The Pine Plains Register
Thursday, December 10, 1914
front page

(poor quality microfilm - very blurry)
a portion also reprinted in Pine Plains Register-Herald, Thursday,
December 6, 1956, page 4

Death of Capt. Thomas Davis

Rev. Thomas Nelson Davis died at an early hour last Friday morning, December 4, 1914, at the Christian church Home for aged Ministers at Lakemont, Yates County, N. Y., aged 83 years and 6? months. He went to that institution last spring from Pine Plains, where he had lived several years after his retirement from the ministry. His death was caused by paralysis, a stroke of which he suffered over a week ago. Funeral services were held at Lakemont on Monday. Interment at that place.

He was a son of John Davis and Anna Cookingham, of Red Hook, where he was born, June 29, 1831. John Davis was one of eleven children born to Henry Davis, a native of Hesse? Cassel?, Germany. Some of John's brothers were Dr. Jacob Israel Hermance Davis, of Pine Plains; Charles Philip, for many years general freight agent on the Harlem R. R. at Amenia; Frederick Wilhelm, for years cashier of the Farmers and Manufacturers Bank, Pokeepsie, and Henry, also of Pokeepsie.

Thomas attended the public school in Red Hook until he was sixteen, then went to Pine Plains and learned the trade of harness making in the shop of the late Emots? Wooden? and was later foreman of the shop for two years.

Leaving Pine Plains he went to Milan and studied law with Otis Bowman, at Lafayetteville, continuing the practice of his profession there until the breaking out (of) the Civil War in 1861. In 1861 he became second lieutenant of Company C., 128th Regiment, New York Volunteers and participated in all the battles of that gallant command. He was soon promoted to first lieutenant and speedily to Captain, commanding his company at Port Hudson, La., on the famous Red River campaign, and in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. By special order of Major General Grover, he was made commander of the regiment on the 18th day of October, 1864, the day before the battle of Cedar Creek, where the regiment under his command made a record that called from Gen. Emory, commander of the 19th Army Corps, a high compliment in general orders. He continued in command until the close of the war, and was mustered out at Albany in July, 1865.

In September, 1862, he married Amy A. Bowman, daughter of Otis Bowman, the marriage being performed by Rev. John Parker, Chaplain of the 128th, at Hudson, N. Y., where the command was organized. After the war he spent one year in Missouri prospecting, then settled in Washington Hollow in the spring of 1867, on a farm with his brother-in-law, Lieutenant Pulaski Bowman. At that time he united with the Christian church of that place, and in 1873 entered the ??? Christian Biblical Institute at Stanfordville, where he took a three years course in theology.

His first pastoral charge was at Gilboa, Schoharie county, where he remaned three years, then accepted a call to Warnerville, where he preached four years. He next call was to Delhi, Delaware county, where he stayed two years, then went to Castile, Wyoming county, for two years. The succeeding four years he served the Christian church at Lakeville, Livingston county, N. Y., then became pastor of the church at Huntersland?, Albany county, for seven years.

He retired from the minstry for a short time, then reluctantly accepted a very urgent and unanimous call to the pastorate of the Austerlitz Christian church, which was at the time in a very discouraging condition, but through his efforts and personal influence it was restored to its former strength and power and the talk of closing it was no more heard.

At the end of five years faithful and successful work in that field, he felt himself growing old and needing rest, so resigned, his resignation being accepted with great reluctance and regret by his congregation, and retired to his home in Pine Plains.

Rev. (or as he preferred to be called Captain) Davis never aimed to be a "popular" preacher. He believed in and preached the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, and while cheritable and tender with those who through the weaknesses of human nature, were not living fully up to their obligations as professing Christians, he had not much patience with people that he was convinced were wilful hypocrites, "using the livery of Heaven to serve the Devil in." He never hesitated to uphold the right and oppose the wrong, regardless of whether his acts were popular or not. Where he saw his duty led he went, in law, in the army and in the ministry.

His quick nervous manner, his outspoken opinion, his love for truth and right, the courage of his convictions without bluster or pompous demonstration, won for him the respect of all with whom he came in contact, with the result that some of his warmest friends were those who differed with him most in matters of theology, politics and questions of public interest.

Thomas Nelson Davis

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