David Daniel Douglas
(2/1831 - 3/10/1864)
David Daniel Douglas
circa 1861
David Daniel Douglas was born in February of 1831 in Emanuel County, Georgia, to John and Phada Douglas. The son of a cattle rancher, appraiser, planter, and Justice of the Peace, David was destined to continue the strong agricultural heritage of his ancestors.
Douglas family researchers have long considered the possible origins of David's middle name, "Daniel." During this period, few names--even middle names--were accidental. As Daniel was not a name noted in this direct line, its origins have intrigued investigators for many years.
One piece of the puzzle was discovered during research on David's older brother, Stephen. For reasons still unclear to researchers, Stephen moved onto the plantation of Mr. A.E. Tarver during the late 1840s. Stephen appears in Mr. Tarver's household in the 1850 Jefferson County census. Interestingly, Mr. Tarver's wife, Julia Ann, was born a Daniel. In fact, a number of Tarvers and Daniels lived in close proximity to one another in Jefferson County at this time.
It is also important to note that a number of Daniels resided in Emanuel County, home of David's family, during the 1820s and 1830s. Among the Daniels appearing in the 1830 Emanuel County census are John R. Daniel, William Daniel, and William B. Daniel. Notably, William B. Daniel was a close neighbor of William Douglas, David's uncle.
Based upon this information, it becomes obvious that there was a close relationship between the Tarvers and Daniels of Jefferson County, and the family of John Douglas of Emanuel County. It appears clear that as the Tarver-Daniel household opened its doors to Stephen Douglas, then some significant relationship existed here--enough for David's parents to bestow the Daniel name upon him. Moreover, the Daniel family is also closely aligned with the Jordan family, of which David's mother, Phada, was a part prior to marrying David's father, John.
The first known record presently in existence that names David is an Emanuel County "poor" or "common school" roster dated September 10, 1838. Students participating in the common school program were those individuals from families paying less than $.50 in taxes for the calendar tax year. As Phada, David's mother, was now a widow with a large
Tarver's Mill
Jefferson County, Georgia
family, she struggled like many families of early Emanuel County to make ends meet. Prior to the death of David's father, John, the Douglas family had enjoyed a much more secure financial livelihood. The ages of students participating in Emanuel County's common school system ranged from 8 to 18, and attendance remained generally quite low.
The common school system, established by the Georgia Legislature in 1817, was designed to provide for at least three years of education in learning fundamentals for children throughout rural Georgia. Many counties fared poorly in attempts to maintain this system, although it appears that Emanuel County was able to function admirably despite limited access to funding.
David, known as "Davy" by his family, teacher, and classmates, appears on the Emanuel County common school roster as a student of Mr. Jeremiah William Pool Stephens (ca. 1812 - ca. 1865). Stephens received payment per student apparently based upon student attendance records. He was married to Sarah "Sallie" Meeks, daughter of Allen J. Meeks and Susannah Tyson.
David attended the common school approximately 52 days per quarter in 1838, and approximately 52 days per quarter in 1843. He certainly attended the school more than is noted here, but all other records were destroyed via courthouse fires. Researchers have concluded that David's mother, Phada, placed a high value on education as evidenced by the school attendance rates of David's siblings--especially his brother, Stephen, who not only attended the common school at least through age 17, but even became an instructor himself in 1844. As education during this period was not compulsory, only those parents who were truly interested in a sound education for their children encouraged regular school attendance.
David appears in the household of his widowed mother, Phada, in the 1840 Emanuel County census (10-15 year old age category). He would later appear in the 1860 Emanuel County census, still residing with his mother and siblings, at the age of 19 (occupation listed as "Farmer").
David, like his older brothers before him, became well acquainted with the vocation of general farming and animal husbandry, although not at the hands of his father, John. As John died shortly after David's birth, the primary father-figures in David's early life were his brothers, Amos, Stephen, and James, as well as his uncle, William Douglas (David would later name a son, William Spencer, after his uncle). Despite the disadvantages associated with never knowing his father, David nonetheless became a well-liked and respected member of the Emanuel County community. Memories recalled by David descendants describe him as being a man of high honor with a strong sense of duty to his community and family.
Nancy Mozelle Kea
circa 1870
David, contrary to the custom of the time, married at a somewhat later age than one might initially expect. Following a period of courtship, David married Nancy Mozelle Kea/Key (11/12/1838 - 10/16/1903) on January 5, 1858 in Emanuel County. David would have been around 28 years old at the time.
Nancy was the daughter of Spencer (ca. 1817 - 1857) and Elizabeth Flanders Kea/Key (1821 - ca. 1868), and the grand-daughter of the Reverend Warren William Kea/Key (1784-1843), founder of Kea's Methodist Church, Adrian, Georgia. Nancy belonged to a highly prominent family in Emanuel County, and their impact and significance can still be noted throughout the Emanuel-Johnson County region today.
The marriage record, filed in Emanuel County, reads as follows:
I do certify that David Douglas and Nancy M. Kea were duly joined in matrimony by me, this the fifth day of January, 1858. -F.W. Flanders
It is noteworthy that F.W. Flanders, who married David and Nancy, would later serve as a founding pioneer of Johnson County, Georgia. David's older brother, Amos Douglas, is also remembered as one of the early founders of Johnson County.
Nancy soon became pregnant, and preparations were made by the extended family for the new arrival. The documented issue of David and Nancy are as follows:
a) Elizabeth "Lizzie" Flanders (11/22/1858-12/11/1933); wed John Dude Beasley (4/2/1862-11/4/1951)
b) Elisha (b. 1859; died in infancy)
c) William Spencer (4/3/1860 - 6/26/1937); Mary Mozelle Lamb (10/22/1863 - 11/16/1915)
d) Mary Francis (7/23/1861 - 7/22/1940); married Joseph Bartow Flanders (1862-1942)
David and family later appeared in the 1860 Emanuel County census. David was listed as 28 years old and Nancy as 21 years old. According to the census, David's real estate holdings were valued at $1,000.00, and his personal property valued at $300.00.
One mystery associated with the 1860 census is the fact that while Elisha Douglas is listed as a son of David and Nancy, Spencer does not appear -- despite the fact that he was born several months prior (the 1860 census was dated 6/18/1860, and Spencer was born on 4/3/1860). Family tradition has always held that David and Nancy did indeed have a son named Elisha, and it is absolutely certain that the couple were the parents of Spencer. The question among researchers has centered upon how Elisha appears in the census, yet Spencer does not.
Spencer Kea
Father of Nancy M. Kea
Elizabeth Flanders Kea
Mother of Nancy M. Kea
The solution to the mystery resides in the fact that errors -- often significant -- plagued early census records. This was particularly true in rural areas. Moreover, as immediate family members were not always in the house when the census-taker visited, other individuals were often interviewed on behalf of the family. This is a possible scenario in this instance. Elisha may have died in infancy, although he would have been born very prematurely for Nancy to have had time to become pregnant with and eventually give birth to Spencer. It is possible for a woman to become pregnant as early as 6 weeks following the birth of a child. Thus, it was theoretically possible for Nancy to have given birth to a premature son after her first child, Lizzie, and a few months later, become pregnant with Spencer.
Someone outside the Douglas household could have provided the census-taker with the only infant son name they were aware of -- Elisha -- when in fact, the infant was actually Spencer. This explanation makes sense when "Elisha's" age is noted -- two months. This would be precisely accurate for Spencer's age at this time. Thus, in this scenario, it was actually Spencer in the household during the census, although David and Nancy gave birth to another male child, Elisha, who died prior to the 1860 census.
However, another scenario is also possible. David and Nancy may have only had one son, but had not settled on a formal name for him until after the census was taken. As the child was only 2 months old at the time of the census, the couple could have used several names for him (i.e., "Elisha" and "Spencer") until finally settling on Spencer. While this practice may seem unusual, it was not without precedent, and remains an additional possibility.
The latter portion of 1860 proved quite difficult for Nancy as her father, Spencer Kea, passed away. The estate settlement records, dated August 15, 1860, name David as the recipient of "Lot Number 2...according to the legacies contained in (the) will" of Spencer Kea. The extensive inheritance was valued at $1,966.30 (approximately $55,048.00 in modern currency). The appraisal was signed by Neil McLeod (father of William McLeod, David's future commanding officer during the Civil War), Thomas Kersey, and S.J. Kersey.
An 1860 Emanuel County Agriculture Schedule provides a great deal of insight into David's holdings and farming activities during the period. According to the document, David held 910 acres of land, 1 horse, 2 oxen, 33 swine, and 250 bushels of wheat. David's father, John, and grandfather, Edward, had been cattle ranchers, in addition to raising other livestock. It appears that David specialized in growing wheat and raising swine based on available records.
On December 29, 1860, David deeded a portion of property to his brother, Amos, in newly-formed Johnson County, Georgia. Most of the property holdings of the Douglas family, once in Emanuel County, were now in Johnson County. Many Douglas family descendants continue to reside in Johnson County to the present day.
News traveled slowly in rural Georgia, and most news was oftentimes second or third-hand. Regional and local newspapers provided residents with information of national importance, but the news was, invariably, several days old when it finally reached its target audience. With the secession of Georgia from the Union on January 19, 1861, news of an imminent war with the North over secession began to circulate throughout the Emanuel-Johnson County area. Many local leaders began to formulate plans should war become a reality.
Individual states that would eventually comprise the Confederate States of America began forming volunteer militias by the spring of 1861. By April, war had officially been declared, and efforts to organize ample troops for battle were hastily underway. One such unit had formed by the summer of 1861 and was funded by a wealthy local merchant and landowner named Neil McLeod. McLeod provided uniforms, artillery, and other requisite training supplies. Originally known as "McLeod's Artillery," the unit was eventually commanded by McLeod's son, William, a former student at Oglethorpe College in Milledgeville, Georgia.
McLeod's Artillery (also known as the Ben Hill Artillery), consisting primarily of volunteers from Emanuel and Bulloch Counties, conducted regular drilling exercises during the summer of 1861 under the command of Captain William L. McLeod, 1st Lieutenant M.A. Wright, and 2nd Lieutenant J.A. Williamson. The unit was eventually restructured from an artillery to an infantry company known as the Been Hill Guards. According to a letter to the state commander of Georgia troops dated July 18th, 1861, Captain William McLeod noted that the 80 men (112 men in total would eventually serve with the Ben Hill Guards) comprising the Ben Hill Guards were young, healthy, and strong. One of these number was David Daniel Douglas who enlisted as a private on May 8, 1862.
William McLeod
Commander of the Ben Hill Guards
The Ben Hill Guards were transferred to Camp Cook, Georgia. Training typically consisted of basic riflery, extended marches, close proximity combat, and light artillery. On October 1, 1861, the unit was officially recognized as a company of Wright's Legion. The unit's formal induction occurred in Augusta, Georgia, followed by training with other units at Camp Kirkpatrick, Georgia, located near present-day Decatur. The Guards were then transferred to Savannah, Georgia, where they trained at Camps Bartow, Lawton, and Mercer, respectively. The threat of the Union navy on Georgia's coast eventually necessitated the removal of the unit to Skidaway Island where defensive positions were held until June of 1862. Now known as Company C, 38th Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry, the unit was taken by train to Virginia in time to participate in the Seven Days Battles of June 25, 1862 - July 1, 1862.
The 38th Infantry participated in over fifty-five military engagements prior to its final surrender at Appomattox, Virginia. David would see half of these engagements before an injury and subsequent capture would separate him permanently from his unit.
The the Civil War was devastating by all measures, few would argue the point that the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most heinous military confrontations in United States history. The three-day battle left the land soaked in the blood of thousands of wounded and killed soldiers from both armies. On the first day of battle, David's commander, Captain W.L. McLeod was killed. David, fighting on into the second day, was wounded just below the knee of his right leg and captured by Union forces on July 2, 1863.
David was transported along with other Confederate prisoners of war to a Maryland port, whereupon they immediately set sail for Point Lookout Prison Camp for Confederates, Point Lookout, Maryland. Following the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union established a prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, which is situated at the end of a peninsula where the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River converge. Point Lookout Prison Camp for Confederates was surrounded by a fourteen foot parapet wall enclosing various "streets" along which buildings and tents were arranged.
David was turned over to the Point's Provost Marshall on July 14, 1863 and assigned a tent among other members of his regiment on the northern end of the camp. Notably, the famous poet and musician, Sidney Lanier, was also imprisoned at Point Lookout. Prisoners lived in "sibley tents," which were shaped like a bell and contained an opening in the top. Twelve men occupied each tent, arranging themselves in a circle (feet in the center) as they slept. Breakfast consisted of five crackers and a cup of coffee. Lunch was a small ration of meat, two crackers, three potatoes, and a cup of soup. No dinner/supper was provided.
David's wound had been hastily treated by the camp physician upon his arrival and deemed non-life threatening. However, by January 12, 1864, David's wound had become so severe that he was admitted to Hammond United States Army General Hospital located at the Point. David would eventually succumb to his wounds in hospital bed number 22 on March 10, 1864. The attending physician recorded the official cause of death as a "gunshot fracture of the right leg."
Point Lookout Confederate
Cemetery Monument
David was buried in the prison cemetery among his many comrades who had perished before him. His body remained there until 1870 when, due to heavy erosion, the Confederate dead were exhumed and relocated to Tanner Creek Cemetery, Maryland. In 1910, the remains were moved once again to present-day U.S. National Cemetery, Scotland, Maryland.
The present burial site of the Point's Confederate dead contains two monuments--one erected by the state of Maryland, and the other by the United States government. The Maryland monument is composed of white marble and is twenty-five feet in height. It is inscribed as follows:
At the call of patriotism and duty,
They encountered the perils of the field,
Endured the trials of prison; and were,
Faithful, even unto death.
The United States monument is composed of granite, stands eighty-five feet in height, and contains twelve bronze tablets listing the names of the Confederate dead--numbering 3,384 individuals. David is listed in the following manner (David was registered as Pvt. D.D. Douglass, rather than Douglas):
Douglass, D.D., Company C
38th Georgia Regiment
In November of 1864, David's family and neighbors witnessed the entry of General William T. Sherman's troops into Emanuel County. Sherman's 17th Corps marched along Old Savannah Road, which had served the area for over a century. An encampment was made in northern Emanuel County on the evening of November 29, 1864. On November 30, the 17th Corps crossed the Ogeechee River and destroyed the railroad and station located at Midville, Georgia. Sherman's 15th Corps approached Emanuel County from the west at Blundale, a small village that is no longer inhabited. The troops marched east towards the village of Modoc, followed by Cannoochee, Modoc, and finally, Garfield.
According to Emanuel County resident, Samps David Flanders, Union troops attempted to steal, kill, or destroy whatever they encountered. When troops reached the farm of Jordan Flanders, he begged them not to harm his pea fowls. As detailed by Samps Flanders, one of the soldiers called Mr. Flanders a "gray-headed SOB" and ordered him back into his house or he would be shot. The emotional impact of the invasion of Union troops would be felt by the citizenry for many decades to follow.
Only nine soldiers of the Ben Hill Guards would survive the war to surrender with General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, Virginia. One of these men, Archibald "Archie" Woods, had been a friend of David's for many years preceding the war, and remained so throughout the conflict. An often-told family legend holds that upon David's capture at Gettysburg, a small trunk holding all of his personal possessions was secured by Archibald and maintained until the end of the war. As the legend contends, Archibald returned home with the trunk and presented it to David's widow, Nancy. A relationship between the two soon developed, although the whereabouts of the legendary trunk and its contents have been lost to time.
Engraving Depicting Sherman's
March to the Sea
Map of Emanuel County
circa 1867
David’s name was mentioned on two occasions following his death in a newspaper known as The Central Georgian. The first of these references was a posting by A.C. Flanders, who was attempting to sell David’s land holdings. The posting, which ran on Wednesday, April 11, 1866 reads as follows:
A.C. Flanders of Emanuel County files to sell the property of David D. Douglas, deceased. The land adjoins Thomas Kersey, W.A. Webb, and others.
The second reference, which appeared on Friday, March 27, 1874, is the aforementioned guardianship application posted by Archibald Woods:
Archibald Woods of Emanuel County files for guardianship of minor children of David D. Douglas, deceased.
Nancy Kea Douglas, widow of David Daniel, married Archibald Woods (b. 8/20/1845 – 2/15/1916) on October 28, 1865 in Johnson County. Nancy was seven years older than Archibald at the time of their marriage. At the very least, they had issue:
a) Georgia G. (1866-1883); Never married.
b) Matilda J. (b. 1869)
c) Savannah Lee "Vannie" (1870-1954); married Asa Gordon Braswell (1867-1942)
d) Nancy M. (b. 1872)
e) Martha D. (b. 1873)
f) Archie Lonie (1874-1943); m. 1st, Willie E. Durden (1872-1901); 2nd, George L.Durdan (1879-1955)
g) Archibald B. (b. 1875)
h) Sallie P. (b. 1877)
i) John N. (b. 1878)
j) Vernon J. (b. 1879)
On May 4, 1874, Archibald secured the guardianship of David's and Nancy's children, Elizabeth, William Spencer, and Mary Francis. The guardianship document, filed in Emanuel County, reads in part:
...Archibald Woods, who was this day appointed guardian of the persons and property of Elizabeth F., William S., and Mary Francis Douglas, orphan children of David D. Douglas, deceased, be acknowledging of the same by his acceptance of said appointment...and...shall well and truly...clothe and educate said orphans according to their circumstances and take good...care of their person and property according to the law of this state...
Archibald Woods
circa 1900
Nancy resided with her family in Emanuel County until her death on 10/16/1903. She is buried with Archibald in Moxley Cemetery, Swainsboro, Georgia. In 1904, Archibald granted 100 acres of land to David Daniel’s son, Spencer, who now had a large family of his own.