Abraham Benson Davis - G.A.R., Bishop Post

Abraham was born in New York in either 1843 or 1844, as different sources reported.  During his life, he also went by the name of Abram or by his initials, A. B. 

 At some point between 1855 and 1860, Abram went from his home in New York to Indiana where he was enumerated in Roanoke, Huntington, Indiana.  He lived in the local hotel run by Lewis Allen, and at only 15, was working as an ostler.  In other words, he was employed by the hotel to care for the horses of its guests.

On November 26, 1861, he enrolled in the 47th Indiana Infantry, Company E.  His three year enlistment took him mainly from Missouri to Mississippi and New Orleans. In January, 1864, his muster rank was Corporal as he moved to a veterans

unit.  He was discharged on October 23, 1865.

Abraham could not be found in the 1870 census after his discharge, but he did marry on September 9, 1875 to Katie Tremain in Wabash, Indiana.  The couple settled in Indiana and that was where their first child, Minnie Adele Davis was born in 1877.  In the Federal Census of 1880, the three person family was living on Sinclair Street in Wabash.  Abraham worked as a druggist clerk, while Catherine (Katie) cared for three year old, Minnie.

Their family quickly grew, adding Bruce in 1883 and Bert in 1888. In fact, Bert was born in Ohio after their move to Defiance in between those years.  In 1900, the family lived at 618 Washington Street.  Abraham, at 55, had a new occupation as a grocer.  His wife, Katie, was 46, and the children were Minnie, 25; Bruce, 14; and Bert, 12.

Minnie married Earl E. Enos in 1898, and Bruce graduated from Defiance High School in 1900 and then became a graduate of the 'commercial school' at Defiance College.  Soon after graduation, he took off for California. He took a job in Long Beach, California working in the offices of the Barber Asphalt Company. In 1906, the family received word of his mysterious death there.  The family here could not understand the cause of his death, as he was known to be in fine health.

Finally, the Defiance Democrat reported secondhand from the Toledo Times on June 22, 1906:

"Mystery seems to surround the death of Bruce Davis at Long Beach, California.  A special dispatch from San Diego, Ca. to the Toledo Times this morning has the following about the case, although the parents have received no word from that point:

'Bruce A. Davis, a young man whose home is in Defiance, Ohio, died of cocaine poisoning in his room at Yale Hotel, Long Beach, Ca.  He came here for his health last December and was accustomed to the use of cocaine to relieve his suffering.

Saturday night he retired early and did not appear as usual Sunday morning.  After dinner Sunday, his landlady went to his room to call him and found him dying.  Davis was only 22 years old.  He body will be sent to Defiance where his parents live.' "

"SAD FUNERAL OF BRUCE DAVIS

Very sad were the last rites over the remains of the late Brue E. Davis, at the home of the bereaved parents Sunday noon.  The funeral was largely attended.  The Rev. Murphy preached a touching sermon.  The remains which arrived from California Saturday afternoon, were interred in Riverside Cemetery, the following acting as pall bearers: Thos. Gorman, Albert Sites, Virgil Weisenburger, Claud R. Winn, Ed Hubbard, and Don Wilhelm."

Younger brother, Bert, married at the age of 31 to Amy Helena Whitaker on September 30, 1919.  So by the Federal Census of 1920, only Abraham, 76, a state food inspector, and Catherine,  64, remained at their home now at 212 Hopkins Street.  Abraham would see one more census go by when he was 85 years old.  In 1930, he owned his home on Fifth Street.  He had married Catharine when she was only 17 and he was 32, and Catharine outlived him by fifteen years.

Albert joined the G.A.R. upon coming to Defiance, and they took a part in his funeral when he passed away on May 5, 1930.  He had lived in Defiance over 50 years and had made many friends.

"A. B. DAVIS

Rev. W. A. Rex conducted funeral services for A. B. Davis at the home, 212 Fifth Street, Wednesday at 4 p.m.  Interment was in Riverside Cemetery.

L. P. Rife, A. J. Kiser, Christ Frye, John Killion, John Myers, and Jacob Adams, all members of the G.A.R., were honorary pallbearers.

Henry F. Gerke, Ben Elliott, George Elliiott, Roy Beardsley, F. C. Layman and C. J. Daoust were active pallbearers. 

Mr. Davis was a member of the Defiance Elks Omega Masonic Lodge, Order of Eastern Star and Grand Army of the Republic."

(This is part of a series on Civil War veterans of Defiance County who were part of the G.A.R., Bishop Post, that headquartered in the city.  Formed in 1879, the post was named after a local man, Captain William Bishop, Company D, 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Army who died as a result of wounds received in battle.  The veterans' photos are part of a composite photo of members that has survived.  If you have other information or corrections to add to the soldiers' stories, please add to the comments!)