John Wynn Davidson (August 14, 1825 – June 26, 1881) was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and an American Indian fighter. In 1866, he received

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

grade appointments as a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

of volunteers and in the regular U.S. Army for his Civil War service.

Biography

Davidson was born in

Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...

. He was the son of William B. Davidson, an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

officer in the United States Army, and the former Elizabeth Chapman Hunter. He was the eldest of four sons; his brothers were Hunter, Roger, and Charles. His father died from disease while serving in Florida during the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

in 1840. His mother died ten years later, shortly after remarrying. He graduated from

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

in 1845. His father graduated from there in 1815. Shortly after graduation he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Dragoons and participated in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, seeing considerable action at the San Pasqual and the Rio San Gabriel battles. On May 15, 1850, Davidson and Captain

Nathaniel Lyon Nathaniel Lyon (July 14, 1818 – August 10, 1861) was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War. He is noted for his actions in Missouri in 1861, at the beginning of the conflict, to forestall secret secessionist plans of th ...

led a regiment of the 1st U.S. Dragoons in an massacre of the Pomo population of the island of Bo-No-Po-Ti in northern California. Following the war, Davidson was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and assigned to the

Western frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

. He served as the regimental quartermaster and adjutant. He led 2 companies of the 1st Dragoon Regiment against the

Jicarilla Apache Jicarilla Apache (, Jicarilla language: Jicarilla Dindéi), one of several loosely organized autonomous bands of the Eastern Apache, refers to the members of the Jicarilla Apache Nation currently living in New Mexico and speaking a Southern Athab ...

s in the

Battle of Cieneguilla The Battle of Cieneguilla (pronounced sienna-GEE-ya; English: small swamp) was an engagement of the Jicarilla War involving a group of Jicarilla Apaches, possibly their Ute allies, and the American 1st Cavalry Regiment on March 30, 1854 near ...

on March 30, 1854, where he was badly defeated in what was to be the fourth worst defeat suffered by the American military during the Western Indian Wars. In 1855 Davidson, who had still earned praise for commanding at Cieneguilla, was promoted captain and was in command of

Fort Tejon, California Fort Tejon in California is a former United States Army outpost which was intermittently active from June 24, 1854, until September 11, 1864. It is located in the Grapevine Canyon (''La Cañada de las Uvas'') between the San Emigdio Mountains and ...

when the American Civil War erupted. In 1851, he married Clara McGunnegle, the daughter of a merchant in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. They had several children.

Civil War

He was allegedly offered a commission in the Confederate Army but turned it down. Davidson was transferred to the east and took command of a brigade in the newly formed

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

. On February 6, 1862, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

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.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 7210 General Davidson assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, IV Corps during the Peninsula Campaign. He fought at the battles of Yorktown and Williamsburg. During the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, command ...

he received brevet promotions in the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

for his service at Gaines' Mill and Golding's Farm. Shortly after the culmination of the Seven Days' fighting, Davidson was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Theater where he was placed in command of the Dist. of St. Louis. From December 3, 1862 to March 26, 1863 he was also in command of the so-called Army of Southeast Missouri until much of his army was transferred to Ulysses S. Grant in preparation for the

Vicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi Riv ...

. He retained command of the Dist. of St. Louis until June 16, 1863 when he briefly commanded the Dist. of Southeast Missouri. From August 10 to November 3, 1863 Davidson commanded the 1st Division of

Frederick Steele Frederick Steele (January 14, 1819 – January 12, 1868) was a career military officer in the United States Army, serving as a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was most noted for retaking much of secessionist Arka ...

's Army of Arkansas in his most distinguished role in the west. He led Union advance into central Arkansas and won the

Battle of Bayou Fourche The Battle of Bayou Fourche, also known as the Battle of Little Rock and the Engagement at Bayou Fourche, took place on September 10, 1863, in Pulaski County, Arkansas, and was the final battle of the Little Rock campaign, Little Rock Campaign, ...

, which led directly to the fall of Confederate-held

Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

. After the Little Rock expedition, Davidson commanded the cavalry in the Dept. of the Gulf before returning to command the cavalry in the Dist. of Southeast Missouri.

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.Michael J. Martin North and South Magazine http://mymichaeljamesmartin.com/uploads/N_S09.pdf 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. 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. 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. On January 13, 1866, President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

nominated Davidson for appointment to the grade of

of volunteers to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866. 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. 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.

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 10th Cavalry, known as the

Buffalo Soldiers Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in t ...

. It was there that he acquired the nickname "Black Jack."Gorenfeld, Will. ''The Battle of Cieneguilla'', Wild West magazine, February 2008 Davidson also served as the first professor of military science (1868-1871) at

Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

. In 1879 he was transferred to the 2nd Cavalry as colonel, at Fort Custer in the

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries T ...

.Eicher, 2001, p. 200 Davidson died in

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

, in 1881 after being seriously injured by a fall from a horse during an inspection tour when someone fired and the horse got spooked. Originally buried in

Bellefontaine Cemetery Bellefontaine Cemetery is a nonprofit, non-denominational cemetery and arboretum in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1849 as a rural cemetery, Bellefontaine is home to a number of architecturally significant monuments and mausoleums such as the ...

in St. Louis, his body was exhumed in 1911 for reburial in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. His widow died in 1914 and is interred beside him.

Notes

References

External links

''A letter by Davidson''
– (Official Records of the Rebellion: Volume Eleven, Chapter 23, Part 1: Peninsular Campaign: Reports, pp. 306–307) * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, John 1825 births 1881 deaths United States Military Academy alumni Union Army generals People of Virginia in the American Civil War Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People from Fairfax County, Virginia Apache Wars American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Kansas State University faculty