Jefferson C. Davis

Jefferson Columbus Davis
1st Commander of the Department of Alaska
In office
October 18, 1867 – August 31, 1870
PresidentAndrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byGeorge K. Brady
Personal details
Born
Jefferson Columbus Davis

(1828-03-02)March 2, 1828
Clark County, Indiana, U.S.
DiedNovember 30, 1879(1879-11-30) (aged 51)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Resting placeCrown Hill Cemetery
Nickname"JCD"
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1846–1879
RankBrigadier General
Brevet Major General
Commands22nd Indiana Infantry
XIV Corps
Department of Alaska
Department of the Columbia
Battles/wars

Jefferson Columbus Davis (March 2, 1828 – November 30, 1879) was a regular officer of the United States Army during the American Civil War, known for the similarity of his name to that of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and for his killing of a superior officer in 1862.

Davis's distinguished service in Mexico earned him high prestige at the outbreak of the Civil War, when he led Union troops through Southern Missouri to Pea Ridge, Arkansas, being promoted to Brigadier General after that significant victory. Following the Siege of Corinth, he was granted home leave on account of exhaustion, but returned to duty on hearing of Union defeats in Kentucky, where he reported to General William "Bull" Nelson at Louisville in September 1862. Nelson was dissatisfied with his performance, and insulted him in front of witnesses. A few days later, Davis demanded a public apology, but instead the two officers argued noisily and physically, concluding in Davis mortally wounding Nelson with a pistol.[1][2][page needed]

Davis avoided conviction due to the shortage of experienced commanders in the Union Army, but the incident hampered his chances for promotion. He served as a corps commander under William Tecumseh Sherman during his March to the Sea in 1864.[3][4][page needed][5][page needed] After the war, Davis was the first commander of the Department of Alaska from 1867 to 1870, and assumed field command during the Modoc War of 1872–1873.

  1. ^ Sones, Bruce V. (2000). Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis: Civil War general (PDF) (Master of Military Art and Science thesis). Fort Leavenworth, KS: US Army Command and General Staff College. pp. 53–57. OCLC 465213073. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis: Civil War General. Defense Technical Information Center. 2000. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  3. ^ Sones, Bruce V. (2000). Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis: Civil War general (PDF) (Master of Military Art and Science thesis). Fort Leavenworth, KS: US Army Command and General Staff College. p. 139. OCLC 465213073. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  4. ^ Jr, Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes; Whitney, Gordon D. (March 21, 2006). Jefferson Davis in Blue: The Life of Sherman's Relentless Warrior. LSU Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-3160-2. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Sones, Major Bruce V. (August 15, 2014). Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis: Civil War General. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78289-629-6. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.