The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-06

In the earlier half of the eighteenth
 century three Welsh brothers named
 Davis. sailed from Wales to settle ir
 Fennsylvania. They were young mer
 or the better farming class; not oi
 the gentry, but said to be we'll tC
 do and Intent upon taking up lands
 Singulariy enough. their numerous de.
 scendants have no positive record oi
 their advent or even certainty of thell
 names. Their most famous descen.
 dant In the third generation was an
 aristocrat in instinct, and education,
 yet he had an utter contempt for
 what he called frippery (meaninR gen.
 eaiogy). Even to his devoted and
 adored wife, he was wholly reticent
 upon this point: and she so states in
 ner biography of him. That simply
 leco,os that his grandfather and two
 prothers came from Wales and that
 the nrst was named Evan.
 I My eldest brother was Colonel
 Dayiss comrade in the Mexican war
 ana ms friend later; and my second
 nrotner was his confidential ally in une southern Press" edftorshin at
 Nasnlngton; and later his personally | appointed and instructed commfssion-
 Sr 70 the cabinets and press of France | Gnsiand and Germany. I was at one
 sne constructively his ward; and Iat- 1 acted as his secretary and was lntrusted with confidential corresnon- dence. Still, no one of ,Isi three ovsr neard him speak of his grandfa tl1 CT.
 or uncles; though he spoke of his fa-
 .ner, and with deep and warn, afsec- ton or his eldest brother. Joseuh
 And as those who know him win re-
 call MT. Davis was not the kind of
 man to be seriously questioned upon
 i"at.ers ne did not volunteer.
 Arter long and careful tracing through records, correspondence and personal query, I have learned but leW' though very interesting details or ms immigrating forbears The eld- est or the three Welsh brothers, said 70 pc named Samuel, was drowned rom the ship that bore Joseph and EVan Davis to these shores. They set tied in Philadelphia, taking up lands Tor farming; but the elder thought oetter of. the South and went to Geor- sta; ana settled there after stopping In Virginia a while.
 It was this half that made slender foundation for the claim that the rresident of the Confederacy was A Virginian, by descent.
 AIter MT. Dayis's death, a Vireinian gentleman of the same name wrote to nis widow and urged that his grand Iather had settled in Virginia, instead of Pennsylvania, or Georgia; passing the claim on the fact of numerous ,and patents to an Evan Davis (doubt- less the Welsh incomer) : and to Holm and Thomas Davis Cclaimed to he hia prothers) between the years 1850 and 1ooz. This is very flimsy basis for a claim; and 1t Is disproved by the tra- niuonai fact that one of our three DaVises was drowned at sea, and that sne otner .did not come to Georgia with Evan. Moreover, there Is no John, or Thomas in all the Davis de- scent as there would have been, had the brothers of Evan been so named
 After he settled in Georgia and took up lands there Evan Davis married A widow named Williams, whose maiden name had been Emory. She was of A Sarolina family; and had two sons of her first marriage. Her son fhy the Davis alliance his father named Sam uel, presumably in memory of his lost elder brother.
 In the Revolution. the two elder half-brothers of Samuel Davis went into the Continental army; and later his mother sent that youth to their camp to carry clothing and home com forts to them. The fighting Welsh blood famed into patriotism and Sam uel ran away from home, after his re- turn; joined the army and made good soldier When the effort was made to raise the siege of Savannah, he was in command of a company recruited by himself and made good record. Thus the family Of the Confederate Presi- dent is triply American; continental, revolutionary and rebel"
 Samuel Davis married Miss Jane Cooke; Georgia girl of good North Carolina family and connected with If not closely related to-the Hardins, who moved early to "tho Dark and Bloody Ground" and for whom Q Ken lucky County was named. The pair had eight children during their Geor- gia life and then Samuel Davis-see- Ing larger and quick returns for the planter in newer and less crowded ter his wIfe's friends. He had no inheritance, as his widowed mother lost her all in the trying days that followed the Revolutions; so he re- moved eo Kentucky and began life anew on a tobacco plantation in Chris tian County. There Ellen Mary was born, two years later followed the sub ject of this sketch.
 The Davis Family Roster.
 The eldest child of Samuel Davis and Jane Cook, was Joseph Emory Davis born in Georgia but a lawyer and planter. residing at the Hurricane" Plantation, Warren County, Mississip- pi. He married Miss Eliza van Ben thysen. He was a great stay and aid l to his father and. after his death. be- | came its head and parent rather than | of the younger children. Lit l tie Jefr was devoted to him, and the ] later statesman never forgot to express | his love and admiration of his elder. | Joseph Davis rose to great influence | and regard In his state and section; | and acquired wealth.
 The next brother was & doctor and | planter; Dr. Benjamin Davis, of St. | La. He married Miss Au- | relia Smith, of that parish and died at | an advanced age, after a quiet, re- spected and useful life.
 Samuel Davis, Jr., was the next in | age. He was a planter and resided | near Vicksburg. Miss. His wife was | Miss Lucy Throckmorton and their on- | ly living child is Mrs. Helen Carey, of | Rapldes parish, Louisiana There were I three sons: Benjamin, Samuel and Rob-