Document 19

DOCUMENT No. 19

Luretta C. Davis to Sister [Polly Fulton]
sent from: Red Shoals, North Carolina
dated: April 20, 1866
letter (privately held) - original owned by Eliz. Drouet of CO.

Luretta Campbell Davis (1840-1907) is the daughter of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis of Stokes County. Her father was a planter of that region and her mother the granddaughter of one of the county founders. Luretta was the only child never to have married. Family tradition claims that Luretta's fiancée died in the Civil War, though no evidence is found in the few letters of hers that survive. Her obituary mentions this man, though not his name. Luretta was deeply religious and active in the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Davis girls were all quite active and the family plantation at Red Shoals had its own chapel, now known as Davis Chapel which was an important center of worship for the Red Shoals neighborhood. She was educated at Greensboro Female Academy and died at Red Shoals plantation.

Red Shoals N.C.1 April 20th 1866
My Dear Sister2

I quietly seat myself this / morning to write to my absent but not / forgotten Sister, Father3 has writen time / and again but recieved no answers we / thought perhaps you had not recieved / them, You have no idea how anxious we / are to hear from you all. And brother James5 / we can't hear any thing from him have'nt / heard any thing since Mary Ann wrote to / Lucie Taylor6, we fear they are all dead / Sister Margaret7 don't know what to think / of William8 € she has been looking for him / home ever since the Serrender tell him / she is very anxious for him to come. Oh / Polly such a change during the last five years / I reckond Sam9 told you all about Stoneman's / raid10 through Stokes. If you could have seen / the place the day the Yankees left you hardly / would have known it. General Palmer11 and

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his staff stayed in the house they acted / very gentlemanly treated us with respect / they did not plunder the house, I believe / we are geting along now as well as we were / before the negro'es were free. Father has hierd / Burl12 & Mealy13 Sarah14 & Brum15 (her husband) the / children are all here and one of Ishams girls16 & [illegible] Joe17 some of our negro's are suffering I expect / some of them will perish if they do I blame / no body but the mean inpertinent black / hearted Yankees. Sister Sarah's18 health is / no better she hasnt sit up one hour at a / time in three years she started to Sury19 / this morning Sam came down after her / Dr Joe and Willie Hollinsworth20 are going / to take her in hand to see if they can do / her any good they seem to think they can / Nanties21 health has to been good this Spring / Billie22 & Bettie23 grows fast Billie is large / enough to plough they learned very fast / while at school we havent any school yet / Father's health is only tolerably good /

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tell William Blackburn his Mother says / she wants to have James & Johns funerals24 / preached and has been waiting for him; / If he is not comeing tell him to write / to her and let her know. Our relations / are all well as far as I know € Hiram / Adkins25 and family left here this morning / they are well. Sue26 lives in Mt. Airy her / and Willie was down two weeks ago / Mt. Airy27 is a very pleasant little Village. / They have preaching often different denominations / ones. We have preaching regular Cousin / Solomon Helseback28 is our preacher he / is a splendid preacher. We had one Camp / meeting at Laurel Hill29 during the war. / there is two of the J---- families liveing / there now; nearly all the Tents have fallen / down. I reckond you want to hear from / Uncle Buck30 he is up and going but / breaks very fast looks older than Father / Danbury31 I think is improving a little / it can afford two Female Schools; Rachel /

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Banner32 is teaching in the Academy Alice / Martin33 teaching at Mr. Joyces34, Tom Smith35 / is liveing in Moody's house36 keeping Hotel / A.J. Stedman37 has got back there he has / spent all his property. Tell Lizzie38 Mary Ann39 / Maggie40 Jimmie41 Eddie42 and all the children to / write to me I would be so glad to get / letters form them tell them to be sure / and write to me. We are very uneasy about / Brother James and family; how did they start / by private or publick conveyance ~ we did / not know they had started back to NC. / until Sam recieved Wilsons43 letters we / are all anxiously waiting for an answer / to Sams last letter. I would have written / to you all before now but thought letters / could not pass as you havent answered Fathers / did not know they could pass until Sam / recieved Wilsons. Nantie sends love to you & / says you must write to her; We all write / in love to you and all. Please answer / soon very soon Your Affectionate Sister
Luretta C. Davis

Notes:

Red Shoals The name of the plantation and of the area on the Dan which the Davis family's plantation was located. Red Shoals became a Post Office in 1830 and discontinued in 1866. The Post Office was re-established in 1869 and discontinued in 1920.

Sister Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton (1819-1916) Second child to James and Elizabeth (McAnally) Davis. She married Wilson Fulton on the 9th of January 1840. Her father was a wealthy Stokes County planter and her mother a member of one of the county's founding families. Wilson Fulton, though a successful tanner and merchant, moved his family to Texas about 1860. The Fultons settled first in Ellis County at a place called Crystal Springs. After the War, the Fultons are found in Coryell County, Texas. After her husbands death, Polly settled in Lampasas where several of her children had settled.

Father James Davis Jr. (1793-1873) The son of James & Margaret Davis a wealthy Stokes County planter. James Sr. was born in Augusta County, Virginia and settled in Stokes County with his father William. James Jr. was born in Stokes and inherited half of his father's large estate. James married Elizabeth McAnnally the daughter of Jesse & Elizabeth (Morgan) McAnnally. Jesse was the son of one of Stokes County founders, Capt. Charles McAnnally.

James James William Davis (1832-1906) Youngest son of James and Elizabeth (McAnally) Davis. Traveled West with Wilson Fulton and his family, but returned in 1866 on a disastrous trip in which he lost the lives of his wife and most of his children to some disease.

Lucie Taylor Lucy E. (born c1848) Third child of Samuel & Eliza (Davis) Taylor and niece to Polly Davis Fulton. She later marries A. Mitchell.

..we fear they are all dead.. Their fears turned out to be not so far from the truth. Family history and Bible entries record, that James W. Davis and his family contracted some illness on their journal back, somewhere around Cross County, Arkansas. Oral history recounts that they picked up a blanket that transmitted some disease to the family. Only James, his son Walter and his daughter Alice returned alive to Stokes County. Sick and weak, Alice died in Stokes County soon after her arrival. Walter is the only child from Davis' first marriage to survive.

Margaret Margaret (Davis) Blackburn (1817-1890) The eldest child of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis of Stokes County. She married Madison Blackburn in 1836 and was widowed in 1849, but never remarried. Her sons are mentioned often in family letters and were the center of concern amongst the Davis family, since they were the only grandchildren of James Davis of service age.

William William A. Blackburn The second son of Madison & Margaret (Davis) Blackburn. William was the only son who did not serve in the Civil War. It seems that for part of the War he was in Texas.

Sam Samuel Hill Taylor (1820-1892) Son of William Anderson & Katherine (Hill) Taylor. Married Polly Fulton's sister Margaret Davis. Sam is a native of Henry County, Virginia. According to the Stokes County Heritage Book, Sam settled in Danbury around 1849, when he bought a town lot. He built a large house which neighbored Wilson Fulton's Brick House. He was the incorporating director of the Salem & Danbury Waterworks and Clerk of Court for Stokes County. He owned and operated the Taylor Hotel which he sold in 1879 to his brother Spottswood. Samuel moved his family to Surry County where he became the Sheriff.

Stoneman's Raid There were several Stoneman's Raids, this one refers to Stoneman's raid into North Carolina (20 March to 23 April 1865), to support Sherman's March across the Carolinas. The goal of the raid was to tear up as much railroad as possible between Goldsboro and Danville. It is said that General Stoneman establish his headquarters in Danbury at Moody's Tavern on the day of Lee's surrender. Found in the Union correspondence is a letter to General Stoneman naming James Davis as a leading citizen, who Stoneman should solicit cooperation from. It is not known how much Davis assisted, Stoneman. .

General Palmer Possibly General William Jackson Palmer (1836-1909). Stationed in Greensboro, NC. There is also some evidence that this Palmer was actually a Colonel who was under Maj. General Stoneman.

Burl A man formerly enslaved by the Davis family and husband of Mealy.

Mealy A woman formerly enslaved by the Davis family and wife of Burl.

Sarah A woman formerly enslaved by the Davis family and wife of Brum. Sarah may be the slave often mention in the family letters.

Brum A man formerly enslaved by the Davis family and husband of Sarah.

Isham's girls Former Davis slaves. Family stories remember Isham, the slave miller on the Davis plantation. These may be his daughters.

Joe Possibly Joe Pitzer who was formerly a Davis slave, or a Pitzer slave. Joe Pitzer married a former Davis slave, Celia (1849-1914) both were well remembered in the Davis and Adkins family.

Sarah Sarah Louise (Davis) Estes (1838-1870) Eleventh child of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis of Stokes County. Sarah is the first wife of William A. Estes a native of Henry County, Virginia who later became Sheriff of Stokes County during the turbulent years after the Civil War.

Surry Surry County, NC the parent county of Stokes.

Dr. Joe and Willie Hollingsworth Dr. Joseph Hollingsworth and his son Dr. William R. Hollingsworth. Although this may also be Joseph Jr., since William had a brother Joseph, who was also a doctor. Dr. Joe (Jr.) and Dr. Willie were also attending physicians to the original Siamese Twins, brothers Chang & Eng who had settled in Mt. Airy before the War.

Nantie Nancy (Davis) Pitzer (1829-1915). Letters refer to Nancy as Nantie. She is the seventh child of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis of Stokes County. She married Lemuel Pitzer in 1853, Lemuel was the illegitimate son of Rockingham planter Drury Smith by his wife's sister. Lemuel is a half-brother to two of Nancy's brother-in-laws. Nancy is widowed in 1859 and never remarries. She moves back to her father's plantation on Red Shoal where she lived till her death.

Billie John William Pitzer The son of Lemuel & Nancy (Davis) Pitzer. Nephew to Polly (Davis) Fulton.

Bettie Sarah Elizabeth Pitzer daughter of Lemuel & Nancy (Davis) Pitzer. Niece to Polly (Davis) Fulton.

..James and Johns funeral.. James and John Blackburn are the sons of Madison & Margaret (Davis) Blackburn. Both died in the Civil War.

Hiram Adkins (1822-1891) The son of James & Laramy (Collier) Adkins. Hiram was educated at Emory College in Virginia. Hiram came to the Davis plantation as a teacher for the Davis girls, he later married on of James Davis' daughters, Emily. Hiram was also a preacher and was instrumental in developing Davis Chapel and was probably a force in converting the Davis women to the Methodist Church. Hiram was active in farming, mining and various business ventures in both Stokes and his native Surry County.

Sue Susan (Davis)Hollingsworth (1842-1928) The youngest child of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis. Susan married Dr. William R. Hollingsworth and moved to Mt. Airy. Later generations tell the tale of Yankey mistreatment when, Aunt Susan was force to break the Sabbath by sewing a button for an officer.

Mt. Airy County seat of Surry County, NC. The area was known in earlier times as Hollows or the Hollow. The road from Winston-Salem to Mt. Airy is still known as the Hollows Road.

Solomon Helseback A noted preacher in North Carolina. He left a diary which is now in the Southern Historical Collection at Chapel Hill. He is kin to the Davis' by his relationship to the Banner Family.

Laurel Hill An open air camp where popular Revivals were held. The obituary of James Davis mentions that he joined the Methodist in 1849 at a camp meeting at Laurel Hill. The place was named due to a large circle of Laurel trees that surrounded the clearing. The exact location is remembered today by Kathleen A. Blackwell, as being on the McAnally plantation in Meadows District near the Dan River, across from the area known as Red Shoals, the Davis plantation.

Uncle Buck William Davis (1796-1879) Eldest son of James Sr. & Margaret (Dulap) Davis. Buck Davis was one of the county's wealthiest men and a bachelor. He adopted his illegitimate niece Minerva and made her his heir. Buck lost much of his wealth in the Civil War. He along with other leading Stokes County planters, backed a large loan to supply the County troops with supplies. After the War the county was unable to make good the debt and the man who loaned the money, J.F. Poindexter, sued for payment and won after taking the case to the NC Supreme Court.. It is said that his brother James Davis Jr. was able to save him from bankruptcy. Some mystery shrouds his death, as he died from a accident which his wagon was driven off the road over some cliffs into the Dan River below.

Danbury County seat of Stokes County, NC. The story of Danbury is mentioned elsewhere in these notes.

Rachel Banner (born c1847) Daughter of Elisha Banner of Mount Airy, Surry County, NC. Elisha (born 1811) is the son of Charles Banner and the brother of John Banner, merchant and Sheriff of Surry County. Elisha's grandmother is Sarah (McAnally) Banner; therefore Rachel is a distant cousin to the Davis girls. Elisha married twice, first to Mary Eliza Moore and second to Mrs. Susan Bitting. Her father is listed in the 1860 Census as a wealthy hotelkeeper. Surry County Heritage book states that Elisha's large frame house was on the South side of Main Street and was a Stage stop. There is kinship between the Banners and Davis families through the McAnnally families.

Alice Martin (born c1845) Possibly the daughter of Edmund & Hatty Martin who she is listed with in the 1850 Census of Stokes County in Snow Creek District.

Mr. Joyces A. H. Joyce (23 Feb 1827 - 22 Mar 1914) A Danbury attorney. He is the son of Thomas & Esther Joyce. It is known that he employed a school teacher in his home for his children. Joyce married Mary A. Payne on April 24, 1851.

Tom Smith Nephew of Drury Smith, the Rockingham planter. He married the daughter of Danbury merchant Thomas F. Prather. .

Moody's House The house of Nathaniel Moody built about 1841, it was later turned into a hotel by Dr. William McCandless. General Stoneman used this house as his headquarters in 1864.

A.J. Stedman A Danbury attorney. A.J. Stedman established the first newspaper in Danbury, "The Old Constitution", which was bought by Dr. John Pepper in 1872 and renamed the "Danbury Reporter". Gideon E. Moore refers to "Jack" Stedman in his letter to Dr. John Pepper dated the 28th of February 1860 from Texas.

Lizzie Nancy Elizabeth Fulton (1842-1877) eldest child of Wilson & Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton. She married Richard W. Hill in 1865 in Ellis County, TX and the family later settled in Lampasas, TX where Hill was a wealthy merchant. She died probably in childbirth; however, family oral history from this family tells that she was poisoned by her nurse Mary Tinnin who Hill took as his second wife. Lizzie is buried in Lampasas' cemetery, Oakhill.

Mary Ann Mary Ann Bethenia Fulton (1848-unknown) Often mentioned as "Mollie" is the fourth child of Wilson & Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton. Molly married Samuel W. Hood in 1870 in Coryell County, TX and settled in Lampasas.

Maggie Margaret Jane Fulton (1850-1840) the fifth child of Wilson & Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton. Maggie married in 1873 to John W. Townsen a wealthy Lampasas merchant.

Jimmie James Samuel Fulton (1844-1882) The second child of Wilson & Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton. Jimmie married in 1874 to Emma Z. Woody in Coryell County, TX. James served for the CSA forces as a Private in the 19th Regiment of the Texas Calvary.

Eddie Charles Edwin Fulton (1846-1927) The third child of Wilson & Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton. Ed married first Josie --- and second Mary Lee Rogers, neither marriages produced children. Ed served for the CSA forces as a Private in the 19th Regiment of the Texas Calvary. Ed was a wealthy merchant and banker in Lampasas and in Temple, Texas. He died on his ranch near Temple in Bell County, TX.

Wilson Wilson Fulton (1819-1875) The second child of Samuel & Martha (Redman) Fultin of Stokes County. In 1841 he married the daughter of James Davis, Mary Ann. Wilson was a merchant and ran a tanyard in Danbury. He built the first brick house in Danbury. He moved his family to Ellis County, Texas about 1861.

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