CIVIL WAR INDEX
Primary Source Material
on the Soldiers and the Battles
Home The Armies The Soldiers The Battles Civilians Articles
 
If this website has been useful to you, please consider making a Donation.

Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do more research. Thank you for your support!

Civil War Soldiers - Davis

Davis, Edmund J., brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was born in St. Augustine, Fla., Nov. 21, 1830. He moved to Texas in 1848, practicing law there later; was collector of customs, 1850-52, district attorney, 1853-54, and district judge, 1854-60. He joined the Union army as colonel of the 1st Tex. cavalry, Oct. 26, 1862, and was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers, Nov. 10, 1864. He was mustered out, Aug. 24, 1865, was a member of the first and president of the second reconstruction conventions, and Republican governor of Texas from 1870 to 1874. He died in Austin, Tex., Feb. 8, 1883.

Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
 

Davis, Jefferson C., brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was born in Clark county, Ind., March 2, 1828, was educated at the county academy, and, at the age of eighteen, enlisted for service in the Mexican war. For bravery at Buena Vista he won a commission as 2nd lieutenant in the 1st artillery. In 1852 he was promoted 1st lieutenant. In 1858 he was placed in charge of the garrison at Fort Sumter, and, as an officer under Maj. Anderson, took part in the occupation and defense of that fort. In recognition of his bravery on this occasion, he was promoted captain and given leave of absence to recruit the 22nd Ind. volunteers, of which regiment he became colonel. Being assigned as acting brigadier-general to the Department of the Missouri, he distinguished himself by bravery at Milford, Mo., and won promotion to the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers. He commanded a division at the battle of Pea ridge, March 8, 1862, and took part in the battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, and the siege of Corinth, and after the evacuation of that place by the Confederates, May 29, he was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee. On Sept. 29, 1862, he chanced to meet in Louisville Gen. William Nelson, his superior officer, from whom he claimed to have had harsh treatment, and, in a quarrel which ensued, he shot and instantly killed Nelson. Gen. Davis was arrested, but was not tried, and was soon afterwards assigned to duty in Covington, Ky. He commanded a division forming a part of McCook's right wing at the battle of Stone's river, Dec. 31, 1862, where he so distinguished himself that Gen. Rosecrans recommended him for promotion to major-general. In 1864 he commanded the 14th corps of Sherman's army in the Atlanta campaign and in the march through Georgia, and on March 13, 1865, he was brevetted major-general U. S. A. for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Jonesboro, Ga. He was promoted colonel of the 23d U. S. infantry, July 23, 1866, and served on the Pacific coast, in Alaska, and, after the murder of Gen. Canby by the Modoc Indians, in 1873, succeeded to the command of the department and forced the tribe to surrender. Gen. Davis died in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 30, 1879.

Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
 


Whats New
Bibliography
About Us

Copyright 2010 by CivilWarIndex.com
A Division of Pier-Pleasure.com