Copyright © 1998-2009, Scott McKay
Camp near Dalton, Ga.
April 9, 1864
My Dear Father:
As I have not written to you for some time I will drop you a few lines. This leaves us all well. John's health is better than it has been for a long time [Ed: John was his brother, Pvt. John Andrew Davenport, Co. K, 10th Texas Infantry]. I have been thinking for some time that I would get leave of absence & come down to see you all before we commence moving but it seems that I shall never get the chance to make the effort as I cannot leave until the Lieutenants are assigned to duty & they have been before the examining committee for the last 2 weeks, but the weather has been so bad that they have not yet passed them & consequently I fear that they will be so late with the matter that I shall not be able to get off or even make application for that purpose. I have never seen such weather in March before, cold & raining almost every day.
On Thursday last they took us to Dalton & put us through a sham fight. Our Corps was all engaged & you ought to have seen us running from the Goober grabbers. They whipped us badly. I believe there was no blood spilled. It was a very pretty representation of a real battle but lacked the screaming of the shells & the whistle of the balls & the nervous system was not so seriously effected. Military discipline is more rigidly enforced than at any time since I have been in the service. Everything is quiet in front & no news of an advance on the part of the enemy. Military operations were suspended on yesterday & and the soldiers generally observed the fast. We had prayer meeting in the morning & preaching at 10 Oclock. We have had meetings every night when the weather would permit for the last 2 weeks. There is great interest manifested on the subject of Religion. There has been several conversions & a great number who go to the alter for Prayer & profane swearing is becoming rather out of fashion compared to former times. It is certainly the best opening for a minister to accomplish good that I have ever seen. We have no chaplain but occasionally a missionary calls and preaches for us.
Times are improving with us in the way of rations. When our officers raised a rumpus about it we had been desperately imposed upon but now we get one pound & 1/2 meal and one & 1/3 of a pound of bacon & are doing finely. I recd a letter from James Pennington a few days hence [Ed: a cousin of Overton's, James Pennington was formerly a Pvt. of Co. K, 10th Texas Infantry, that had been hospitalized at Little Rock during the battle of Arkansas Post, when the regiment had been captured. He remained on duty in the Trans-Mississippi Department from that time to the end of the war.]. He says the troops get sugar & Coffee & rice & corn meal & think it hard they can't get flour but as long as we get plenty of meal our men never complain. Until lately they got about beef enough for one meal and not enough bread & I am glad things have changed for I dislike to see men do duty when hungry.
I have heard nothing from home for a long time. I regret that I did not write for Billy Grant [Ed: Overton's eldest son] to come over here if he goes into service [Ed: Billy Grant was on frontier duty in Texas but went into Cobb's Scouts of the 6th Texas Cavalry and was with Forest at Franklin and Nashville. There at Nashville, he took Overton, his wounded father, from a box car turned field hospital, and took him to Tuscumbia and put him on the train, then returned to his command.]. I have sent up a document to the Secretary of War in relation to the resignation of the Capt. If they do nothing in the matter I shall resign and cross the River & go into service there where I can have Billy Grant with me; but I shall soon hear I suppose what will be done in the matter. I have heard nothing from you since John returned. Give my love to all & write as often as you can.
Yours affectionately
O. F. Davenport O. F. Davenport
[Overton Daveport's Great Grandson, Joe Davenport of San Antonio, Texas]
Notes
Capt. Overton F. Davenport - Age 41 upon enlistment as Pvt. to Co. H, 10th Texas Infantry, at Houston, Harris County, Texas, on October 18, 1861, by 1Lt. Jesse Sparks He was a native of Campbell County, Georgia, a successful farmer and family man from Station Creek, Coryell County. He was detached on Recruiting Service on February 22, 1862, promoted to 2Jr. Lt. (3Lt.) and transferred to Co. K, 10th Texas Infantry, on March 29, 1862.
3Lt. Davenport was captured with the Command at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, on January 11, 1863, arriving at Camp Chase Prison, Columbus, Ohio, on January 30th. He was paroled from prison for exchange on April 10, 1863; arriving at Ft. Delaware on April 12th. He was exchanged at City Point, Virginia, on April 29th. According to his exchange certificate, Lt. Davenport stood 6'1" tall with blue eyes, brown hair, and a fair complexion.
Overton Davenport was assigned with his Command to the Army of Tennessee, where he assumed was promoted to 1Lt. on May 23, 1863, and placed in Command of the Company. As Captain of Co. K, Davenport was wounded twice at the battle of Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1863, but returned to his Command several days later; his jaw was shattered by a minie ball at the battle of Nashville, on December 15, 1864. His son, William G. Davenport, 6th Texas Cavalry, collected he and Pvt. John A. Davenport, Co. K, 10th Texas Infantry, wounded in a Franklin hospital, and retreated with the army. William loaded his father Overton on a westbound train at Tuscumbia, Alabama, on December 23, 1864. Capt. Davenport was admitted to the hospital at Okolona, Mississippi, on January 10, 1865, and later captured there then sent to Johnson's Island, near Sandusky, Ohio, where Overton was paroled on May 12, 1865, by order of General W. T. Sherman. He was the brother of Pvt. John A. Davenport, who was under his Command.
The following entry was written by Davenport Descendant, Doris A. Thompson, for the 1985 book, Coryell County Families; 1854-1985:
"'Tell Ma to save me some apples for I have a fine specimen of gold for her. Now I must close as the time has come to go to work.' This ended the last letter of Overton Davenport written to his father, William, in Georgia. Overton was in California mining gold, the date was Oct. 5, 1851. The letters written over a period of 18 months describe his adventures traveling to California, working and living in the west during the Gold Rush.
Overton Fletcher Davenport was born in Oglethorpe County, Georgia Feb. 10, 1820. He married Margaret Susan Roberts Dec. 29, 1842 and had two sons, William Grant and Harbert. Both Margaret and Harbert died before 1851. After the California trip, he settled down to farming in Georgia and married Eliza Agnes Pennington August 5, 1852. Two sons were born in Georgia - Thomas Henry 1853 and Ephraim Pennington 1854. In 1855 the family emigrated to Coryell County, settling at Station Creek near Eagle Springs. The following children were born in Coryell County: Caroline Agnes (1856/1956), John Jewett (1857), Parks Edward (1859), Lucy Elizabeth (1862), Sarah Maria (1864) [Ed: "Betty," conceived in April 1863, while Overton was on leave from Camp Chase Prison, after his capture at Arkansas Post], Albert Sidney (1867), James Samuel (1869), Baldwin Piercelee (1871), George Lovick (1873).
In 1892 the Davenports, Harrisons and other related families moved to Eastland. Overton lived in Eastland only a short time, then moved to Ranger where he lived until his death, June 22, 1909. Eliza died in San Antonio Dec. 20, 1924. Both are buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, Ranger, Texas.
Ephriam Pennington Davenport and brother Thomas H. married Laura Virginia Roberts, his half-brother, William Grant married Mary J. Shook, his uncle John A. and John's son Overton Vol married Sarah Ellen Backstock moved to Pearl in 1875. E. P. my grandfather, married Inez Estelle Whitney Nov. 6, 1861 in Stephenville and lived in Pearl. The two children born at this time were not born in Pearl. A daughter, Winnie (1882) was born in Stephenville and Overton Royal (1886) was born at Ealgle Springs. Ephriam and his cousin, Overton Vol, were operating a store in Pearl when it was called Wayback. He became postmaster March 28, 1890 and was instrumental in changing the town's name to Pearl. Vol's son, William Pearl, eight years old had been bitten by a rattlesnake, survived the bite and lived until Dec. 27, 1951.
In 1892 the cousins sold the store and move to Eastland. The two sons born in Eastland were Ernest Vernon (1892) and Travis Ephraim (1894). E. P. was a merchant and banker during this time. The family moved to San Antonio about 1915 where E. P. continued in banking. E.P. died July 25, 1935 and Inez died Oct. 4, 1950. Both are buried at Mission Burial Park, San Antonio.
Travis E. served in the A. E. F. in France during W.W.I and worked in San Antonio after for the Southern Pacific Railroad. He married Eleanor Anne Lucas Sept. 5, 1925. In 1931, Travis, Eleanor and children Travis Jr. (8/24/26) and Doris Anne (8/1/28) moved to Houston where they reside presently.
I know of no Davenport living in Coryell County except me, Doris Anne Davenport Thompson. I transferred here in 1981 from Huntsville, where I work for the Department of Corrections. My husband, Robert Bruce Thompson, Jr., died May 21, 1979. Our sons, Robert BruceThompson III, (11/24/60) and Travis William Thompson (11/26/62) presently live in San Antonio and Denton, respectively.
The family possesses a collection of letters written by Overton to his family in Georgia. The letters reflect a man of deep religious, moral and patriotic beliefs. This first Davenport of Coryell County set a noble example for all of us who follow - Doris A. Thompson"
The next entry is by Joe Davenport, the contributor of this page's letter:
"Overton Davenport after the war. O.F. served for a time as Station Creek postmaster before being elected to a full term as Coryell County, commissioner. (Four commissioners and county judges make up commissioner courts in Texas.) He was then elected to represent Coryell County in the 13th Texas Legislature (1873) which repealed most of the carpet bag laws imposed upon the residents.
He continued farming and he and wife Eliza Agnes Pennington continued having children. Overton and first wife had one surviving child: William Gran. Overton and Eliza had 11 surviving children, including one named Albert Sydney, who became a district Judge in Eastland County. Overton accompanied by his family as well as those of brothers John Andrew and Jouett Harbert (a major in Co. D, 30th Texas Cavalry during the war) moved to Eastland County. For a brief period Overton engaged in a mercantile business and aided brother Jouett in starting the county's first newspaper while beginning, again, a farming operation. He engaged in some land speculation in the town of Eastland and later in Ranger. Overton died June 22, 1909 at age 89. He and wife are buried in Pioneer Cemetery three blocks from downtown Ranger, Texas.
John Andrew [Ed: Pvt. John A. Davenport, Co. K, 10th Texas Infantry], born December 20, 1830, farmed in Coryell County and served a term as Station Creek postmaster. He also farmed in Eastland County near Ranger. He died October 18, 1916, and is buried in Pioneer Cemetery in Ranger under a tombstone that has his name spelled, improperly, as DEAVENPORT.
Overton had 6 brothers. All entered CSA service. Three were killed or died, the other four were wounded."
Copyright © 1998-2009, Scott McKay