Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910

Historian and journalist, of Doylestown, Pa.

From the description of Fries Rebellion manuscript, [ca. 1898]. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70927308

Journalist and historian, of Doylestown, Pa.

From the description of Notes for History of Bucks County, 1898-1900. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70927309

Journalist and army officer.

From the description of Exercises, 1847. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965776

Journalist.

From the description of Printer's time book, 1855-1856. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965989

From the description of Private docket, 1846-1853. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965775

From the description of Scrapbook, 1862-1864. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965988

On July 17, 1894, representatives from the historical societies of Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties in Pennsylvania, met at the Baptist church in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, to present seven speeches on local history, particularly related to the region's role during the American Revolution. Brevet Brigadier General William Watts Hart Davis, president of the Historical Society of Bucks County, presided over the meeting and Alfred Paschall served as its secretary and treasurer.

From the guide to the Proceedings of Inter-County Historical Meeting at Hatboro, Montgomery County, Pa. July 17, 1894, Proceedings of Inter-County Historical Meeting at Hatboro, Montgomery County, Pa. July 17, 1894, 1894-1902, 1894, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)

Union army officer and journalist.

From the description of Account book, 1854-1855. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70958690

Union army officer, of Doylestown, Pa.

From the description of Scrapbook, 1884. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70957867

From the description of Scrapbook, 1878-1890. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70957725

William Watts Hart Davis was graduated from military school in Norwich, VT, in 1842, was professor at Portsmouth, VA, Military Academy, studied law, was an officer in the Mexican War, returned home to Doylestown and practiced law, was appointed to various government offices for the territory of New Mexico from 1853 to 1857, returned home where he purchased the Doylestown "Democrat," recruited the 104th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers and served through the Civil War, returned home to spend the rest of his life managing and editing the "Democrat," and speaking and writing on historical subjects.

From the description of Papers, 1809-1908. (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 151370987

Soldier, attorney, newspaper editor, historian, and founding president of the Bucks County Historical Society.

From the description of Papers, 1727-1905. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965522

Journalist, author, and Union Army officer, of Doylestown, Pa.

From the description of History of the 104th Pennsylvania regiment, from August 22nd, 1861, to September 30th, 1864, [ca. 1863]-[ca. 1866]. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70963531

Union officer, of Doylestown, Pa.

From the description of School exercise book, 1834-1841. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70957726

Journalist, of Doylestown, Pa.

From the description of Historic scraps, 1902-1904. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965605

Soldier, of Pennsylvania.

From the description of W.W.H. Davis papers, 1863-1864. (University of South Carolina). WorldCat record id: 28408782

Union Army officer, of Doylestown (Bucks Co.), Pa.

From the description of Papers, 1861-1869. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 19491339

Davis was Secretary of the Territory of New Mexico from 1853 to 1854. He also wrote two books on New Mexico: "El Gringo" and "The Spainish Conquest of New Mexico."

From the description of W.W.H. Davis collection, 1681-1904 (bulk, 1853-1904). (Museum of New Mexico Library). WorldCat record id: 37435059

Journalist and military officer.

From the description of Scrapbook, 1846-1848. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965781

Davis was Secretary of the Territory of New Mexico from 1853 to 1854. He also wrote two books on New Mexico: "El Gringo" and "The Spainish Conquest of New Mexico." After he left the territory he became involved with the Pennsylvania Historical Society and other historical societies.

From the guide to the W.W.H. Davis Collection, 1681-1904, (Museum of New Mexico. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library.)

William W. H. Davis of Pennsylvania entered Norwich University in 1840 and graduated in 1842. Upon leaving Norwich, Davis served as professor and superintendent of the Virginia Military, Scientific and Literary Academy in Portsmouth, 1842-1844. He later served in both the Mexican War and the Civil War. William Davis practiced law in his native state and was an active publisher and writer. He married Anna Carpenter in 1856 and the couple had eight children. The control file included with the collection contains additional information on William W. H. Davis.

From the description of William Watts Hart Davis collection, 1841-1912. (University of Rochester). WorldCat record id: 639014054

Journalist and Civil War officer, of Doylestown, Pa.

From the description of Military letters, 1831-1857. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965623

From the description of Papers, 1862-1901. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965615

From the description of Military records, [undated]. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965631

From the description of Orders, 1861-1862. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965616

From the description of Military record of W.W.H. Davis, 1846-1865. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 71054972

From the description of Furloughs, 1861 Dec.-1862 July. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965619

From the description of Correspondence, 1861 Nov.-1865. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965617

From the description of Papers, 1861-1865. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965622

From the description of Correspondence, 1869. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965621

From the description of Extracts, [ca. 1850]. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965645

From the description of Scrapbook, 1882. (Bucks County Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 70965660

William Watts Hart Davis, attorney, editor, military officer, and historian, was born on July 28, 1820 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He served in the Mexican War and Civil War and as a government official in the Territory of New Mexico (1853-1857). He authored several works, including El Gringo: or, New Mexico and Her People (1857), and History of the 104th Pennsylvania Regiment (1866). Davis died in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in 1890.

From the description of W. W. H. Davis papers, 1846-1896 (bulk 1846-1864). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702127697

William Watts Hart Davis (1820-1910) was an officer in the United States Army, who served with the 25th and 104th Pennsylvania regiments on the South Carolina coast during the Civil War.

From the guide to the W. W. H. Davis Papers, ., 1863, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)

William Watts Hart Davis, attorney, editor, military officer, and historian, was born on July 27, 1820 in Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to John and Amy Hart Davis. He was graduated from Norwich University in 1842 and for the next two years taught at the Military Academy in Portsmouth, Virginia. Both of these institutions had been founded by Captain Alden Partridge, long-time instructor at West Point, considered the father of the system combining military instruction with college education. The collection contains several letters from Partridge, which refer fondly to Davis. Davis left Portsmouth in 1844 and returned to Doylestown, Pennsylvania, where he read law and was admitted to the bar in 1846. In the fall of that year he was admitted to Harvard Law School.

Davis knew that the heroes of the War of 1812, such as his own father, had faired well politically, and he viewed the war with Mexico as an opportunity to make a name for himself. He planned to enlist in his local militia unit, the Doylestown Guards, but the quota of volunteers from Pennsylvania was filled before the Guards could offer their services. He left Harvard after his first semester and enlisted in the First Regiment of the Massachusetts Infantry, commanded by Colonel Caleb Cushing. He was mustered out as a captain on July 19, 1848 and returned to Doylestown, where he practiced law for the next five years.

From 1853 through 1857 Davis served in the Territory of New Mexico as U.S. district attorney, attorney general, secretary of the territory, superintendent of public buildings, superintendent of Indian affairs, and acting governor. He also published the Santa Fè Gazette in Spanish and English for two and a half years.

In 1858 Davis returned to Doylestown, where he edited the Democrat, a small, politically partisan newspaper. He remained active in military affairs, and on June 6, 1859 was commissioned captain of the Doylestown Guards of the Uniformed Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Following the outbreak of the Civil War, Davis was commissioned captain of Company I, 25th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, on April 26, 1861. The three-month tour of duty for the 25th Regiment having expired, he recruited the 104th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, in September 1861. During the war Davis served in the Army of the Potomac, the Department of North Carolina, and the Department of the South. For meritorious service during the siege of Charleston, Davis was later breveted brigadier general. He was mustered out on September 30, 1864.

Davis ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic canditate for Congress in 1882 and 1884. During the first administration of Grover Cleveland (1885-89), he served as U.S. Pension Agent in Philadelphia.

Davis was active in several historical and military organizations, such as the Bucks County Historical Society, which he served as president, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the American Historical Society, the Aztec Club, the Society of Foreign Wars, and the Society of the Army of the Potomac. He authored several works, including El Gringo: or, New Mexico and Her People (1857), History of the 104th Pennsylvania Regiment (1866), The Spanish Conquest of New Mexico (1869), Life of John Davis (1886), and History of the Doylestown Guards (1887).

William Watts Hart Davis died in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in 1910.

John Davis (1788-1878) m. 1813 Amy Hart (1784-1847)

-----Ann H. Davis m. 1835 James Erwin (-1844)

----------Anna Mary Erwin

-----Rebecca Davis (-1884) m. 1840 Alfred T. Duffield (-1871)

-----Sarah S. ("Sallie") Davis m. 1850 Ulysses Mercur

-----Amy Davis m. 1850 Holmes Sells

-----William Watts Hart Davis (1820-1910) m. 1856 Anna Carpenter (-1881)

----------Amy Hart Davis (1857-1857)

----------Jacob C. ("Gabie") Davis (1859-)

----------Margaret Sprague ("Maggie") Davis (1861-)

----------John Davis (1863-)

-----Elizabeth N. ("Lizzie") Davis

From the guide to the W. W. H. Davis papers, 1846-1896, 1846-1864, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)