Jefferson C. Davis
| Jefferson Columbus Davis | |
|---|---|
Major General Jefferson C. Davis
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "JCD" |
| Born |
March 2, 1828 Clark County, Indiana |
| Died | November 30, 1879 (aged 51) Chicago, Illinois |
| Place of burial | Crown Hill Cemetery Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1846–1879 |
| Rank |
 Colonel Brevet Major General
|
| Commands held |
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 Confederate President Jefferson Davis and for his killing of a superior officer in 1862.
Davis' 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 an apology, but the two officers came to blows, and Davis mortally wounded the unarmed Nelson with a pistol.
Davis avoided conviction, due to the shortage of experienced commanders in the Union Army, but the incident hampered his chances for promotion. He would serve as a corps commander under William Tecumseh Sherman during his March to the Sea in 1864. 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.
Davis was born in Clark County, Indiana near present-day Memphis, Indiana. He was born to William Davis, Jr. (1800-1879) and Mary Drummond-Davis (1801-1881), the oldest of their eight children. His father was a farmer. His parents came from Kentucky, and like many of the time including President Abraham Lincoln's family, moved to Indiana.
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