He has one company at Bay Springs, Captain Pardue’s."

Col. R.V. Richardson, commanding in Northeast Mississippi, reported October 28, 1863, that he had with him, besides his West Tennessee Brigade, three companies under Major Davenport and two companies under Major Street.

The battalion was merged in the Sixth Regiment Cavalry, organized at Columbus by Colonel Isham Harrison. (See 6th MS Cavalry.)