To James Madison Davis, my great great grandfather, born in Alabama in 1835, I dedicate this family photo project. James M. Davis is a person I never knew, but of whom I've heard much, and through documentation have pieced together some details of his life. What is most remarkable is the fact that though born enslaved, he apparently always had dreams for freedom, for the acquisition of land, to be the support of his family, and to educate his children. He stole himself away from his slave owner at sometime between 1862 and 1863, and from oral accounts given by his children and his statement to the 1910 census takers, he joined the (UA) Union Army. Thank you great, great grandfather James Madison Davis for your fortitude, your faith, and your persistence in pursuing your dream.