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DOCUMENT No. 12

Luretta C. Davis to Sister Polly [Fulton]
sent from: Red Shoals, N.C.
dated: September 24, 1861
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 out of the thirteen Davis children, never to have married. Family tradition claims that Luretta's fiancée died in the Civil War, though no evidence of this is found in the her letters that are found in this volume. Her obituary mentions ta fiancée, though it does not mention his name. Luretta was deeply religious and active in the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Davis girls were all quiet 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 this family. She was educated at Greensboro Female Academy and died at Red Shoals plantation.

Red Shoals N.C.
September 24th 1861
My dear Sister Polly

is with great pleasure that / I have seated myself this beautiful morning for the / purpose of writing to my absent but not forgotten / Sister; we are all well except some of the negroes • several / of the little ones has the Deptherear (1) • I expect we will / all take it; it is ca^tching the Dr.s say they had rather / have a case of the Small Pox there is a great many persons / dieing about here with it Mr. Fultons (2) little daughter / Sallie (3) died with it bout a week ago. I commenced / telling you bout the negros that was sick • Sarah (4) is very / sick she was taken yesterday evening very suddenly and / is no better this morning she is delirous all the time.

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I have just mailed a letter to James Oliver (5) / nearly every one of the 11th Regiment is sick there has / been about 40 or 50 deaths in that Regiment P. Fulton (6) / was buried last Thursday at Salem Chappe (l7). his Father / went down to Manassas to see him he died the next / day after he got there when he left there: there was a /

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great many that they thought could not live but a few / days Capt Pepper (8) and Fewell Fulton (9) was very low / Lieutenant S. Fulton (10) was just taken sick all of the / Officers in Capt Westmoreland's11 Company is sick / except Lieutenant J.O.B. (12) • J.A. Blackburn (13) is sick / and has been compaining ever since he has been there / W.B. Vaughn (14) has been very sick they ^ thought at one time he / would die but is well now only weak I will give / you some of the names of those that died Mark Mabe (15) / Peter Covington (16) Joel Mounce (17) and Ed Lowery (18) • I guess / you know them all four of them belonged to Capt / Pepper's (19) Company 12 or 13 of his men have died • Cousin / William Flynt (20) and S.B. Taylor (21) started to Manassas / bout a week ago with some clothes for Capt. Pepper's / Company. The mail has come since I commenced / writing we have heard of several other deaths one of / them was Daniel Ziglar (22) Sue (23) has just resieved a letter / form Willie Vaughn (24) he stated there had been 75 deaths / in that Regiment he says there is 16 dies in one ^day Sometimes / he says there has been heavy fighting at Alexandria and / the troops are moveing in towards Arlington they think / the 11th Regiment will not be fit for survise this /

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winter / J.P. Moore (25) is their Chaplain he is now in / the Hospital sick well I have,nt written much of / any thing yet only bout the Soildiers I hav,nt much / news for all the chat now-a days is War War.

Becky (26) and Emily (27) was down a bout two / weeks ago they were all well • Becky has not name / her two youngest boys (28) the Bab is bout 6 months old / Emily has named her little Babe William Jay (29) it is / 3 or 4 months old. Sarah,s (30) health is very bad but is / some better thatn it was in the Spring she has been / staying at the Springs this Summer • Jonnie31 looks very / delicate • Margaret (32) is very much distressed about James [Blackurn] / and John [Blackburn] there is so much sickness in the Camp she is / almost afraid to hear from them / she has been looking / for William (33) to come home. Old Mr Hugh Martin (34) / died last Friday morning - he has been sick a long time /

Mr Ritchardson (35) has had several / Protracted meetings but not much good accomplished / the People do not like him much on this circuit / if he dont do something to get the people revivied / up on Stokes Circuit I fear some of them will / have to get their Regligion over again / I believe /

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class meetings is almost done away with Mr Ritchardson / has,nt had a class meeting for us since he has been in the / circuit and I believe they have quit haveing them / in Danbury. Danbury is quit a lonely little place / now there is but one Store there now and it has,nt / got much more in it than I can tote but you / may be sure the Grog Shop (36) is still there but / not quite so much drinking and drunkenness as has / been. tell Lizzie (39) and Jimmie (40) to answer my letter / we all write in love to you al - I must close as / it will soon be time to retire. May guardian / angels hover around and protect you from all danger / and may your sleep be one of refreshment, is the / prayer of your absent Sister
Luretta C. Davis
(Write Soon)

Notes:
  1. Deapthearer Diphtheria. An acute febrile contagious disease marked by the formation of a false membrane, esp. in the throat and caused by a bacterium that produces a toxin causing inflammation of the heart and nervous system. A bacterial infection of the nose and throat or, less commonly, of the skin. Though identified by 1851, the term was used for many of the illnesses of the time. [re:Webster's 9th New Collegiate Dictionary]. American folk traditions of the time would advise that, "a black cord around the neck averts croup or diptheria [re: Wilson, E.B. American's Vanishing Folkways (1965) pg.78]..

  2. Mr. Fulton A reference to Samuel Fulton, father of Wilson and a wealthy Stokes County Planter..

  3. Sallie (1853-1861) The daughter of Samuel Fulton by his second wife Martha Hill. Sallie is listed in his household in the 1850 Census. Sallie is a half sister to Wilson..

  4. Sarah A Davis family slave and apparently a favorite with the Davis girls..

  5. James Oliver James Oliver Blackburn (1837-1864). He is the eldest son of Madison & Margaret (Davis) Blackburn. See note #29..

  6. P. Fulton James Pinkney Fulton (1837-1861) Son of Joel & Frances (Abbott) Fulton, first cousin of Wilson Fulton. Died at the battle of Manassas..

  7. Salem Chapel A chapel located in Walnut Cove, NC and founded by the United Church of Christ. According to the Stokes Heritage Book, Salem was founded around 1854. Abraham Fulton, a son of Samuel & Nancy (Redman) Fulton and Joel Fulton a brother to Samuel were two of the original three founding trustees. Salem Chapel remains an important place of worship and has been the site of the Fulton family reunion for many years..

  8. Capt. Pepper Rufus Kerr Pepper (1832-1862), is the son of Dr. John & Mary (Moody) Pepper of Danbury. Before the War, Rufus had studied law under John F. Poindexter of Germanton, NC. Rufus was licensed to practice law in January of 1856. In the War, Rufus was a Captain of Company F, 21st Regiment of the NC troops. His company was known as the "Mountain Boy". He was promoted to Lt. Col. and died after wounds at Winchester, VA..

  9. Fewell Fulton (1835-1897) Son of Joel & Frances (Abbott) Fulton, a first cousin to Wilson Fulton. Fewell survived the Civil War and married Lucie Waddell..

  10. Lieutenant S. Fulton Lt. Col. Saunders Fulton (c1836-1862), the son of Samuel & Martha (Redman) Fulton. Saunders is a brother of Wilson's and gave up his position as a doctor serve in the army. He was elected to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and fought with the 21st Regiment in Company G from Wincester to Manassas. Popular and charismatic he died leading his troop into battle. Major James F. Beall of Company G writes of the dead at Manassas including, "...our beloved Colonel, Saunder F. Fulton, a man who was absolutely without fear, and who evidently believed he was not to be killed in battle." Another comrade Lieutenant L. E. Power wrote this of his death, "Our regiment was commanded by the gallant Colonel Fulton of Stokes County. It was during this little advance that he fell at my side, falling against me, shot threw and killed outright. A transcript of the letter written by General I.R. Trimble to Samuel Fulton can be found in document no. 10 of this work. Trimble's letter was published in the Greensboro paper and one copy still exists today. Walter Clark's History of the NC Regiments also reprints this letter for a copy given by C.E. Fulton of Texas..

  11. Capt. Westmoreland Silas Westmoreland (born c1834). He is the son of Alexander & Fannie (Marshall) Westmoreland of Stokes County. He served as Captain of Company G of the 21st NC Regiment..

  12. Lieutenant J.O.B. James Oliver Blackburn (1837-1864) The son of James Madison & Margaret (Davis) Blackburn. James Oliver joined the 21st Regiment under Saunders Fulton and was elected a Captain to Company G. He died in the Battle of Plymouth, NC on the 20th of April 1864. An account of his death is written by Major James F. Beall, "..I must call attention to the distinguish and daring courage of Capt. James O. Blackburn...[he] fell in advance of our line in making the assault."
  13. J. A. Blackburn John A. Blackburn (1841-1862) The youngest son of James Madison & Margaret (Davis) Blackburn. John joined the 21st Regiment in Company F and was elected Lieutenant..

  14. W.B. Vaughn Wyatt B. Vaughn (1811-1888) He married Wilson Fulton's sister Bethenia. Wyatt is the son of John & Anne (Ladd) Vaugh. The Vaughns are also kin to the Davis family through the Ladds. Wyatt's marriage to Bethenia Fulton is mentioned in the "Western Carolinian" of march 29, 1834..

  15. Mark Mabe unidentified. Posibly Marklin Mabe who is poll taxed in the Buck Island District of Stokes County in 1850. Marklin is listed in the Stokes County tax list alphabetically between John Mabe and Lewis Mabe Jr. Many Mabe men are listed in this area, where Wilson Fulton also owned land and we can assume the Fultons were acquainted with this family. Buck Island District is where the county seat of Danbury is located..

  16. Peter Covington Peter J. Covington, a Private in Capt. Pepper's Company F of the 21st Regiment. According to C.S.A. records he enlisted on the 29th of May 1861 and died at Camp Rhett near Manassas about the 22nd of August of 1861. The cause of death is listed as, febris typhoides, typhoid. Possibly the son of Josiah & Caroline Covington. According to Census records he was born circa 1839..

  17. Joel Mounce Listed in C.S.A. records as a private of Captain Peppers Company F of the 21st Regiment. He enlisted at age 18 on the 29th of May 1861 and died at Camp Rhett near Manassas, VA on the 24th of August 1861. The cause of death is not stated, but looking at similar deaths at that time it seems likely he died of typhoid..

  18. Ed Lowery Edward Lowrey, a private in Capt. Pepper's Company F of the 21st Regiment. He enlisted at the age of 32 on the 29th of May 1861 and died on the 6th of September 1861 at Thoroughfare Gap, VA. The cause of death was typhoid..

  19. Capt. Pepper's Company Referring to Company F of the 21st Regiment which was led by Rufus K. Pepper. This Company was known as the "Mountain Boys". John C. Blackburn served as Lieutenant of this Company. Pepper was killed at the Battle of Winchester on the 24th of March 1862. "Lt. Col. Pepper lay mortally wounded, but still cheering his men on to victory.."..

  20. William Flynt (24 May 1824 - 12 May 1876) Husband of Minerva Davis (1819-1893), a cousin to Mary Ann Fulton. William Flynt served in the North Carolina State Assembly. Though a bastard child of Margaret Davis Carter, daughter of the first James Davis, Minerva was provided with the best education, married well and was sole heir to the considerable estate of her bachelor Uncle William Buck Davis..

  21. S.B. Taylor Spotsworth Bassett Taylor (1824-1905). The son of William & Katherine (Hill) Taylor. His brother Samuel marries James Davis' daughter Eliza. Samuel later moves to Mt. Airy and becomes Sheriff of Surry County. The 1850 Census shows Taylor as a carriage maker. Spotsworth owned a hotel in Danbury for many years, which adjoined the Fulton family house...

  22. Daniel Zigler Daniel C. Zigler (born c1835) Eldest son of Christopher & Martha Zigler. He is probably a relation to the former Sheriff of Stokes (1841-1849), Leonard Zieglar (1850 Census shows Daniel with a brother named Leonard). Daniel served as a Private in Company F of the 21st Regiment. He enlisted in Danbury on the 29th of May 1861. He died at Front Royal, VA on the 17th of September 1861. Cause of death was not recorded..

  23. Sue Susan Ellen Davis (1842-1928) youngest daughter of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis. She later married Dr. William R. Hollingsworth the son of James Hollingsworth of Surry County, on the 15th of August 1865. Upon her marriage, Sue moved to Mt. Airy in the neighboring county of Surry..

  24. Willie Vaughn William B. Vaughn (1838-1923). Third child of Wyatt B. & Bethenia (Fulton) Vaughn, and a nephew to Wilson Fulton. Willie joined as a Private in Company G of the 21st Regiment under his uncle, Saunders Fulton. Served as Sgt. Major and later appointed Adjutant (1st Lieutenant) on October 4, 1862, though his commission was canceled and her served the remainder of his term as a Sgt. Major. After the War he married Susannah Elizabeth Blackburn the daughter of Madison & Margaret (Davis) Blackburn and niece of Polly Davis Fulton. Two of Susannah's brothers died in the Civil War, both in Vaughn's regiment..

  25. J.P. Moore unidentified.

  26. Becky Bethenia Rebecca (Davis) Smith (1833-1891) Tenth child of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis. Becky married a son of Rockingham planter Drury Smith, Andrew Jackson Smith (1825-1909). They were married in Stokes County in 1854. Becky's death is mentioned in another letter included in this volume..

  27. Emily Emily Caroline (Davis) Adkins (1835-1916) The Eleventh child of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis. Emily married Hiram Adkins who was brought to the Davis plantation to teach James Davis' younger children. Hiram was from Surry County and attended Emory University in Virginia. Only a year younger than James' son Jesse, Hiram may have been a school friend. The original Adkins home stood near Snow Creek, though today has been reclaimed by the forest, Emily's second house at Red Shoals, still stands today and is known as the Adkins Place.

  28. ..her two youngest boys.. Andrew Jackson & Becky (Davis) Smith had five sons, all appear to have been born by 1861. Birth dates for her children are incomplete but this reference is clearly refering to at least the youngest son, Drury "Junior" ,who was born in 1861 and who as an adult moved to Florence S.C. The other two youngest are John P., whose birth year is unknown, but died young in 1871 and is buried in the Davis graveyard at Red Shoals. The other child may have been, Jefferson Davis Smith who was born 29 May 1859 and married a cousn Mary Ellen Easley [daughter of James & Sarah (Giles) E?] in 1884, he appears to have lived his life out in NC. This is one of the most interesting references to cultural traditions of these people. It shows that naming of the child was put off, probably until the child showed strong signs that he/she would survive. It seems that the naming of the child was put off as long as a year, and possibly in this case two years. This is common in many cultures, in order to distant, emotionally, the parent from the child. This behavior may also relate to superstitions..

  29. William Jay William Jay Adkins (1861-1939). Son of Hiram W. & Emily (Davis) Adkins and their first child. According to his neice, Kathleen A. Blackwell, William was, "from early boyhood active in Davis Chapel and took over leadership after the death of his father", who had developed Davis Chapel from a plantation chapel to a church that served the entire Red Shoals/ Meadows area. William lived his entire life in Redshoals and was postmaster for many years. He never married..

  30. Sarah Sarah Elizabeth Pitzer (1857-1949) "Bettie or Bittie" is the daughter of Lemuel & Nancy (Davis) Pitzer, niece to Polly Davis Fulton. She later married Joseph H. Fulton a son of Winston & Mary (Hollingsworth) Fulton, a nephew of Wilson Fulton..

  31. Jonnie John William Pitzer (1854-1941). Later known as Uncle"Billy", he is the son of Lemuel & Nancy (Davis) Pitzer, nephew to Polly Davis Fulton. Billy held on to the orginal hometract of James Davis' Red Shoal Plantation in Stokes County. The farm, about 800 acres, was kept in the family until 1990. Many of the family folklore that was handed down through the Adkins family, were stories told by "Uncle Billy"..

  32. Margaret Margaret (Davis) Blackburn (1817-1890). The eldest child of James & Elizabeth (McAnnally) Davis of Stokes County. She married Madison Blackburn in 1836, but was widowed in 1849 with five children, two which served in the Civil War. Margaret never remarried.
  33. William William N. Blackburn (1840 - 12 May 1892) Second son of Madison & Margaret (Davis) Blackburn. For some reason, William did not serve in the Civil War and seems to have spent part of the War years in Texas. Both of William's brothers died in the War..

  34. Mr. Hugh Martin (9 Apr 1770 - 18 Sep 1861) The son of Col. James Martin by his first wife, Ruth Rogers. The Martins emigrated to Stokes from Hunterdon County, N.J. Hugh's uncle, Alexander, served as Colonial Governor for North Carolina. The 1850 Census of Stokes County lists Hugh in the Snow Creek District with 3,000 acres and 29 slaves. His wife Elizabeth (born 1772; SC) and two children Alexander and Sarah are recorded at home. A family history identifies his wife as Elizabeth Beckman, a native of Union County, VA. Hugh is related to the Davis family through the marriage of his son to Charity McAnally..

  35. Mr. Ritchardson unidentified.

  36. ..the Grog Shop.. There were several "grog shops" in Danbury, many located near the Court House. It is said that for awhile there was one located in part of the McCandlass Hotel [re: local historian, Ellen P. Tilley (1992)]. It is interesting to note that the father of Luretta's sister-in-law, Arrena Null Davis, owned one of these grog shops. Issac Null ran a "saloon" on the East side of the Court House in Danbury. Wilson Fulton's "tavern house" in Danbury is mentioned in a depostion dated 1853. Even Luretta's own father held a license for running an ordinary and the estate papers of James Davis list stills in the inventory of the estate, suggesting that the Davis family were not all tee-toddlers..

  37. Lizzie Nancy Elizabeth Fulton (1842-1877) Eldest child of Wilson & Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton. Lizzie married in 1865 to Richard Watson Hill in Ellis County, Texas. Her death is mentioned in Luretta Davis' letter..

  38. Jimmie James Samuel Fulton (1844-1882) Second child of Wilson & Mary Ann (Davis) Fulton. Jimmie served in the Civil War as a Private in the 19th Regiment of the Texas Calvary for the C.S.A. In 1874, James marries Emma Z. Woody (1854-1936) in Coryell County, Texas.

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