William George Mackey Davis (May 9, 1812 – March 11, 1898) was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

and blockade runner during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. 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 Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval M ...

. At age 17, he became a sailor. Later he lived in Alabama and then moved to Apalachicola, Florida where he became a lawyer and cotton speculator.Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . p. 69Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . p. 174Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. .

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 Albert Sidney Johnston (February 2, 1803 – April 6, 1862) served as a general in three different armies: the Texian Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army. He saw extensive combat during his 34-year military career, figh ...

in Tennessee.Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988. . First published New York, McKay, 1959. p. 227 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. 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. He then served as commander of the Department of East Tennessee until he resigned his commission on May 6, 1863. 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.

Aftermath

After a brief period of residence in Jacksonville, Florida after the war, Davis was pardoned on June 9, 1866. He then moved to Washington, D.C. and resumed the practice of law. Davis died at Alexandria, Virginia, March 11, 1898. He is buried in Tacket-Burroughs-Davis Cemetery,

Remington, Virginia Remington is a small incorporated town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 598 at the 2010 census. It is near the highways, U.S. Route 15, U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 29, and Virginia State Route 28. Remington is less th ...

Notes

References

*Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988. . First published New York, McKay, 1959. *Eicher, John H., and

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . *Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . *Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .

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