Thomas Davis, Co. G
Thomas Edward Davis was born in Pomeroy, OH. on March 13,1844. At the age of 19, he enlisted with the 26th Ohio Infantry, Co. G. at Youngstown, OH on June 25,1861 for a term of 3 yrs. His occupation was listed as "miner". He was 5 ft 6 1/2 in. tall, had blue eyes, brown hair and a light complexion.
He was wounded in the leg in Sept. 1862 and taken to a hospital in Louisville, KY. These are his own words taken from his Civil War Pension Affidavit: "In the month of September 1862, I was wounded and while in the hospital was attacked with a fever in Louisville,, Kentucky. I was out of my head for two weeks and when I came to my senses, my eyes were affected and have been so off and on ever since and now one of my eyes is intirely blind and the other I can see but large letters out of...have to go by random. I was transferred to the 15th Invalid Corp. and cannot find any of my comrades that were with me in the Invalid Corp. The members of Company G, 26th Ohio, did not know anything about me after I was wounded and was sent to the hospital. I never saw any of them until after I was discharged".
After the war, Thomas E. Davis is listed as having lived in the following places: Churchill, OH, Shullsburg, WI, Rock Island Co., IL, Lexington (Plum Creek) NE, and Smithfield, NE.
On Sept.4,1866 Thomas E Davis married Mary Ann Robinson in Jefferson, Lafayette Co., WI. They had four children: Jinnity (Oct.4,1867-Oct.4,1867), John Edward (Aug.16,1868-Jan.15,1898), Thomas H.(June 6,1875-March 13,1945)and Mary L. (June12,1878-May6,1937).
In 1884 the Davis family homesteaded in Gosper County, NE. 10 miles south of Plum Creek (now Lexington, NE) and near the present day town of Smithfield, NE (unincorporated).
Thomas E. Davis died Nov.12,1898 at the age of 56 yrs.,8 mo.. He is buried at Robb Cemetery, a rural cemetery near the Davis homestead. His wife, Mary Ann died Dec.19,1932 at the age of 82 yrs.11 mo. She is also buried at Robb Cemetery as are most of the Davis descendants.
The following is a story written by Homer Davis, Jr. a first cousin of my father, Glen A. Davis: "One story I heard about great-grandfather (Thomas E. Davis) goes like this... he and great-grandmother went to Plum Creek (now Lexington, NE) about every Saturday by horse and buggy. One Saturday a group of cowboys out of the north hills were shooting up in the air, having a jolly old time. They asked great-grandfather if he wasn't scared of them. He answered "Boys, I've seen men fire guns at each other in anger. I've seen human blood run down the hillside in Tennessee". They said, "Come into the saloon and we will buy you a beer. You can tell us all about the war."
Information supplied by Michele Davis Debban, descendant chinadoll054@alltel.net
