DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about this man and the church he founded — so let's get into it. Nicholas A. Davis was born in Alabama in 1824.
He entered the Presbyterian ministry, and by 1857 he had moved himself all the way to Texas, where he farmed and he preached — sometimes, you get the feeling, in the same breath. Then the Civil War came calling. Davis joined the 4th Texas Infantry and went with the troops all the way to Virginia.
His title was chaplain, but don't let that fool you into thinking he had some cushy arrangement. Same pay as a private. Same rations as a private.
No status privileges whatsoever. Whatever the men ate, he ate. Whatever the men got, he got — which, in the Confederate Army, was often not much.
And the duties. Lord, the duties. Religious services.
Lessons. Counseling. Funerals.
Baptisms. Sick visits. And when the shooting stopped, he was out on those battlefields removing the wounded and the dead.
He also handled the mail — and paid special attention to the men who could not read or write, making sure they weren't left out of the one thin thread connecting soldiers to home. He worked to get better living conditions for the troops. He established hospital wards.
Now, there was one thing that stuck in his craw about the whole Virginia campaign. The newspapers up there kept giving Virginians the credit for victories that Texas boys had fought and bled for. So in 1863, in Richmond, Nicholas Davis published his account of the whole thing — called it "Campaign from Texas to Maryland." A Houston edition followed, carrying news home that few soldiers had any way to tell.
After the war, he came back. Back to farming. Back to building churches.
Back to preaching across the state. For many years he served as a trustee of Trinity University. And then he did something that would quietly reshape an entire region — he established the first commercial orchard in Jacksonville.
That single act started a development that made the area foremost in Texas fruit growing. He pioneered the use of insecticides, better farming methods, new machinery. The man had a restless, practical mind that never stopped working on whatever problem was right in front of him.
Nicholas A. Davis died in 1894 in San Antonio. A chaplain who carried no rank but shouldered every burden.
A preacher who also planted orchards. A soldier who, when the war was done, just kept on building things — churches, farms, and futures — all across Texas.
What the marker says
Born in Alabama in 1824. Entered Presbyterian ministry. Moved to Texas in 1857. Farmed and preached. At start of Civil War joined the 4th Texas Infantry and went with troops to Virginia. As a Confederate chaplain had same pay and rations as a private, and no status privileges. Duties included religious services, lessons, counseling, funerals, baptisms, sick visits, removal of wounded and dead from battlefields. Handled mail, with special attention for men who could not read and write. Worked to get better troop living conditions. Established hospital wards. Because newspapers gave Virginians credit for Texas boys' victories, published 1863 in Richmond his "Campaign from Texas to Maryland." A Houston edition gave homefolk news few soldiers could tell. After war returned to farming, building churches and preaching over the state. For many years was a Trinity University trustee. Established the first commercial orchard in Jacksonville and started the development which makes the area foremost in Texas fruit growing. Pioneered use of insecticides, better farming methods and new machinery. Died in 1894 in San Antonio .