John Wynn Davidson
John Wynn Davidson | |
---|---|
United States of America Union | |
Service/ | United States Army Union Army |
Years of service | 1845–1881 |
Rank | Brigadier General Brevet Major General |
Unit | |
Battles/wars |
John Wynn Davidson (August 14, 1825 – June 26, 1881) was a
In 1866, he received brevet grade appointments as a major general of volunteers and in the regular U.S. Army for his Civil War service.
Biography
Davidson was born in Fairfax County, Virginia. He was the son of William B. Davidson, an artillery officer in the United States Army, and the former Elizabeth Chapman Hunter. Hunter, Roger, and Charles were his three other siblings. He was the oldest of four boys. His father died from disease while serving in Florida during the Second Seminole War in 1840. His mother died ten years later, shortly after remarrying.
He graduated from
Following the war, Davidson was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and assigned to the
In 1851, he married Clara McGunnegle, the daughter of a merchant in St. Louis. They had several children.
Civil War
He was allegedly offered a commission in the Confederate Army but turned it down.[5] Davidson was transferred to the east and took command of a brigade in the newly formed Army of the Potomac. On February 6, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Davidson to the grade of brigadier general of U.S. volunteers, to rank from February 3, 1862, the same day the U.S. Senate confirmed the previously submitted nomination.[6]
General Davidson assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division,
From August 10 to November 3, 1863 Davidson commanded the 1st Division of
Davidson's raid
Beginning November 27, 1864, Davidson was ordered to lead a 4,000 strong cavalry raid from Union held Baton Rouge to sever the M & O Railroad near State Line, Mississippi. The raid was intended to divert resources away from Confederate John Bell Hood's operations near Nashville and to threaten and harass Mobile. Additionally, the raid was to support Sherman's March to the Sea by requiring the Confederates to keep resources in the Mobile theater of operations. After departing Baton Rouge Davidson's forces reached Greensburg capturing several Confederate prisoners, on November 29, 1864, then to Tangipahoa where they captured a confederate conscript camp and destroyed the New Orleans, Jackson, Great Northern Railroad.[7][8]
On December 3, 1864 Davidson's Raiders crossed the Pearl River and entered Marion County, Mississippi occupying Columbia the next day. While in Columbia the cavalry foraged extensively in the area. General Davidson then ordered a diversionary feint toward's Monticello, Mississippi led by Major Seth Remington. After engaging in a brief skirmish outside Columbia Davidson's forces headed east towards Augusta. Upon Davidson's arrival receipt of certain intelligence made him alter his plans. An excerpt from Davidson's official report provides: "The day after my arrival at Augusta I found Mobile papers containing full accounts of our strength and design and our daily progress and marches were telegraphed to Meridian Where Gen. R. Taylor had his headquarters, and to Mobile." As a result, Davidson decided to divide his command, sending a small element of the 2nd New York Veteran Cavalry, 1st Louisiana Cavalry, and a detachment of the 11th New York Cavalry under the command of Lt. Col. Asa Gurney north via Leakesville to destroy telegraph lines and a bridge on the Mobile and Ohio at State Line near the Alabama line, while he continued on toward Farley's Ferry.[9]
On December 10, 1864 elements of Davidson's forces met two regiments of Confederate Cavalry near Leakesville, Mississippi at McLeod's Mill. During the ensuring Battle of McLeod's Mill, one Union soldier stated the lead flew faster than he had ever seen before. The Confederates kept falling back to their main body. Finally, Lieutenant Albert Westinghouse, in command of the first squadron, was ordered to draw sabre and make a charge, which took them past the mill. Westinghouse in the vanguard spurred his horse and shouted to his men to "follow me", all the while swinging his sabre overhead. Westinghouse was shot in the stomach while making the charge and died shortly thereafter. Three charges were made against the Confederates after they had fallen back on their main body. The Union detachment soon realized they were now facing superior numbers with the advantage interior lines of communication, and therefore abandoned the mission. After withdrawing from the engagement, the Confederates did not follow in pursuit. When the fight concluded, three soldiers from the 2nd New York were killed, including Company B's 1st Lt. Albert Westinghouse along with Sgt. Theodore Moss and James Woods of Company A. After this struggle, two days later, Gurney rejoined Davidson's main column. According to different accounts around fourteen or fifteen Confederates were killed along with several being taken prisoner by the withdrawing column.[8][7]
For the remainder of the war, Davidson held various administrative commands in Mississippi. He was mustered out of the volunteer service on January 15, 1866.[6] On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Davidson for appointment to the grade of brevet major general of volunteers to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.[10] On April 10, 1866, President Johnson nominated Davidson for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general, U.S. Army, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on May 4, 1866.[11] On July 17, 1866, President Johnson nominated Davidson for appointment to the grade of brevet major general, U.S. Army, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on July 23, 1866.[12]
Post-war service
Following the end of the Civil War, Davidson was again posted on the Western frontier, this time as a lieutenant colonel of the
In 1879 he was transferred to the 2nd Cavalry as colonel, at Fort Custer in the Montana Territory.[13][15] Davidson died in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1881 . Originally buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, his body was exhumed in 1911 for reburial in Arlington National Cemetery. His widow died in 1914 and is interred beside him.[16]
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
- Notable graduates of West Point
Notes
- ^ "John Wynn Davidson" – The Handbook of Texas Online
- ^ "Bloody Island (Bo-no-po-ti) Historical Marker". Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- ^ Davidson, pp. 69–79.
- ^ Johnson, Adams, Hawk and Miller, Final Report on the Battle of Cieneguilla: A Jicarilla Apache Victory Over the U.A. Dragoons March 30, 1854, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southwest Region, June 2009, p. 1
- ^ Eicher p. 200
- ^ ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. p. 7210
- ^ a b Michael J. Martin North and South Magazine http://mymichaeljamesmartin.com/uploads/N_S09.pdf Archived February 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Davidson's Raid". davidsonsraid.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- ^ id.
- ^ Eicher, 2001, p. 711
- ^ Eicher, 2001, p. 733
- ^ Eicher, 2001, p. 707
- ^ a b Gorenfeld, Will. The Battle of Cieneguilla, Wild West magazine, February 2008
- ^ "K-State Army ROTC, Military Science (Army ROTC)".
- ^ Eicher, 2001, p. 200
- ^ "Burial Detail: Davidson, John Wynn (Section 2, Grave 1199)". ANC Explorer. Arlington National Cemetery. (Official website).
References
- Davidson, Homer K. (1974). Black Jack Davidson, a Cavalry Commander on the Western Frontier: The Life of General John W. Davidson. A. H. Clark Co. p. 273. ISBN 0-87062-109-2.
External links
- A letter by Davidson – (Official Records of the Rebellion: Volume Eleven, Chapter 23, Part 1: Peninsular Campaign: Reports, pp. 306–307)
- Pictures of John Wynn Davidson at the Wayback Machine (archived February 8, 2008)
- Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900. .
- "John Wynn Davidson". at ArlingtonCemetery.net. March 8, 2023. (Unofficial website).