Hernando County FlArchives Biographies.....Davant, John Cheney 1841 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 31, 2008, 11:38 pm Author: B. F. Johnson John Cheney Davant Gen. John Cheney Davant, of Brooksville, attorney, and who in the last eighteen years has contributed as much to the development of his section as any other one man, was born at Gillisonville, Beaufort district, S. C., on June 5, 1841. His father, Richard James Davant, was an attorney who held for thirty-two years the honorable position of vice-chancellor in the equity court. He was also a State Senator and a member of the Secession Convention, and like so many other southerners lost practically everything he had by the Civil War. The Davants are of Huguenot origin. The progenitors of the family in South Carolina were two brothers, John and James, who came at the time of the Huguenot immigration to that colony and settled on two islands off the coast. John, the great- grandfather of General Davant, left the island, which was called after him John's island and goes by that name to this day, and settled on Hilton Head island, where General Davant's father was born. It may be stated as an absolute fact that the Huguenots who came to South Carolina between 1685 and 1750 more strongly impressed themselves upon the new community in which they settled than any other equal number of people at any place in any period of the world's history. General Davant's mother, bom Evelina Judith Cheney, was of English descent, and the name is preserved in England in the village of Cheney, near London. An account of the old Cheney home written by the celebrated English historian, James Anthony Froude, has appeared in one of our leading magazines. At the time of the nullification excitement in 1832 General Davant's father was the First-Lieutenant of the Coosawhatchie Riflemen, one of the South Carolina companies, which was ready to take arms in opposition to General Jackson's policy of "hickory oil." General Davant obtained his education at the Beaufort District Academy, followed by courses at the South Carolina Military Academy and the Furman University, at Greenville, S. C. He had taken up active work on January 1, 1861, as principal of the Beaufort District Academy, and at the same time was a member of a military company under the State government. This company as one of the Hampton Legion, later volunteered for service in Virginia, and Mr. Davant was after about two years' service commissioned as Captain by the Confederate war department and assigned to command of his old company. Later on, though a very young man, he became a Brigadier-General in the South Carolina cavalry, and while serving in that position disarmed all the local negro organizations of National Guard in South Carolina. At the close of the war, he studied law with his father, in 1866 was admitted to the bar and taken into partnership by his father. He practiced law continuously, at Gillisonville, Allendale and Barnwell Court House until 1890 when, on account of the health of some members of his family, he came to Florida and settled at Brooksville and entered upon the practice of his profession. While in South Carolina the General had served two terms as a member of the Legislature from Barnwell county, from 1878-1882 and declined re-election. He came to Florida a mature man with a reputation for ability and integrity fully established, and immediately stepped into the position of a leader in his community. The people of Hernando county sent him to the Legislature in 1899, and while a member of that body he was one of the first to publicly advocate a new revision of the Constitution. Outside of his profession he has been interested in these eighteen years in everything that would contribute to the upbuilding of his section. He is ready to take a hand in every new enterprise which is bottomed on sound principles and which has for its purpose the improvement of Hernando county. Naturally his personal popularity is widespread and justly so. In 1868 General Davant married Matilda Morgan Cheney, a daughter of Charles J. and Sarah (Morgan) Cheney, of Louisiana. They have three children, St. Clair, J. C, Jr., who is his father's law partner, and Matilda (now Mrs. C. R. Pooler). Mrs. Davant's mother was a daughter of Samuel Dold Morgan, an uncle of the famous Confederate General, John H. Morgan, and Samuel Dold Morgan's name would indicate that he was connected on the maternal side with the famous Confederate Brigadier who led Dold's Georgia Brigade in the Civil War. It is rather interesting to note that both General Davant's mother and wife were members of the Cheney family. His mother was born at Hubbard's Hill, named for a Revolutionary officer, and the general himself was born at the same spot. General Davant is a Baptist and a Democrat. He is an active member of his church, filling the position of deacon, and is also a member of the Masonic fraternity. General Davant has been a wide reader of the best literature during his life. He places as the most helpful books which he has read and in their proper places as to importance, the Bible, Shakespeare, Xenophon's Anabasis, Butler's Analogy and Blackstone's Commentaries. He believes that the best interests of Florida would be promoted by a constitutional convention, by agricultural development and by good immigration. It is rather noteworthy that among the more thoughtful men in Florida, especially the strong men in the legal profession there is a practical unanimity of belief that a new Constitution is needed. And as to the development of the great agricultural resources of the State and the inducement of a good quality of immigration, there is absolute unanimity. For nearly fifty years General Davant has led a life of strenuous work in which he has endeavored to serve his people with fidelity, both in peace and war. Yet vigorous in mind and body and youthful in spirit, he has won an honorable position, and it may be said the affection of the people whom he has served so faithfully. After the second battle of Manassas he was assigned to staff duty with Ewell's Division, Gen. A. R. Lawton, of Georgia, being in command. At Sharpsburg General Lawton received the serious wound which resulted in his appointment as Quarter Master Gener-eral, and General Davant assumed special responsibilities for the Division, and particularly with General Lawton's Brigade then in command of Colonel Douglas, as gallant a knight as ever drew a blade. After this "any vacancy in the Quarter Master's Department" was tendered him, but General Davant in acknowledging the honor answered that he felt his proper place was in the field and his obligation active service, and expressed his preference for lower rank with and opportunity to recruit his old Company. This was gratified in a preserved document, which his family prizes: CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA WAR DEPARTMENT RICHMOND, February 5, 1864. Sir: You are hereby informed that the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, has appointed you SECOND LIEUTENANT Co. B. 2D SOUTH CAROLINA CAVALRY FOR DISTINGUISHED VALOR AND SKILL In the Provisional Army in the service of the Confederate States: to run as such from the sixth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four. Immediately on receipt hereof, please to communicate to this Department, through the Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, your acceptance or non-acceptance of said appointment; and with your letter of acceptance, return to the Adjutant and Inspector General the OATH, herewith enclosed, properly filled up, SUBSCRIBED and ATTESTED, reporting at the same time your AGE, RESIDENCE, when appointed, and the STATE in which you were BORN. Should you accept, you will report for duty to Col. Lipscomb. JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War. LIEUT. J. C. DAVANT Co. B., 2d S. Carolina Regt. Cavalry. Additional Comments: Extracted from: FLORIDA EDITION MAKERS OF AMERICA AN HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WORK BY AN ABLE CORPS OF WRITERS VOL. III. Published under the patronage of The Florida Historical Society, Jacksonville, Florida ADVISORY BOARD: HON. W. D. BLOXHAM COL. FRANK HARRIS HON. R. W. DAVIS SEN. H. H. McCREARY HON. F. P. FLEMING W. F. STOVALL C. A. CHOATE, SECRETARY 1909 A. B. CALDWELL ATLANTA, GA. COPYRIGHT 1909 B. F. JOHNSON File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/hernando/bios/davant12gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/flfiles/ File size: 8.9 Kb