Frederick M. Davis: The rest of the story

In early July 1937, the caretaker at the newly-renovated Fort D saw occupants of a car assist an elderly man on a tour of the fort. The man indicated he had been there "during the battle" and served at the fort, but the caretaker failed to get his name. Once the Louis K. Juden Post, American Legion, heard about the man, they asked the public for assistance finding him so they could invite him to the dedication of the new building. Searchers identified the man as Fred Davis from near Oak Ridge.

Davis told a reporter he was in "Co. D" commanded by Col. Thilenius and Capt. Wilson. During his time at Fort D, he fired "many a bullet into them banks." Davis was 19 when he enlisted late in the war. He indicated two big cannons overlooked the river at the corners of the fort, and the soldiers also stuck several "Quaker" cannons over the earthworks, these being logs painted black to appear as cannons. "The gunboats saw us and wouldn't come any further up the river than the fort. We bluffed them with the logs."

Davis also related the detailing of his company to Pilot Knob to clear the battlefield after the Fort Davidson battle in late 1864, taking care of the wounded and burying the dead. He described in detail the aftermath of the Battle of Cape Girardeau, and the difficulty of life during the war.

So how much of Fred Davis' story can be verified? Davis' service was indeed in Co. D of the 56th Enrolled Missouri Militia (EMM). The EMM units filled in for regular troops doing routine duties such as guard duty, generally supplementing the regulars. Davis enlisted April 3, 1864, and his memory of his commanders was accurate. His call to active duty came Sept. 21 though, during Price's Raid. He was relieved from duty Dec. 9, having served 80 days. He claimed to be a corporal in his later years, but his rank was private.

The 56th did provide garrison duty for the Cape Girardeau forts, so it is likely Davis was at Fort D at least for a time. His statement about gunboats and the river is in error -- the Union held the Mississippi from Cairo, Illinois, north at the war's beginning, and by 1863 had cleared the entire river of enemy gunboats. Other stories suggest the use of Quaker cannons did happen.

It is also possible Co. D assisted at Pilot Knob after Price's force moved north and west. Davis' tales of the Battle of Cape Girardeau on April 26, 1863, are either false memories of a 93-year-old man, or he observed some of the aftermath as a civilian. The 56th was in Cape Girardeau during the battle, but well before Davis enlisted. His stories of life during the war can't be proven or disproven.

The story of Frederick M. Davis points out how memory often can't be trusted. Verifying against actual records gives a more accurate story.