Samuel Lewis Davis [4183]

  General Notes:

Joined the Union Army with brother-in-law, Granville Tyree on December 25, 1861 at the Beckley Courthouse, Raleigh County, West Virginia. Private, Company A 30th Battalion Sharpshooters. Suffered eye injuries and had typhoid.

Mustered into the 7th West Virginia Cavalry under Lt. Dunbar's 7th Regiment. He was mustered into a detachment at Buffalo, Virginia on December 31, 1861 and was 36 years old. The 7th West Virginia Cavalry was originally the 8th Virginia Infantry Regiment. (Company H)

He was present at roll call on February 1862 and was sick in the General Hospital at Parkersburg, Virginia. The company roll carried him as Absent Without Leave since September 1862, however, the hospital returned him to the regiment June 3, 1862. (Conflict in records).

In December 1863 he was about under arrest at New Creek, Virginia. On December 8, 1863 to June 1864 he was listed as the company cook. December 1864 to March 1865 on detached scouting at Loup Creek.

He was included on a deserters list by Provost Marshal dated April 8, 1863 at Buchanan, Virginia. Rejoined the company November 27, 1863 awaiting trial.

"This man deserted June 3, 1862 and returned November 27, 1863. As he was subsequently restored to duty from absence without leave by General Order #52 HQ 4 Dec Department of West Virginia, dated February 29, 1864. Without trial but upon conditions which appear to have been complied with. The charge of desertion no longer stands against him. He was absent without leave from June 3, 1862 to November 27, 1863."

Mustered Out 1 August 1865, Charleston, West Virginia.

Story: (A Compilation of various versions)
Samuel, known as Raver, was AWOL during the Civil War, and went home during that time. Supposedly he asked permission to see his sick son, James Davis, and was denied. This he would not stand for and proceeded to engage this man in a fight and killed him, eventually throwing him into a gravel pit before departing. In time soldiers came looking for him and he hid in the attic of his home. The soldiers performed a cursory search and failed to find him before deciding to have a look in the attic. On the way up the soldiers heard the mechanical snap of a shotgun being loaded and decided to retreat. Raver's wife (Lucinda Obedient Tyree) had made fur caps for the boys, who were wandering around the house about that time. The soldiers took the hats for themselves and departed.

Samuel married Lucinda Obedient Tyree [4184] [MRIN: 1463], daughter of Satterwhite Tyree [5246] and Rhoda Taylor [4186], on 24 Jun 1845 in Fayette County, West Virginia. (Lucinda Obedient Tyree [4184] was born on 9 Nov 1827, died on 31 Jan 1908 and was buried in John W. Davis Cemetery, Maple Fork, West Virginia.)