William G. M. Davis

William George Mackey Davis
William George Mackey Davis
Born	May 9, 1812; Portsmouth, Virginia
Died	March 11, 1898 (aged 85); Alexandria, Virginia
Buried	Remington, Virginia
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–1863
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	1st Florida Cavalry Regiment; Department of East Tennessee
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Other work	Lawyer, Blockade runner

William George Mackey Davis (May 9, 1812 – March 11, 1898) was a Confederate States Army brigadier general and blockade runner during the American Civil War. He was a lawyer and cotton speculator before the war and a lawyer in Washington, D.C., after the war.

Early life

William George Mackey Davis was born on May 9, 1812, in Portsmouth, Virginia. At age 17, he became a sailor.

Later, he lived in Alabama and then moved to Apalachicola, Florida, where he became a lawyer and a cotton speculator.[1][2][3][lower-alpha 1]

American Civil War

When the American Civil War started, Davis donated $50,000 to the Confederate States and raised the 1st Florida Cavalry Regiment for the Confederate States Army. He was elected colonel and given command of the Confederate provisional forces in eastern Florida.

On March 25, 1862, he was sent to join General Albert Sidney Johnston in Tennessee.[4] There, he commanded the 2d brigade in the 2d division (Heth's) from about July 3, 1862, to October 31, 1862, then the 1st brigade of the 3rd division (Heth's) of the Department of East Tennessee until December 1862.[2]

During the later period, on November 6, 1862, he was promoted to brigadier general. He commanded the 1st brigade of the District, Department of East Tennessee from December 1862 to early 1863.[2] He then served as commander of the Department of East Tennessee until he resigned his commission on May 6, 1863.[1]

Soon after his resignation from the Confederate States army, Davis lived in Richmond, Virginia and Wilmington, North Carolina where he ran a fleet of blockade runners between Wilmington and Nassau.[1][2]

Aftermath

After a brief period of residence in Jacksonville, Florida, after the war, Davis was pardoned on June 9, 1866.[3] He then moved to Washington, D.C., and resumed the practice of law.[1]

Davis died at Alexandria, Virginia, March 11, 1898.[1] He is buried in Tacket-Burroughs-Davis Cemetery, Remington, Virginia.[3]

Notes

Eicher also mentions that Davis was a judge before the war.

References

Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5. p. 69
Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 0-8160-1055-2. p. 174
Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: McKay, 1988. ISBN 0-8129-1726-X. First published New York, McKay, 1959. p. 227

External links

William G. M. Davis at Find a Grave

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[4] Eicher also mentions that Davis was a judge before the war.

[Warner69-1] Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8071-0823-5. p. 69

[Sifakis174-2] Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 0-8160-1055-2. p. 174

[Eicher203-3] Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.

[5] Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: McKay, 1988. ISBN 0-8129-1726-X. First published New York, McKay, 1959. p. 227