Hugh Craven Davis

Hugh C. Davis

Hugh C. Davis was Richard White's great great uncle.

Hugh Craven (or Cravey, his paternal grandmother's maiden name) Davis is a common name amongst the Davises that I am related to. My mother's father's father was John Wilmot Davis, youngest son of Jonas B. and Clarissa Prevatt Davis of Decatur (now Grady) County, Georgia. Jonas B. Davis had served as 1st sergeant in Captain Hawthorne's company of Georgia Militia in 1836 in the Second Creek/Seminole War. The Hugh Craven Davis described here was the oldest son of Jonas B. and Clarissa Prevatt Davis.

Hugh C. Davis, was born in Decatur (now Grady) County Georgia on 28 February 1840. He was enrolled as a private in Company K, 2d Georgia State Troops on 1 September 1861. This was a unit of six-month volunteers, which disbanded at Savannah, Georgia, when its time of service expired.

He was subsequently enrolled as a private in Company D, 2d Florida Cavalry ("Captain Blocker's Independent Co. of Cavalry, Florida Volunteers") at Camp Gladden (Wakulla County), Florida on 8 May 1862. "This company was consolidated with nine other companies by S.O. (Special Order) No. 1487, Headquarters Dist E. and M. (East and Middle) Florida, dated December 4, 1862, to form the 2nd Regiment Florida Cavalry, and became Company E of that regiment." A horse that he brought with him when he enlisted was evaluated at $125.00 and its equipment was evaluated at $15.00. As a basis of comparison, a Confederate private soldier's pay was $11.00 per month.

All existing muster rolls for the unit show him present except that dated October 31, 1863, on which he was noted to have been "On scout by order since 18 October 1863". His name appears as H.C. Davis on a "Roll of Prisoners of War, belonging to the Confederate Army, surrendered by Maj. Gen. Sam Jones, commanding Confederate Forces in Florida to Brig. Gen. I. Vogdes, U.S.V. (U. S. Volunteers), commanding U.S. Forces in Florida, in compliance with the terms of a Military Convention made on April 26, 1865, at Bennett's House, near Durham's Station, N.C., between General J.E. Johnston, of the Confederate Armies, and Major General W. T. Sherman, U.S.A." This roll was not dated, but the surrender took place at Baldwin, Florida, and he was paroled there on 17 May 1865. His name also appears on a "Roll of Prisoners of War, belonging to the Confederate Army, surrendered by Maj. Gen. Sam Jones, commanding Confederate Forces in Florida, to Brig. Gen. E. M. McCook, U.S.V., commanding U.S. Forces at Tallahassee, Florida, and vicinity, in compliance with the terms of a Military Convention made on April 26, 1865 at Bennett's House, near Durham Station, N.C. between General J. E. Johnston of the Confederate Armies, and Major General W. T. Sherman, U.S.A., and approved by Lieut. Gen. U.S. Grant, U.S.A." This roll was also undated, but the surrender took place on May 10, 1865. He was called "C. C. Davis" in a "List of Prisoners of War surrendered to Brig. Gen. E. M. McCook by Maj. Gen. Sam Jones, C.S.A., at Tallahassee, Fla., May 10, 1865." He was again paroled on May 20, 1865.

Oral family history indicates that Hugh C. Davis took "his daddy's best horse" and enlisted in the cavalry without permission, fought at the Battle of Natural Bridge (near Woodville, Florida), and traveled to Virginia and accompanied his brothers who served in the 8th Florida Infantry Regiment home after the War was over.

H. C. Davis married Sarah Jones. He died in 1922, and his grave is at Midway Baptist Church near Meigs, in Thomas County, Georgia.

The photo of Captain H.T. (Haley Talbot) Blocker is from the Florida State Archives, Florida Photographic Collection.