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[[newspaper clipping]] his accredited version, William's ship was struck by lightning and burned to the water's edge. He is said to have considered this disaster a judgment sent upon him for deserting the colonists. Accordingly he returned to his family in New Jersey and joined the colonists, serving in the Revolutionary war. His military record is complete. Enlisting in July, 1776, at Monmouth court house as a private in the Monmouth county, N. J., militia, William Davis served a month as a guide in St. Col. Auke Wikoff's Third regiment. After that service, while a private in Capt. Benjamin Dennis' company in the Third New Jersey regiment of militia, enroute to Philadelphia, he was captured by the British and held prisoner twenty two months in New York city, but escaped and returned to his family in New Jersey, where he remained nine months. Shot in Breast Later as a private in Capt. Stephen Fleming's company, Third militia regiment, for a month, he was in an engagement at Sandy Hook, N. J., and while serving in Dennis' company he was shot in the breast in an engagement at Somerset Court House, N. J. William Davis owned all the bottom land between Salem and Brandy Gap tunnel and operated a gristmill at Cherry Camp, now Bristol. A man of wealth, he lost much of it in his old age, when compelled to pay security debts of others. He spent his last days at the home of his son, James, near Springfield, O., where he lived from 1832 to 1834, the year of his death. His sons and daughters are listed as follows: James Joel, who died in 1791 at the age of 21 years, Jonathan who died the same year at the age of 19 years, Jesse, George, Asa, Anna, William "Flint" and Phineas, who married Ruhana Randolph, a daughter of Jonathan and Mary Davis Randolph, May 16, 1816, at Salem. She was born April 16, 1799, and died May 25, 1836. James Davis, a son of William and Elizabeth Pavior Davis, was born in 1720, at Westerley, R. I., and died September 11, 1777. He married Judith Maxson, a daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth Davis Maxson, January 10, 1740, at Westerly, where he was a ship carpenter and at one time owned a shipyard. He served as a private in Capt. James Moore's company, Second regiment of Somerset county, N. J., militia four days between August 26 and September 11, 1777, in the Revolutionary war, and was killed by a stray bullet from the British during the battle of Brandywine as he slept in his tent. His wife was born in 1727, and died May 14, 1773, at Shrewsbury, N. J. Slain on Horse Another version of the manner of the death of James Davis is that he rode out from his home on a white horse to view the battle and was slain by the British, the horse returning to the Davis house carrying the rider's lifeless body. Sons and daughters of James and Judith Maxson Davis included James, Jacob, William, Joseph, Content, Hannah and Thomas Davis. Jacob was born in 1848. He died July 17, 1793. He married Mary Davis, his first cousin, who was a daughter of William Davis, son of the first William. Jacob and his wife being grandchildren of the first William Davis, the pioneer preacher. Jacob Davis, like his grandfather, was a minister. He became pastor of the Shrewsbury Seventh Day Baptist church in 1775, following his ordination February 27, that year, and headed his flock when it abandoned the Shrewsbury church and set out in September, 1789, to take possession of lands in Virginia, now West Virginia. Preacher-Soldier This Jacob Davis, one account says, served as chaplain in the American army in the Revolutionary war around Shrewsbury, which was in the midst of one of the principal battlegrounds of the war, but retained his pastorate and obtained furloughs from time to time to return to Shrewsbury and hold preaching services. His son, Jacob, enlisted at Raleigh, N. C., early in his teens and served in the quartermaster's department in the same war. The Shrewsbury congregation August 8, 1789, voted to sell the "meeting house and put the proceeds into the treasury of the church." The property was sold to a man named Reed. Four weeks later, or September 6, 1789, the Rev. Jacob Davis, with his family; William Davis, Sr.; John Davis, the second; Ephraim Maxson, Thomas Babcock, and Zebulon Maxson and Benjamin Maxson with their families, left Shrewsbury on their western journey. Seven days later they were followed by another party of emigrants from the Shrewsbury church, namely, Simeon Maxson, William Davis, Jr., and William Maxson, with their families. Various Reports The first group, stopping at Clay Pitt Creek, in Middletown, Pa., for a farewell visit with friends, was joined there by the second group, and all proceeded together in seven wagons, says one authority while another says fifteen wagons were in a train. The church record shows ten families started from Shrewsbury. A member of the party is quoted as saying there were ten wagons and seventy souls. Morgan Edwards who visited the Shrewsbury neighborhood little more than two months after the emigrants departed is quoted as saying "seventy-two souls" had gone. According to Corliss Fitz Randolph history of Seventh Day baptists in West Virginia, "when the procession was ready to start, the people all assembled in a grove where their pastor, the Rev. Jacob Davis, preached a short farewell sermon for those left behind, after which the travellers partook of refreshments provided for them by their friends, and then started on their long tedious journey, extending more than 400 miles westward." Moved to Salem The emigrants settled on White Day creek, Monongalia county, and tarried there two years, but disappointed in their lands, they went to what is now Salem, bought farms and helped to lay off the village of New Salem, now Salem, Harrison county, then on the land of Samuel Fitz Randoph, but were not the first settlers there. William Davis, son of the pioneer William and father of Mrs. Jacob Davis, the first, died July 15, 1791, at White Day, while the emigrants were there. Arriving at New Salem, the emigrants immediately took steps to establish the New Salem Seventh Day Baptist church, adopting the Shrewsbury covenant, which remains unchanged to this day, and the first date of record of the Salem church is May 13, 1792. The Rev. Jacob Davis became the first pastor of the new church, and served until July 17, 1793, when he died at Woodbridgetown, Fayette county, Pa., and was buried in a graveyard adjoining the Seventh Day Baptist church there in an unmarked grave. Sons and daughters of the Rev. Jacob and Mary Davis Davis included Samuel, Jacob, Crandall, Zebulon, Lydia, Mary and Elizabeth Davis. Mary Davis, a daughter of the Rev. Jacob and Mary Davis Davis, was married January 19, 1792, in Harrison county, to Jacob Loofboro. Zebulon Davis, a son, married Sarah Paxson, March 10, 1806. Jacob, the second member of this family, was born November 4, 1769 in New Jersey, and his wife Prudence Maxson Davis, in 1770, in the same state. They were married December 28, 1787. They came with other emigrants to Salem, Harrison county, in 1791-2. His wife died December 4, 1815, at Salem, and was buried in the church cemetery there. Their sons and daughters are listed as born as follows: Esther Davis, December 15, 1788; Jacob, September 10, 1791; Phebe, August 10, 1794; Jesse Maxson, September 26, 1796; Mary, October 18, 1798; Crandall, September 4, 1800; Micago, September 19, 1802; Elizabeth, October 5, 1804; Opadian, August 27, 1806; Prudence, May 27, 1808; Peter Smith, January 1, 1810; and James Ball, October 1, 1814. Jacob Davis, the second, next married Sarah Hoffman, October 3, 1816, who was born December 15, 1796. She died November 26, 1851. Their children were born as follows: Lydia Maxson Davis, August 20, 1817; Sarah Ann, July 21, 1819; Abigail Hoffman, March 8, 1822; Samuel D. father of S. Orlando, July 6, 1824; Moses Hoffman, July 25, 1826; and Talitha W., August 11, 1827. Esther Davis, eldest child of Jacob and Prudence Davis, was married September 24, 1805, to James Ball. Her brother, Crandall, died March 28, 1809, aged 8 years; another brother, Micaga, died June 2, 1825, aged 23 years; and still another brother, Peter Smith Davis, died March 9, 1830, aged 20 years. Jacob Davis, the second, father of these children, died February 26, 1828, and was buried in the Van Horn Baptist church cemetery at Lost Creek. Phebe, one of the daughters of Jacob and Prudence Maxson Davis, became the wife of a man named Sutton. She died August 4, 1815, as shown by an old family Bible at the home of Orlando Davis, published in 1814. Lydia M. Davis, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah Hoffman Davis, who married the Rev. Richard Bond, died December 26, 1850. Abigail Hoffman Davis, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah Hoffman Davis, was the wife of Reuben Hevener and lived at Roanoke, Lewis county, where she died April 14, 1898, aged 76 years. She was buried in the Van Horn cemetery. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] Elect Gore, Davis Advises [[image - black & white photograph of Howard Gore]] [[caption]] ^[[HOWARD M. GORE]] [[/caption]] Editor The Telegram: We farmers know, and I believe all of the other people of this congressional district should know, what a deplorable condition agriculture and the cattle market is experiencing at this time. All of the farmers of the county who have cattle to sell, which is undoubtedly true throughout the state, are selling their cattle for much less than what they paid for them a year ago and in addition are losing the expense of feeding them for a year. This condition is serious and something should be done about it. I feel that if the voters of this district would elect Howard M. Gore to Congress that with his vast experience in public affairs, and especially as an agriculturist and stockman, he would be in a strong position to render an unusual service to the people of this congressional district. Very truly yours, C. C. DAVIS Flatwoods, Nov. 14. [[/newspaper clipping]]
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