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THE LEGEND OF
JOHN DAVIS & JOHN MCCOY
     It has long been a family legend that John H. Davis and his son, Thomas C. Davis were murdered in Greene County, Tennessee during the Civil War by "bushwackers".   My information (which may be incorrect) is that John H. Davis and Thomas C. Davis died April 15, 1864.  John Davis' wife, Sarah Esther McNees, died March 20th, 1889. These dates do not match the tombstone transcriptions, and at this point, I don't know which is correct. If anyone has verification of either dates, please let me know.   Many of the children of this couple migrated to Atchison County, Missouri and Jewell County, Kansas.
TOMBSTONES

I located the tombstone transcriptions for this group, buried in Babb's Cemetery (aka Babb's Valley Cemetery) at the USGenWeb Archives for Greene County, Tennessee. 

DAVIS       John                        8/12/1811      1/12/1867           killed by Civil War Raiders on Horse Fork
                   Sarah                      4/4/1810        3/20/1880           Wife
                   Thomas C.              3/15/1841      4/15/1864           Son

How did Thomas C. Davis die? 

1860 Census, Atchison Co, MO, from Atchison Co MOGenWeb:
Davis, Hugh L.   34   M   TN   565#447
 
Davis, Rebecca   30   F   TN   565#447
 
Davis, John   4   M   TN   565#447
 
Davis, Jesse   2   M   TN   565#447
 
Davis, Mary    6/12   F   MO   565#447
 
Davis, Jesse   26?   M   TN   565#447 (Brother, Jesse H. Davis)
 
{There seems to be a mistake in Hugh Davis' age on the 1860 record]


1870 Census, Atchison Co, MO, from Atchison Co MOGenWeb:

Davis, Hugh L.  34  M   TN   474A#169
 
Davis, Rebecca   41   F   TN   474A#169
 
Davis, John E.   14   M   TN   474A#169
 
Davis, Jesse H.   13   M   TN   474A#169
 
Davis, Charles   5   M   MO   474A#169
DIXIE LEA'S STORY

I would love to know more about the following story which I got from a descendant of the McCoy family, Dixie Lea, in 1999. Unfortunately, I don't even know Dixie Lea's last name, and her e-mail address has changed. I believe that Florence Ann Settles is her ancestor who married an Evans.

Here's Dixie's story, with my comments in [ ]:

      "Hugh L. Davis shot and killed John McCoy. John Davis was taken to trial and acquitted?! Hugh L. Davis and wife and kids, John E., Jesse H. and Chas. F., ages 14, 8, and 1, moved to Rock Port [Missouri]. Hugh and wife, Rebecca nee Kidwell, are buried in Atchison Co., Mo. Hugh's brothers' names (that I know from the Obit) were John H. and J. F. I suspect that Hugh had a cousin, John, (your branch) as well... [this is all true]

      "John McCoy was my g.g.g'mas' brother. Another brother, James W. tracked Hugh as far as St. Louis and lost him. James decided to move to Atchison Co. with sister Mary Jane McCoy Settles and husband Tillman. Mary Jane got on her pony and rode to Hugh's house, warned him to stay away from the boat landing. Mary J. discouraged her brother from living there.

      "At one point, Tillman fired on a "Rebel" (Atch. Co.) said he hadn't seen him since the war. Didn't say a name. Scared the h--l out of his g'son, Jesse Tillman Evans. The Davises were supposed to have fought on the side of the South. That could have been the reason for the killing..."

-END OF STORY-

NEWS ARTICLES - 1878

"Maryville Index", August 21, 1878

The preliminary trial of John Davis for killing Capt. John McCoy at Greeneville Friday was concluded Tuesday evening before Justices Gass and Culver. The investigation made out a very bad case against the prisoner, who was refused bond and committed to jail to await trail for murder at the October term of Circuit Court for Greene County.

From the "Maryville Index"
Wednesday, September 4, 1878
John Davis, charged with killing Capt. John McCoy of Greenville, has been granted bail of $5,000.

Source:  USGenWeb Archives - Greene County, Tennessee
http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ifetch2?/u1/data/tn/+index+6479218571+F
This is listed under "BLOUNT COUNTY, TN - NEWSPAPERS - Miscellaneous Articles, 1832 - 1905"

Obviously, this is not John H. Davis, Sr. (who died in 1864 or 1867), or John H. Davis, Jr., who had migrated to Atchison County, MO around 1858 ( in June 1865 according to a published bio).   However, could this event have been incorporated into the "Legend"?
OLD HARMONY CEMETERY

A Captain Jno. McCoy is buried in the Old Harmony Cemetery in Greeneville, Tennessee, with no dates.
CAPTAIN JOHN MCCOY

8TH TENNESSEE REGIMENT U.S.A HISTORY:  Organized February 6, 1864 as a merger of the 8th Tennessee Regiment U.S.A. (formerly called 5th East Tennessee Regiment) and the 10th East Tennessee Regiment. Mustered out at Knoxville, Tennessee, September 11, 1865.


MCCOY FAMILY - GREENE COUNTY TN

William Henry McCoy and Elizabeth Kelly had the following children:

David, born 1821
Margaret E., born 1823
Polly Ann, born 1824
William C, born 1826
James Wylie, born 1828
Martha Jane, born 1829
Elizabeth, born, 1832
Frances B, born 1835

After Elizabeth's death, he married Anna Moncier and they had seven children together.


William H. McCoy and his wife, Anna Belle Moncier. In the Greene County, Tennessee Census of 1850, they have the following people in their household:
William H., 53
Anna, 31
Mary J. 11
John, 8 (b. Feb. 20, 1842)
Lidia (Lydia), 6
Rachael, 4
Eliza, 1
Elizabeth McCoy, 19
Margaret McCoy, 26 (these two nieces or daughters by an earlier marriage?).

Mary Jane married Tillman Settles, and they migrated from Greene County, Tennessee to Atchison County, Missouri.