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)