John Davidson was an interesting person to research. While compiling information, it occurred to me how many people in the story he’s connected with. Davidson was born c. 1776 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to Mary Brevard and General William Lee Davidson. The elder Davidson was killed at the battle of Cowan’s Ford in 1781.
Although I’ve been unable to find a marriage record, most trees have his first wife as Martha West, the daughter of Cato West. In 1802, Cato West gifted a tract of land to “son-in-law” John A. Davidson. His wife Martha may have died in childbirth; at some point he remarried to Elizabeth Green.
In 1799, when William Rickard wrote Alexander Hamilton requesting furlough, it was Davidson who Rickard left in charge during his absence. Rickard and Davidson may have met when Rickard was recruiting in the Mecklenburg-Rowan region of North Carolina. They were also stationed at Fort Adams in Natchez during the same time, although Rickard’s stay wasn’t long.
Davidson was integral in the capture of Aaron Burr in 1807. Cowles Mead, acting governor of the Mississippi Territory, personally appointed Davidson to lead a troop of Dragoons to track Burr’s movements. Captain Davidson’s company mustered in on January 12, 1807.
Mead ordered Davidson to search Burr’s boats and the surrounding area for arms, authorizing him to dislodge the boats and to keep an eye on “suspected persons”. Also, Mead authorized Davidson to message Colonel Tyler, advising him to arm with the best weapons he can procure and to keep the troops “imbodied” and available for service.
Davidson’s company mustered out on February 12, 1807. Exactly one week later Burr was arrested in present-day Alabama just north of Mobile.
Davidson may have been a resident of Savannah towards the end of his life; there are court records from 1816 and 1819.
Davidson died in 1820 in Port Gibson, Mississippi.