James Lucius Davis

A graduate of West Point, he was brevetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th US Artillery on 1 July 1833 and commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 10 April 1835. He resigned on 11 September 1836. He was then a farmer: in the Shenandoah Valley (1836‑38), in Richmond County, (1841‑47), and in Henrico County, VA (1847‑61). He was a Captain in the Republic of Texas Rangers (1839-41) and had militia service in Virginia as Captain (1854-56), Major (56-58), and Lieutenant Colonel (58-61) of the 4th Virginia Cavalry Militia. In 1860 he was a wealthy 47 year old planter with 32 slaves living in Richmond, VA.

At the start of the war he was brevet Colonel of Virginia Cavalry and aide-de-camp to Governor Letcher. He commanded the First Regiment, Wise Legion Cavalry by June 1861 and to at least March 1862, at some point commanded the 46th Virginia Infantry, the infantry unit of the Wise Legion, and later led the 8th Battalion Virginia Cavalry, which was made up of companies of the former Wise Legion Cavalry. He was assigned as Colonel of the 10th Virginia Cavalry on 24 June 1862, to date from their formation from the 8th Battalion (with additional companies) in May.

He was with his regiment on the campaign, and they probably arrived at Sharpsburg from Virginia late on 17 September 1862.

He was wounded at Gettysburg, captured by Federal Cavalry at Hagerstown, MD on the return leg of the Gettysburg Campaign, and was in a US Army hospital in Frederick, MD on 8 July 1863 with an ankle sprain. He was held at the post hospital at Fort McHenry in Baltimore from 13 July to 22 August with a "contusion," then transferred to the prison at Johnson's Island, OH. He was sent to Point Lookout, MD in February 1864 and paroled there for exchange on 9 March.

He was back on duty and in command of Chambliss' brigade in Major General W.H.F. Lee's Cavalry Division by August 1864. He was away on leave and on court martial duty in November and December 1864 and resigned his commission on 2 February 1865, probably because he had not been promoted to Brigadier General.

He was Superintendent of Public Instruction for Buckingham County, VA.

His service basics from Heitman,1 his Compiled Service Records,2 online from fold3, and Cullum.3 Personal details from family genealogists, the US Census of 1860, and the memoirs of Dr Archibald Atkinson, Jr. of the 10th Virginia Cavalry - online from the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. His gravesite is on Findagrave. His picture from a photograph at the Library of Congress.

He married Elizabeth Harriet Peck (1814-1857) in January 1841 and they had 8 children. Their 2 oldest, sons J.L. Jr and Lewellyn were Privates in the 10th Virginia Cavalry when they were mortally wounded and killed, respectively, at Samaria Church, VA in June 1864.

He was a cousin of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis, though they may have had a difficult relationship. His 3rd son Mervyn was a Captain in the 10th Virginia Cavalry and later a journalist and Texas Ranger.

In 1861 he published a book called The Trooper's Manual: or, Tactics for Light Dragoons and Mounted Riflemen - now online from the Hathi Trust - being credited as a man who was "for many years commander and instructor of volunteer cavalry."

01/25/1813; Clarke County, VA

05/11/1871; Buckingham, VA; burial in Emmanuel Episcopal Church Cemetery, Brook Hill, VA