Indiana Historical Society - Manuscripts and Archives Department

JEFFERSON DAVIS IN BLUE:
THE MILITARY CAREER, 1846-1866, OF GENERAL JEFFERSON C. DAVIS, U.S.A.
by JAMES P. JONES

Collection #:
F0160

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Collection Information
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content Note
Cataloging Information

Processed by
Alexandra S. Gressitt
30 September 1996

COLLECTION INFORMATION

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Jefferson C[olumbus] Davis, born 2 March 1827, Clark County, Indiana, was the first of eight children born to William Davis, Jr. (1800-1879) and Mary Drummond (1801-1881). He grew up in the Charleston area of Clark County on his father's farm. Around 1860 he married Marietta Woodson Athon of Indianapolis, a daughter of Dr. James S. Athon (1811-1875). They had no children, but adopted and raised a niece, Ida Davis. Davis was a career officer in the United States Army (1848-1879) and died while still on active duty, 30 November 1879, in Chicago, Illinois. He is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Davis began his military career as an enlisted man in the 3rd Indiana Regiment during the Mexican War. Following his participation in the battle of Buena Vista he was appointed (1848) Lieutenant of the 1st Artillery. In 1858 he was posted to duty at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, leaving in 1861 to raise the 22nd Indiana Volunteers. Following brief service as Colonel (August 1861) of the 22nd Indiana Volunteers he was promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers in the Union Army and division commander in Tennessee and Georgia (December 1861-1865). He was appointed Colonel (1866) of the 23rd Infantry following the Civil War and served in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska (1866-1879).

James P. Jones was born, 17 June 1931, Jacksonville Florida and completed his undergraduate and graduate training at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (PhD 1960). He is currently (1996) Professor of History at Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida,

Sources: Boatner, Mark M., The Civil War Dictionary, p. 222; Dictionary of American Biography, Vol. III, p. 131; Directory of History Departments and Organizations , 21st edition, p. 151; Dunn, Jacob Piatt, Indiana and Indianians, Vol. IV, pp. 1563-4; Faust, P. L. , ed., Encyclopedia of the Civil War, p. 207-8; Material in collection, and Sifakis, Stewart, Who Was Who in the Civil War, pp. 172-3.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

Jefferson Davis in Blue: The Military Career, 1848-1866, of General Jefferson C. Davis, U. S. A. is a thesis presented to the graduate council of the University of Florida by James P. Jones in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, June 1954. Research materials utilized by the author now form part of the Indiana Historical Society manuscript collection M0080/library/manuscripts/collection_guides/om0362 Jefferson Columbus Davis Collection, 1848-1880.

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog
2. Click on the "Local Catalog" icon.
3. Search for the collection by its call number, using the letter or letters designation and four digits (e.g., M 0715, SC 2234).
4. When you find the collection, go to the "Holdings" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.

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