U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Davis, William ------------------------------------------------------------------- History of Harrison County, West Virginia, From the Early Days of Northwestern Virginia to the Present. by Henry Haymond Acme Publishing Company, Morgantown, W.Va., 1910 Page 369, William Davis. William Davis is supposed to have been born in New Jersey, and came to Harrison County some time after the war of the Revolution. He settled in the Bottom land between Salem and Bristol. "Was a large owner of lands, removed to Ohio and died there some time in the thirties. He always signed his name William Davis "Bottom" to distinguish him from two or three other William Davis' who lived in the neighborhood. Tradition says that he had been a sailor and that during the Revolution he was loyal to the King and that he piloted the British fleet through the Hell Gate Channel, under the command of Lord Howe, at the time New York was captured in 1776, and for his services on that occasion he received a large bag of gold. After the close of the war and upon his return home, he found it a little unpleasant for persons of his political opinions, and emigrated to the western country as it was then called, where some of his relatives had come before. Deeds executed by him show that he livd in this county as late as 1825. His father resided near the Battlefield of Brandy Wine, and rode out from home, on a white horse, to see the battle, and the color of his horse attracting attention, he was fired on and killed. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Harrison County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/harrison/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------