WILLIAM DAVIS.

WILLIAM DAVIS—Among the conspicuous characters and successful farmers of Allen County is William Davis, of Marmaton township. He has been in the county more than a generation, for he came to it in April 1878, and, as is well known, settled upon a piece of the disputed land. He aided for twenty years in carrying on an honest and aggressive legal fight for land which he believed the settlers were entitled to and only ceased when the court of last resort said he was in the wrong. His home place, the southeast quarter of section 19, township 25, range 21, presents such an appearance of unusual development as to warrant a passerby in believing it an old-settled, pioneer place. While it is a new farm practically, yet it is an old one for there hadn't been a plow stuck into it nor a post driven on it before Mr. Davis took possession of it.

Mr. Davis came into Allen County from Appanoose County, Iowa, to which point he went two years after the close of the Rebellion. He was born in Noble County, Ohio, May 21, 1844. His father, Elijah Davis, was also reared in Noble County, Ohio, but was born in Virginia. He was married to Mary Buckley in Noble County and died there in 1887 at the age of seventy-nine years. He was a successful and prosperous farmer, was identified with the Republican party and maintained himself, as a citizen, honorable before the world.

Our subject's paternal grandfather was Thomas Davis. He was a schoolteacher and farmer and was a native of the "Old Dominion', State. He died about 1854, aged seventy years and was descended from Scotch ancestry.

Mr. Buckley, grandfather of our subject, died in the military service of the United States in the War of 1812. He went into the service from the state of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Elijah Davis died in 1897, leaving the following children: Catharine, who married William Fowler, resides in Noble county, Ohio; Levi Davis, of Taylor County, Iowa; William, our subject; Eli Davis, of Noble County, Ohio; Thomas Davis, of the old home county, and Mary, wife of Lowry Smith, of the same point. Those who passed away in early life are: Joseph, died in Appanoose County, Iowa; Abraham, died in the army, and Leroy, died in Ohio.

William Davis acquired no more than a country school education. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company D, 92nd Ohio Infantry, Captain E. G. Dudley and Colonel B. F. Ferring. He was mustered into the regiment at Marietta, Ohio, and it was ordered up the Kanawa valley. Among the important things done, unofficially, on that trip was the raiding of apple orchards and chicken roosts. The regiment was ordered by boat from Charleston, to Nashville, Tenn., where it went into camp for a time. From this point it proceeded to Carthage, Tenn., where it guarded the river a few months. Actual hostilities with the regiment began at Chicamaugua. Then followed Missionary Ridge where Mr. Davis lay at the foot of the hill and watched Hooker drive the Rebels off of Lookout Mountain. His own command helped drive them off the other side of the mountain. About this time Mr. Davis was called in for a detail and he was informed that he was

the only man who had not been off duty in his company or on detail. The special service detail which he got took him away from his regiment permanently. He did not again see it till all were mustered out, in June, 1865.

Mr. Davis took up the serious responsibilities of life when he left the army. He went back to the farm and was married November 1, of the same year to Eliza J. Nicholson. They remained in Ohio till 1867 when they moved out to Iowa as previously stated.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis' children are; Abraham L., of Stroud, Oklahoma; Mary C., wife of A. Morris, of Pawnee, Oklahoma; Margaret, wife of Chas. H. Ford, of Allen County; Joseph M. Davis, whose wife was Rachael Culbertson; Thomas E. Davis, whose wife was Ethel Wood; Minnie, now wife of Frank Miller.

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