5/15/11 THE DAVIS ANCESTORS This is a story about our Ancestors: Anthony and Attie Wertz were born in Germany and came to Pennsylvania. The Wertz family stayed in Pennsylvania for a period of time, then came to Ohio in a two wheeled oxen cart. They decided to stop in Knox County, and there Anthony cleared a small farm site and built a log cabin. A daughter, Elizabeth, had been born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 6, 1832. In Knox County, Elizabeth met George W. Davis who had been born in Knox County on Jun 23, 1834. His parents are unknown. George and Elizabeth were married August 19, 1858, in Knox County, and their marriage is re-corded in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. They set up housekeeping in Mount Liberty, Ohio, and four sons were horn: Roscue, born March 7, 1859; Samuel B., born February 32, 1861; George B., born February 23, 1862; and William T.S. , born August 19, 1868. Samuel died at three months of age.. On July 20, 1861, George (Sr.) enlisted in the service (Civil War) at Mansfield, Ohio, and was discharged November 25 1865~ at Nashville, Tennessee. On the same day he re-enlisted in Alfred Noekers' Company of the Twelfth Independent Battery light artillery, Ohio volunteers. He was mustered out of the service on July 10, 1865, at Camp Chase, Ohio, by reason of general orders C.S., from the War Department. With this Independent Battery he served in West Virginia, durino the winter of 186l~62. The battery was in almost every engage-mont during the campaign and joined in almost all the scouts and skirmishes. At Cheat Mountain they were completely surroun~ed by the enemy. The Company Mr. Davis was in lost one man and captured si prisoners. At Breonbier they wore under fire all day. In an affair of the Allegheny mountains on December 13, 1861, his company led the advance and fought until its ammunition was expended. The Company was also present and took part in the taking and burning of Huntsville, Virginia, January 5,1863. They remained at Flkwater until March 15, ?, when an order from the Secretary of War transferred the Company from the infan-try to the artillery and was organized as the twelfth Ohio In-dependent battery and equipped with steel guns. By order of General Fremont the battery immediately joined General Milroy at McDowell, Va. and during the battle at the place the members of the battery performed their first service as artillerymen and performed it so well that they were especially mentioned for efficiency. They continued with Milroy through all the engagements in the Shennandoah Valley. At the battle of the Cross Key they were under continuous fire for six hours and discharged six hundred shots from five guns, one being dis-abled early in the engagement. One man was killed, and six wounded. Seventeen horses were killed. Their next service was in the army of General Pope, under Seigel in Milroy's brigade and by special order of General Seigel led the advance in all the engagements on the Rappahannock. They fought \every day for a week previous to the second Bull Run battle and expended from two to six hundred shots daily. They took the advance and fired the first shot at the battle of Bull Run, and fought all the first day and until the next afternoon with a loss of nine men. killed and wounded. They were efficient in covering the retreat of the national forces from the battlefield. Immediately after the battle it was found that the guns were, from continuous firing, unfit for further service and were abandoned. Again taking the field the battery was supplied with Rodman guns and attached to the eleventh corps, then on the way to Fredericks-burg. They passed the winter of 1862-63 at Fredericksburg and on the opening of spring fell back with the army of the. Potomac to Fairfax, when it was detached and ordered to the defense of Washington. They remained in that place about five months, and were then transferred to the western army at Nashville. The battery passed the winter of 1863-64 in that city and the engagements of the Company there were numerous. (This information taken from his obituary in the Paulding paper) When George Sr. had gone to war, he had taken his family to Mercer County (borders IN) where they stayed with Elizabeth's family (Sapp). When George Sr. came home from the war, he moved his family to a home north of Spencerville located near the canal. Later he moved his family, by canal boat, to Paulding County, and settled in the village of Latty. At Latty three children were born; Grant, born August 1, 1870; Dora M., born July 13, 1872; and Joseph A., born April 30, 1874. Dora died in a fire while she was cleaning a chicken house (1915). Grant was killed by a train on the New York, Chicago, & St. Louis track(1889) George, Sr. was marshall of Latty a number of terms and was mayor one term. George, Sr. joined the Methodist Church when he was twenty years old and was a member until he went to Latty, Ohio. There being no Methodist Church in the community, he and Elizabeth joined the Church of God and was a member until he died on Oct. 2, 1915 at the age of 80. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We have all the Descendants of George W. Davis (bd 6/23/1834) and have been unable to find any other links in either Knox or Paulding Co. Ohio. to his Parents. Again, hope this information will be of some help in making a connection. If anyone can add anything, I would greatly appreciate having it. Best Regards, John Davis E-Mail jbd2028@hotmail.com Footnote >>The last time I was in the Lima, Ohio area, I spend some time in the genealogy records leading me to also visited the WEST POINT cemetery near Beaverdam, Oh. Where we found JOHN B DAVIS Bd 1781 Stone and a number of other Davises. To date we have been unable to make any connection our George W. Davis BD 1834. If anyone have any information on this Davis lineage, I would greatly appreciate if you could pass it along. JD