November 14,  2023 -  Historical Marker Placed on Public Square
Who is Charles C. Davis?

by Shelbyville NOW Staff

On Veterans Day,  the citizens of Bedford County gathered along the streets of Shelbyville to partake in the annual celebration of Veterans Day.   The Veterans Day parade has been a long standing tradition in Shelbyville as we celebrate and honor those who sacrificially served to protect this country and fight for our freedoms.  

This year there was an additional ceremony.   At 10:00 a.m. several elected representatives gathered to unveil a new historic marker in honor of Medal of Honor recipient,  Charles C. Davis.   This marker is now permanently mounted in the sidewalk standing proudly on the east side of the public square.   


(Left - Bedford County Mayor, Chad Graham   Right - Shelbyville Mayor Randy Carroll)
Photo by:  Joshua Blevins

Who is Charles C. Davis?

Charles C. Davis was born in Harrisburg, PA in 1830.   He joined the Union Army in 1861 and later attained the position of Major in July of 1863.   Mr. Davis received the medal of honor in 1894 for his role in leading one of the most desperate and successful charges in the Civil War.   That charge was conducted in a southward movement of Union troops down Murfreesboro Pike,  now what we call North Main Street.   The charge involved heavy artillery fire and a fierce battle on the streets of Shelbyville.   He led the charge to capture Shelbyville and play a major role in the Middle Tennessee Campaign as the Union Army moved toward Chattanooga.   After the war Mr. Davis resided in his home town of Harrisburg, PA until his death in 1909.  He is buried in Harrisburg Cemetery in Harrisburg, PA.

In recent years many statues and monuments from the Civil War Era have been labelled as controversial and offensive.  Most of these statues and markers have been permanently removed.   As of Saturday, the city of Shelbyville has a marker honoring a man from Pennsylvania, who played a major role in the fall of Shelbyville in 1863.