8 9 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁e ul og ised ▁by ▁Middle ▁T enn esse ans ▁for ▁his ▁valor ▁and ▁sacrifice . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Born ▁October ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 8 4 2 , ▁in ▁R uther ford ▁County , ▁Tennessee , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁oldest ▁son ▁of ▁Charles ▁Lewis ▁Davis ▁and ▁Jane ▁( S imm ons ) ▁Davis . ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁peak ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁records ▁show ▁the ▁Davis ▁Plant ation ▁had ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 ▁slaves . ▁He ▁attended ▁local ▁school ▁in ▁S my r na , ▁Tennessee , ▁and ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁the ▁Western ▁Military ▁Institute — now ▁Mont gom ery ▁Bell ▁Academy — from ▁ 1 8 6 0 – 6 1 . ▁While ▁there ▁he ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁head master ▁and ▁future ▁Confeder ate ▁General ▁Bush rod ▁Johnson . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁Confeder ate ▁sc out ▁forces ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁He ▁signed ▁up ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁in ▁the ▁First ▁Tennessee ▁Vol unte er ▁Infantry ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁and ▁his ▁regiment ▁march ed ▁off ▁to ▁war ▁first ▁at ▁Che at ▁Mountain , ▁next ▁in ▁the ▁Sh en ando ah ▁Valley , ▁then ▁at ▁Sh il oh ▁and ▁Perry ville . ▁W ounded ▁slightly ▁at ▁Sh il oh , ▁Davis ▁suffered ▁a ▁more ▁severe ▁w ound ▁at ▁Perry ville . ▁After ▁recover ing ▁from ▁the ▁later ▁w ound ▁he ▁took ▁on