Biography of
Benjamin Davis, Co. A & E
Benjamin F. Davis was born in Belleville,
Virginia on March 25, 1840. His parents were James E. and Sarah
Matthews Davis. His parents moved from Virginia to Fishtown,
Washington County, Ohio when he was 12 or 13 years old. Later
they moved to Millfield, Athens County, Ohio. He appears to have
worked for several families in the Millfield area before the
Civil War.
On November 21, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, along with his
brother, Benajah T. Davis, in the
18th Ohio Volunteer Infantry at Camp Wool, Athens County, Ohio
for an initial period of 3 years. His enlistment records describe
him as being 5'9" tall, dark complexioned, with brown hair
and blue eyes. He was in all of the engagements of Company E
including Chickamauga, where he was wounded in the right thigh by
a minie' ball that entered about 2/3 of the distance above the
knee and then exited doing muscle damage. He was furloughed in
October of 1863, but re-enlisted in February, 1864. He was made a
sergeant and later a Lieutenant, 2nd class while with Company A
of the 18th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry. While with Company
A, he participated in the Battle of Nashville and Overton Hill.
Three months before he was mustered out for the final time,
Benjamin married Angeline Wemmer on March 2, 1865. About 1884,
Benjamin and his family moved to Iatan, Marshall Township, Platte
County, Missouri. Six years later, he would move to Morrill,
Kansas and would return there after a short period where he moved
back to Platte County, Missouri. He died in Morrill, Kansas on
October 5, 1919 at the age of 79. His obituary is recorded as
follows:
OBITUARY OF BENJAMIN F. DAVIS
B. F. Davis died Sunday, just two days after
being moved back to Morrill from the vicinity of Holton, this
step being taken at his earnest solicitations when he felt that
the end was drawing near. With a son, Fred, Mr. Davis took up his
abode on a farm west of Holton last December. Some three weeks
ago he became seriously ill. Sunday morning he appeared to be
much better than at any time since being taken down and it was
the belief of the family that he was on the road to recovery.
However this proved to be a mistake as he passed away about noon.
Born in West Virginia in 1840, the deceased was a veteran of the
Civil War, having served with an Ohio regiment over four years,
during which he was twice wounded. Beside the widow he is
survived by five sons: C.G., J.E., Fred, Geo., and Bart Davis,
all of this section; two daughters; Mrs. Sarah Grover of
Leavenworth, and Mrs. Blanche Engerson of Iatan, Missouri; three
brothers and two sisters, also seventeen grandchildren and nine
great grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted Tuesday
afternoon at the Methodist church by Rev. C.B. Smith. The pall
bearers were six young soldiers of the world war. Paul Willard,
Scott Reasy, Clarence Bailey, Fred Davis, Emerson Flickinger, and
Joe McDaniels, and the honorary pall bearers were six comrades of
the Civil War: B. F. Elliot, Wm. Phillippi, R.B. Gibbs, D.B.
Royer, Chas. A. Billington and Geo. W. Springer.
[Morrill Weekly News, Morrill, Brown County, Kansas- Thursday,
October 9, 1919}
(Information and photos provided by Mrs. Diana Roche)