 | Reuben Samuel Davis was born Nov 6, 1834 at Piedmont, Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia) -- the son of Reuben Davis and Eleanor Dean. The 1860 census shows the family were farmers.
Reuben S. Davis, age 26, enlisted in the Hampshire Riflemen of the 7th Virginia Cavalry for one year on Jun 6, 1861 at Romney. Capt. George F. Sheetz commanded the company. The 7th Virginia Cavalry was organized by Col. Angus W. Mc Donald, Sr in the early part of 1861 at Romney, Virginia. On Jun 12, 1861 a body of Federals commanded by Lew Wallace marched on Romney. The 7th Virginia Cavalry, being outnumbered and untrained, by order of Capt Sheetz fell back and Wallace occupied the town only to leave the next day. The Hampshire Riflemen were incorporated in the 7th Virginia Cavalry as Company F on Jun 25, 1861. The regiment spent the first year operating in the neighborhood of Harper's Ferry and Romney.
Capt Turner Ashby, commanding one of the companies of the 7th Virginia Cavalry, soon rose to the rank of Lt Col and shortly after took command of the 7th Virginia Cavalry. His name is most associated with the 7th Virginia Cavalry as "Ashby's Cavalry." By the spring of 1862 the 7th Virginia Cavalry had grown to immense size. After Brigadier General Turner Ashby's death in June 1862 the "Ashby Cavalry" was reorganized; the excess companies were used to form the 12th and 17th Virginia Cavalries. The Hampshire Riflemen, Company F, remained with the 7th Virginia Cavalry for the duration of the war. Reuben S. Davis re-enlisted in Apr 1862 at Hawkinstown, Virginia for two years or for the war. During 1862 the 7th Virginia Cavalry was active in the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns under overall command of General "Stonewall" Jackson.
In 1863 the 7th Virginia Cavalry took part in the famous Jones-Imboden Raid in western Virginia (the raid on the railroad bridge at Rowlesburg, VA in Apr of 1863 is one engagement where Ken DavisŐ relative and a future relative may have fired shots at each other). During 1863-64 the 7th Virginia Cavalry also fought at Brandy Station, the Gettysburg Campaign, the Wilderness, Ream's Station, Culpeper Station, Buckland Mills, and Cedar Creek. This is to name a few of the engagements of the 7th Virginia Cavalry.
The 7th Virginia Cavalry was at Appomattox Court House in Apr 1865 and before the ANV was enveloped most of the troopers succeeded in breaking through the Federal lines and did not surrender. They made their way to Lynchburg, Virginia where General Rosser disbanded the regiment. Only 34 men of the 7th Virginia Cavalry surrendered at Appomattox Court House.
After the war Reuben S. Davis became a physician and lived in Sherman, West Virginia. In 1866 he married Susan Tamar Heare and fathered five children. After Susan passed away Reuben married Phoebe Lille Heare in 1889, Susan's sister. Reuben died in Feb 1920 and is buried at Mount Dale Cemetery, Hampshire County, West Virginia.
Two of Reuben's cousins (Ken DavisŐ distant cousins) also served in the 7th Virginia Cavalry, Company F. Pvts Leslie Holland Davis and Otis Dent Davis (Leslie's brother) both enlisted late in the war (1864). | |
