David Majors

David Magers (aka Majors) was the son of Elias Magers and Sarah Dorsey. Grandson of Joseph Magers and Hannah Devore. Great-Grandson of Elias Magers and Elizabeth Arnold.

Brother to John, Mary, Joseph, Samuel, Hannah, Elizabeth, Catherine and Martha Magers

Husband to Amanda Melvina Williams.

Father to Mary Elizabeth, Harriet Celestia, Sarah Elzina, Ginny, Jeanus Newton, William Oscar, Stella Sevinia, Martha Virginia, Noah Doras, Arthur America, Logan D and James Blaine Magers.

David was born in Marshall County, West Virginia. He was primarily a farmer and lived off of the land.

He enlisted in Captain William Burley's Company A, 12th Regiment, West Virginia Volunteer Infantry on August 11, 1862 and fought for the Union during the Civil War.

He was reported missing in action June 15, 1863 at Winchester Virginia. He had been taken prisoner by the Confederates and was held prisoner at Libby, Belle Isle, and Richmond's Castle Thunder, for about two months.

Due to both the harsh conditions of the war and also of the time he was held prisoner, David contracted some type of fever with yellow jaundice (yellow fever? malaria?) and was treated by "Drs. Lewis, Skilens(?), Houlden, Kirkir and others unknown" with medicines consisting of "mostly internal application of Blue Mas, Murchery, Quinine, Codliver oil and other remedies names unknown while Fly blister and strengthening plasters were applied externally."

According to family lore, sometime during his imprisonment (possibly somewhere near Americus, Georgia) he met Amanda Melvina Williams. Amanda was an American-Indian adopted by a white family after the the killing of her own family. David struck a deal with Amanda that if she helped him to escape he would, in return, marry her. They married within two weeks of his discharge from military service and went on to have at least 12 children together.

David was discharged from military service 7 Jun 1865, he and Amanda were married by Squire J. Finley Mays in West Alexander, Pennsylvania on June 22, 1865.

David received disability for his illness contracted during the Civil War which is documented by the War Dept.

David's own legal testimony regarding his service reads as follows:

"Wheeling, WVa Febry. 1st 1884

Hon. W. W. Dudley Dr. Sir

    In answer to this letter of yours I would say that my disability is chronic. That I believe my injury was contracted in the rebel prisons the filth and starvation the inhuman food what I did get and the horable treatment that I got while there has distroied my entire system. My stomach and bowels is all out of order from the effects of the Chronic Diarrhea. There is also something that most Drs. call a ruptur in the pit of the stomach which is very painful and efects my entire system. This was contracted on a march near Winchester Va in June 1863. My liver is seriously effected by the poison which I received while in prison which also distroied the functions of my stomach and bowels. I had a very serious attack of yellow jaundice in June or July 1864 while confined in the Claryville Hospital being sent to the Hospital on account of cold contracted in camp resulted in fever. The yellow jaundice didnot run its proper course but left my system in a delapidated condition. My liver is torbed and inactive and has been ever since the war as well as the aforementioned symptoms...."

David died at the age of 84 yrs 10 mo and 20 days of the infirmity of old age and complications of chronic diarrhea (which he suffered since his service in the Civil War).

The certificate of death being signed by J. T. McCombs Coroner of Marshall County West Virginia, there being no physician in attendance and the undertaker was W. W. Knowles of Claysville, Pennsylvania.

David was buried at Salem Methodist Cemetery at Majorsville W.Va on Dec 31- 1924.

David, Amanda and other family members laid in unmarked graves until a kind woman by the name of Karen Hucko (I believe) contacted the US Government and obtained a headstone for David.

If anyone has a photo of this headstone I would be forever in your debt if you could send me a copy.

If anyone has any further information about David, his ancestors, or his descendants please contact me. Note: Civil War Co A 12th WV Vol Infantry.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: May 18 2017, 18:06:48 UTC