L. D. Davis was born about 1847, possibly in New York state. Although his mother was originally from Maine, she married a Kentuckian and raised her son in the Bluegrass state.
When the Civil War broke out, the Davis family split along sectional lines. Davis's mother returned to Maine while his father joined the Confederacy.
Having been raised in Kentucky, young Davis's sympathies lay with the South although in speech and manner, he appeared to be thoroughly Northern. This made him invaluable to the Confederacy as a scout and spy.
Davis too joined the Confederate army and served under General John Hunt Morgan, where he earned his soubriquet, "the Little Yankee Devil". At fifteen or sixteen, not only was he a fresh-faced youth, he may also have been small in stature. He could infiltrate Union camps, hire on to care for the officers’ horses and pass unnoticed while gathering information about troop movements. He was with Morgan on the latter's ill-fated 1863 raid into Indiana and Ohio and, by his account, was the only Rebel soldier to avoid capture.
After the war, L. D. continued to do what he did best—work with horses. He was much sought after by the racing set as a horse trainer and driver. Acquaintances described him as being of a quiet disposition, not speaking much about his background or family. In recent years, researchers have tried without success to pin down his identity; General Morgan’s command included several L. Davises about whom little is known. His name might have been L. R., Lewis or Luther.
L. D. is believed to have moved to Phoenix around 1895, possibly for his health. The November 15, 1895, issue of the Arizona Republican newspaper shows a man by that name registered as a guest at the Commercial Hotel. Thereafter, Davis found employment locally as a horse trainer.
Davis died of tuberculosis on August 27, 1899, in his lodgings at 229 North Center Street. Since he had no known family, his funeral was a quiet affair. He was buried in Rosedale Cemetery, exact location unknown.
Note: the term "Little Yankee Devil" usually refers to Johnny Clem, a Union drummer boy at the Battle of Shiloh and Chickamauga. However, it could have been applied to Davis as well.
- by Donna L. Carr
No comments:
Post a Comment