Pioneers: Davison Family, 1986, Winn Parish, LA. Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: December 31, 1986 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American (Article No. 93, Winn Parish Past Tense, By Staff Historians) The Davison family immigrated to Winn Parish about 1859. Hugh Davison was a native of North Carolina, born February 15, 1813. At 20 years of age he married 17 year old Samantha Gladys, born October 8, 1816 of Alabama. The couple married November 26, 1833. Hugh along with other family members relocated in Monroe County, Alabama before the early 1830s. Relatives included two other Hugh Davisons, Chapman and Levi, and two John Davisons. All these families earned their living by farming. During these years in Alabama five children were born to Hugh and Samantha. They were Mary, born January 7, 1835, Elizabeth, born February 10, 1837, Charles Thomas, born May 1, 1840, and William Travis, born December, 1845. (Note: only four are listed in this paragraph). Between 1846-48 the growing young family again headed west. This time Hugh settled in Lauderdale County, Mississippi. Farming continued and Samantha bore three more children. Their names were Narcissa Jane, born June 16, 1848, Martha Louisa, born March 16, 1851, and last was Hugh Cornelius, known as Neal, born May 28, 1855. Unfortunately young Martha Louisa died the 29th day of July, 1857 at the age of 6 years and 4 months. Less than a year later another child died: Charles Thomas died June 9, 1858 being 18 years and 1 month of age. Between 1855-60 the family had moved to Louisiana. The settled in the rolling timber lands of Winn Parish. On April 6, 1861 Hugh Davison purchased a tract of land of ____ acres recorded at the General Land Office in Natchitoches. Letters of patent are signed by President Abraham Lincoln. This tract is today in the Mars Hill Community on Highway 472. On the heels of this followed the war between the states. Two of the three remaining Davison brothers enlisted. The third son, Neal, was too young, being 6 years old in 1861. Private William Travis Davison enlisted May 17, 1861 at New Orleans, Louisiana. He died in a military hospital and is buried at the National Cemetery in Jackson, Mississippi. His tombstone reads, "W. T. Davison, Co. C, 3rd La. Died 31 May, 1862." Few words for this 19 year old soldier who never came home. The other son, Private George Washington Davison, faired much better. Assigned to Co. I, 8th La. Cavalry, he was on roll POW and paroled at Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. George came home to Winn Parish and many of his descendants are still in Winn Parish to this very day. The remaining children of Hugh and Samantha grew up and married in Winn Parish. Mary Davison married R. S. McLamore. She died about 1885. Inexplicably, Mary has two large tombstones in the Mt. Zion Cemetery in two different locations. At 18 Narcissa Jane Davison married a Civil War veteran on December 18, 1867. Her husband was Simeon Levi Collins who was born in Mississippi. Levi had been a private in Co. F, 27th La. Infantry who had been captured and paroled three different times. Levi was very active in his church at Mt. Zion, serving as an elder until his tragic death at age 51 on March 22, 1891. He had been plowing in the field when a sudden cloud came up. Lightning struck killing both man and mule. Narcissa never remarried. She was an interesting personality in the Davison family. She always carried a horse pistol in a cloth bag under her skirts. Many still recall "Aunt Nars". She lived until March 15, 1937 and she rests at her beloved husband's side at Mt. Zion, just across the road from an overgrown lot where they had once lived many years before. Their parents Hugh and Samantha are likewise buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery. Samantha died January 9, 1879 or 1897, it is unknown which. Old Hugh Davison lived on to May 2, 1896 at the age of 83. Hugh Cornelius (Neal) Davison, the youngest child, married a Winn Parish girl, Laura J. Williamson, in 1875. The children were William Stephen Davison, born 1876, Calvin R. Davison, born August 1877, Roscoe Conklin Davison, born August 1881, Mattie O. Davison, born February 11, 1886, Nettie Florence Davison, born August 1889, Hattie Belle Davison, born June 1883, and Hugh Walter Davison, born 1879. Hugh Walter married Angie V. Dixon in 1900. Hattie Belle is believed to have died during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Nettie Florence married Neal Roach and died in Gulfport, Mississippi in 1962. Roscoe married Celeste Dubois in 1921. He died in a hotel fire at Montgomery in 1926. Calvin is thought to have died in Texas. William Stephen Davison married Katie Ella Fuller of Grant Parish on February 28, 1903. Their children were Josie Davison, born 1904, Thomas Edward Davison, born 1907, Harrison Davison, born 1908, James Herbon Davison, born 1909, Hershell Davison, born 1911, and J. P. Davison, born 1918. Will and Ella Davison lived in Atlanta and Wheeling during their 16 year marriage. Will was a carpenter and laborer, helping to build Camp Beauregard earning the wage of 60 cents an hour. Afterwards, he farmed. Ella is still remembered by the older generation as being a very attractive and kind hearted woman. Ella was about 5 feet 10 inches tall with blonde-brown hair that reached to her knees. People still recall her many acts of kindness, always helping sick ones in the community. Sadly, Will died as did millions during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1919. Ella died not long afterwards of diabetes in 1922, the year insulin was produced. (This article was contributed by James Leland Davison, 420 A West Lafayette Street, Winnfield, Louisiana, grandson of Will and Ella Fuller Davison.)