Dates: 1857; 1870; 1874; 1878-1882; 1885.
Original letterpress copybook is restricted; reference photocopy must be used instead.

Biography:

William Van Davis

William Van Davis was born in Alabama on July 15, 1828. He was the son of James C. and Mary Rice Davis who later lived in Holmes County, Mississippi. James C. Davis died intestate in August of 1838, leaving his wife, Mary, and his children, Allie J., Elizabeth, James T., Mary, Nancy M., Sarah (Salley) A., and William Van. Mary Rice Davis married Stephen D. Meek in 1841. They had two children, Hiram and Minerva Meek. Stephen D. Meek also assumed the guardianship of the children from his wifes first marriage, but he was later released from this obligation. In 1843, Mary Rice Davis Meek moved with her children to Attala County to be near some of her relatives, and she also began farming. William Van Davis soon assumed the management of the family farm, and he cared for his mother, brothers, sisters, and half-brother and half-sister.

During the Civil War, William Van Davis enlisted in the provisional army as a second lieutenant in Captain Comforts Company, Mississippi Infantry. This unit was mustered into service in November of 1861, but General Albert Sidney Johnson soon mustered out the company for lack of sufficient arms to equip it. Davis joined the Thirtieth Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, in March of 1862, and he was elected as captain of Company D. He fought in the battles of Chickamauga, Franklin, and Murfreesboro. Davis was wounded and captured at Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864, and he spent the remainder of the war at three different prison camps: Louisville, Kentucky; Point Lookout, Maryland; and Camp Chase, Ohio. He returned to Attala County after he was released.

William Van Davis was elected as probate clerk of Attala County in 1866. He married Sue (Sudie) M. Porter (b. September 14, 1841) in 1867. The Davises had nine children: Alice F., James A. (Archie), John B., Kate H., Mary, Sue (Sudie) Porter, Walter, Whitman, and Willie Anne. Davis was a member of the Masonic Order. He became a clerk in a dry-goods store in Kosciusko. Davis was elected as chancery clerk of Attala County in 1875, a position he held for many years. He continued to financially support his mother and his unmarried half-sister, Minerva Meek. Davis died on March 30, 1884. Sue M. Porter Davis died on August 14, 1908. They are both buried in the Kosciusko City Cemetery.

 

Scope and Content Note:

This collection contains a letterpress copybook of William Van Davis; a diary of Sue M. Porter Davis and a photocopy of an annotated twenty-seven-page typescript of her diary; 1857 manuscript copies of the estate-settlement papers of James C. Davis, father of William Van Davis; and genealogical notes of Catherine C. (Mrs. Emmett E.) McCool, granddaughter of William Van Davis.

The letterpress copybook covers the years 1878 to 1882, and it refers to the business handled by William Van Davis while he was chancery clerk of Attala County. There are also personal accounts and notations that reveal some of the daily necessities of Davis and his family.

The diary of Sue M. Porter Davis records the daily activities of a nineteenth-century woman living in Kosciusko. The bulk of her diary covers January 1 through July 9, 1870, but some household accounts are listed for the years 1874, 1878, and 1881. The diary documents child rearing, household management, and the social network of Kosciusko. Sue M. Porter Davis assisted neighbors and relatives when their children were ill, and they often reciprocated. Adkisson, Baccus, Comfort, Durham, Galloway, Hines, Mitchell, and Smythe family members are also mentioned in the diary.

The James C. Davis estate-settlement papers cover the years 1839 to 1843. They consist of 1857 manuscript copies of probate records, including the settlement of accounts for all goods and chattels and the guardianship of the children of James C. and Mary Rice Davis. Accompanying these papers are notes that describe a dispute between William Van Davis and his stepfather, Stephen D. Meek, and its effect on the family.

 
Series Identification:

Series 1: Letterpress Copybook. 1878-1882; 1885; n.d. 1 folder. Restricted.
This series consists of letterpress copies of business correspondence from the office of the Attala County chancery clerk. The volume also contains personal correspondence, accounts, and notations by various members of the Davis family.

Box 1, folder 1 (reference photocopy)
Box 2, folder 1 (restricted original)

Series 2: Diary and Diary Typescript. 1870; 1874; 1878; 1881; n.d. 2 folders.
This series contains a pocket diary kept by Sue M. Porter Davis and a photocopy of an annotated twenty-seven-page typescript of her diary. The annotations identify family members who are mentioned in the original diary. Portions of the diary typescript are illegible.

Box 1, folder 2
Box 1, folder 3

Series 3: James C. Davis Estate-Settlement Papers. 1857. 1 folder.
This series consists of 1857 manuscript copies of the estate-settlement papers of James C. Davis, father of William Van Davis, covering the years 1839 to 1843.

Box 1, folder 4

Series 4: Genealogical Material. n.d. 1 folder.
This series contains notes of Catherine C. McCool regarding James C. Davis, Mary Rice Davis Meek, Stephen D. Meek, and William Van Davis.

Box 1, folder 5