Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-12-24
A HREBEL s" RECOLLECTIONS
written for the VA. CITIZEN,

a "kEBEL ) kEGULLECTlUNS
sa Written for the VA. CITIzRN)
!, E. Tyler Davis, was born on the stl
Of November, l842. My fathers nam,
was John B. Davis. ! was born In Wi
couiico district, In Northumberland Co.,
Va. and within few hundred yard:
OF what was then known as ''Dameron's
chapel" 1t is now known as Mia chapel.
After few years my father moved ur
IN the forest near what is now Miski.
mon, and what schooling / got was at a
private school taught by Josiah Robin
son, at what is now Smyrna Church.
but was known in those times a,
Chinquapin Chapel and later still as
Forest Chapel. I was only at this
school one session, and this was in the
year 1858 or 1854. From that time until
the Civil war broke out worked with
my father on the farm.
On the 18th of April, 1851, / enlisted az
q private in Co. G. 40th Vol. Infantry,
we enlisting as Virginia troops. Cap
tain Caleb Letchfield was captain OF
our company; lst Lieutenant, Rober,
Crowder; End Lieutenant, John George;
3rd Lieutenant, Thos. Crowder; 4th
Lieutenant, Thos. Effort
On the 26th ofMay, 1861, we re-inlist.
ed as Confederate troops, and were mus
tered into the Confederate service a.
such Mt Haathsvilla
Soon after this the regiment moved
from Heathsvile to Oldham's Cros.
Roads. stayed there a few days and ther
moved to BQyd's Hole, on the Potomac
river, and therewe picketed the Potomac
river at Colonial Beach tit was ther
known as White Point, Matthias Point
and other places along the river.
The regiment was ordered to Bull
Run, or Manassas. to take part in opera.
tions in that section, but before We
reached there the battle was fought,
and We got news that Beauregard hac
whipped the enemy in big battle, anc
we were then put in camp at Brooks
Station, in Stafford county. In July,
1861, while the regiment was in camt
at Brooks Station. Capt. Letchfield re.
signed his captaincy of our company,
and we elected as Captain. Walter Bowie,
Of Westmoreland county. No bette,
man or officer ever lived than he. He
was good to his men. considerate OF
their welfare, congenial in camp, and
as brave in action as any man who sver
drew sword in defence Of his home.
When we Unlisted, our company was
armed with some Of the rifles that were
taken at Harpers Ferry when John
Brown was captured. These arms had
been sent to the eNorthumberland
Hifiemen.' a militia company, and they
were turned over to us. These guns
were rifie-bored and used mine until
it became so loaded that couldn't get
u ball IN it.
In the fall of 1861. we went into
winter quarters at Acquia Creek, on
the Potomac river. Our tents were good
loghouses, daubed in, and they were
comfortable.
We staid at Acqqis Greek about q
month, and then the regiment was
ordered back to Heathsville. Were
there q short time and were ther
ordered to build winter quarters a,
Smyrna Church, and We started to builc
log tents there, across the road in from
OF the church, in piece of pine wooda
that has since been cleared up, and i,
now in cultivation. We didn't finish ou
tents before the regiment was ordere,
70 Farnham Church. We staid a
FaFnham Church aboat a week, an,
were ordered to fredericksburg. Tn,
regiment was marched to Union whar
on the Rappshannock near what ia nov
Sharp's wharf. There We were pu
aboard the steamer Virginia and takel
TO Fredericksburg. We were pat int
camp on the fredericksburg side of tn
river, and stsid there few days. On
evening two companies of our regimen
were ordered across the Rappahannoc
TO the Falmouth side to do picket duty
These companies were the Heathsvill
Guards. Capt. 7. Edwin Belts, and on
Co. G., Capt. Bowie. We were statione
on one road and the Heathsville Guard
on another. had been sent forwar
as vidette. This was towards morning
when l heard firing on the other road
The enemy had advanced on the roa
where the Heathsville Guards wer
posted, and several of the yankee
were killed. and one man of the Heaths
vile Guards was killed. whose name wa
| -. Swain, and to the best Of m
recollection this was the first ma
killed in our regiment. When our CON
'pany heard the firing on the other roa