Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-07-12
The War Record of Hon. Daniel
+. Davis.


General of the State of Maine for lSGl-j,
Daniel F. Davis, aged 20 wears. residing at
Stetson, enlisted as private in Co. ID. First
District of Columbia Cavalry. Oct 18th 1868.
and was transferred to Go. +. First Maine
Cavalry.
The First District OF Columbia Cavalry
was originally battalion raised in the Dis
trict of Columbia for special duty at the seat
of government, under command of Col. l.. &.
Baker, Provost Marshal of the War Depart
ment. and was famiiarly known as "Bakcr's
Mounted Rangers" In the fall of 1863 it
was desired to increase the members of this
organizations and knowing where good men
could be obtained Capt afterwards Maj orr
Joel W. Cloudman of Stetson, was empower
ed to raise company for this. purpose. He
succeeded in enlsting one hundred and TWEEN
ty-tivc men in two week !, and this success in
duced the War Department, later, (January
22d 1863 to issue an order for recruiting six
more companies in Maine afterwards made
seven) for this organization and making it
regiment The men thus enlisted by Capt
| I
of few who were assigned to Co. +. on
irving at the 'front.' and among them was
private Daniel +. Davis.
Company ID. according to Chaplain Mcr-
rirs Campaigns of the First Maine and
First District of Columbia Cavalry. left Au-
gusta Oct I'D 1863, under command of Capt
Cloudman, arriving at Washington on the
25th. and at once entered upon active duty at
AMMAN ac. ten miles from Alexandria, where
il remained until Jan. 27th 1864, and then
Joined the remainder of the battalion at
Yorktown. Jan. Both the battalion went on
an expedition of Il dozen miles or so. and
Feb. 9th. 9th. 7th. and 9Th. IN an expedition
to Bottoms Bridge. on the Chickahomny
river, twelve miles from kichmOn!--an eA-
petition in which there was little fighting bu
much hard work, the men hardly being ont
of the saddle dusing the whole time. The
\ battalion remained in that vicinity. going on
frequent expeditions, picketing, &c. and
busy all the time, until in May being iu.ncd
on the Sth of April by Co. +. also from
Maine.
In March Gen. Kautzs cavalry division was
organized. to which this command was assign
ed. NAV 9TH the battalion started with the hi
vision on what was known us kautz's first
raid going through Sufioll, and across the
Blackwator, striking the Weldon railroad.
seventy mites away, III = q CLOCK on tHt afttf-
noon Of the 9TH. The command cut the rail
road, DESTROYED public buildings, burned the
railroad bridge over the Noaway river, and
met the enemy in two engagements. captur-
ing one hundred prisoners, and driving them
| through the bridge--a covered one--across
! the river and into their tortfcatiOns. The
object of the expedition being accomplished.
the command went to City Point.
After resting day the command set cut
on another raid-one of the most hazardous
and effective of the war. going through Chcs-
terfeld county to Coalfield statoa on the
Danvillc Railroad, thirteen miles from Rich
mond, where the railroad and telegraph were
destroyed, and trains of ears, depot buildings
and large quantities of government stores
burned This was repeated at Blacks and
Whites station on the South Side railroad
thirty miles west of Petersburg, and again at
Wellvile station, five miles east. The COM
mand now started for Belleville on the Wei
don railroad, but Gen. Kautz learned that the
enemy was prepared for him there, and as
his object was not much to fight as to
weaken the enemy by interruptng communi-
cations and destroying supplies, he avoided
an engagement and marched to the Notawav
river at Freeman Bridge. Here he found him
self in trap. One span of the bridge, 40 it. long
had been burned, the fords above and below
were strongly guarded, and the enemy was
gathering in force in the rear. He must
cross or fight at disadv antage and where
nothing was to be gained A Major of Il
New York regiment, commanding the adj
vance declared that the bridge could not be
made passable until the afternoon of the
next day. But Capt. William S. Howe. COM
manding Co. d. First ID. &. Cavalry. knew
better, and was given an opportunity to show
his faith by his works. Co. ID. was informed
i,at,v nI ri.
stantly organized, and in three hours from
the time the Maine boys began the work, the
bridge was repaired, and the column passed
over in safety, reaching City Point on the
18th. During the nine days of this trip the
command marched twenty hours ont of every
twenty-tour, cut the Richmond and Dan,llc
and South Side railroads in six different
places, and inflicted an amount of
damage upon the encmv's communications
and army stores which told severely upon
them afterwards. At this time it viii be re-
mcmbered, Gen Grant was making his way
through the Wilderness and by Spottsvlvania
Court House, toward the James river.
Thus far the record of CONS. d. and +.
runs separately from the other portions of the
First District of Columbia Cavalry that were
raised in Maine. But on the 23d Of Nav the
other six companies from the Pine Tree State
joined them, then at Bermuda Hundreds. and
the regiment was together for the first time
On the 25th of May, portion of the Caval-
ry among which was this regiment was put
into the entrenchments to allow the Eight
eenth Corps to proceed to White House to CO.
operate with the Army of the Potomac, and
remained there under the fire of the enemy's
cannon most of the time, until June 10th.
and gallantly repulsng a severe attack of the
enemy on the 4th. On the 10th this regiment
moved, with the division, to assist in captnr-
ing Petersburg, and charged and took the
enemy works near the Jerusalem Plank Road
against three times their number fighting be-
hind eastworks and capturing many prison
ers, when il was learned that the infantry
had returned to camp without striking a blow,
and Gen. kautz was compelled to retire. On
the 18th a second demonstration was made on
Petersburg, resulting in forcing the enemy
back to his inner line OF entertainments, in
which engagement this regiment was highly
eomplimented for its gallantry
On the 2ist of June the regiment started,
with the division on what was known as ''Wi-
sons Raid" The raiders cut the Weldon
Rail ~