Submitted by Southron Fire Eater on

This is in response to Will's post at the HELP!!!! thread. He wrote,
"Gen. R. Davis. Born in Woodville, ME (near Lincoln)and was the nephew to President Jefferson Davis. He led a Mississippi Brigade in the Railroad Cut at Gettysburg, where they were decimated by Federal fire on the first day. Will"

Brig. General Joseph Robert Davis was born on January 12, 1825. He started the war as captain in the 10th Mississippi.
In 1862 he was brig. General and in command of a Mississippi brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. His brigade was made famous at Gettysburg.
He died on September 15th in 1896 and is buried in Biloxi Mississippi.
I became interested with Will's post because I was not aware of a third Confederate general from Maine. Even more interesting, he being a nephew of Jefferson Davis.
What's interesting, is while researching Brig. General Joseph R Davis on the internet, I found a few sites claiming he was born in Woodville,Maine as Will mentioned but on other sites I read that he was born in Woodville, Mississippi. hmmmmm
The Woodville, Mississippi claim sounds likely because some of the Davis family did migrate to Mississippi.
Unfortunately, most of the information I found about him being from Maine came from other posts on other forums without sources.
Joseph R Davis' father was Isaac Williams Davis. Isaac Davis was Jefferson Davis' older brother.If Joseph Davis was born in Maine, then what was his Father, Isaac Davis doing up here? Maine seems a strange place for members of the Davis family to live or be born from.
The only Maine-Davis connection that I'm sure about is that Jefferson Davis visited Bowdoin, Maine before the war.
The answer to this question probably won't be found on the internet. Where did you get your information Will?
Here are some contradicting examples I found:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10851

http://www.csawardept.com/history/Cabinet/JRDavis/index.html
Woodville, Maine or Woodville, Mississippi?
Does anybody have any information with good sources?
'Tis something else I just can't figure out. Story of my life and another long night!

Forums: 

Seen it

I have seen the notation that he was born in Mississippi but it was not a confirmed notation and I assume the person was making an assumption. My original source is from the "HTI Encyclopedia of the Civil War", published 1986, edited by the late Patricia Faust. Ironically I have posted on Gen.Davis on several occasions the last time being last fall. I have visited Woodville several times and can attest that there is not much there, not even a town office that I could locate.

Anyhow, some other tidbits on his life. He attended Miami University in Ohio before going to Mississippi where he served in the State senate. In 1862, President Davis appointed him to his staff which caused a charge of nepotism. (This denotes there was a bond noted between the two relatives) After this charge was cleared he became a Brig.Gen. and given a brigade command under Gen. Heth. At the time he had neither formal military training nor experience.

I'll have to show you the book Zac.

Will

Which Isaac Davis

There is another famous Isaac Davis in Massachusetts history. He was Captain of Minutemen during the battle of Lexington and Concord. Killed in action at Concord bridge, so he wouldn't be this individuals father, however it is possible there is some family connection with the original Isaac Davis from the revolution.

Bob Firth

Bob Firth Late of the 25th Mass