Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-07-12

road at Kcysvilc and brakes Depot destroy
ing Iublic buildings. tearing up the railroads
for miles, and burning locomotives and trains,
storehouses, stations, sc. The command
reached Roanoke Bridge. over the StauntOn
river on the 26th. which bridge this regiment
was detailed to burn. The regiment charged
calamity but were met with heavy fire of
artillery and were compelled to abandon the
attempt. The return march was then com
menccd On the morning of the 2sth the
force was met by IIampton's and Fitz Hugh
Lees cavalry and artillery, ut the Iron Bridge,
across Stoncy Creek, and severe engage
mcnt took place, in which this regiment lost
eighty. killed wounded and missing The
result was indecisivc. but the command was
allowed to continue its march. On arriving
at Ream's Station. Gen. kautZ, who led the
advance, found himself confronted by the
enemy. both infantry and artillery. Mahone's
whole division with a brigade from another
division, had been sent out to intercept them.
The First District of Columbia and Eleventh
Pennsylvania regiments charged through the
enemy line, but for some reason Gen. Wilson
instead of follow ing them. fell back. abandon
ing these two regiments 10 their fate. Af-
ter severe hardshipS they got out in safety.
reaching their old camp at Jamcs's Landing
the next day.
Then came II season of drill. picket. &c,
until July 27th, when the regiment with the
whole cavalry force then serving with the
army Of the Potomac went across the james
river to draw the enemy from Petersburg,
where nm assault WAS tn he made in cOnncc-
tion with the explosion of the mine. on which
expedition this regiment had some skirmiSh-
ing with the enemy. August "a the regiment
was sent to the left Of our lines in front of
Petersburg. on picket and headquarters were
established at sycamore Church. On the
2l>t. 22d and 18th this regiment took part in
thchattles which resulted in the capture of the
Weldon Railroad. driving n force of the enc
my four miles on the I'D driving iIamptnn's
Legion back in the afternoon of the sam" tlav.
and meeting ana repulSing the enemy in three
distinct engagements on the 18th Then the
regiment went back to Sycamore Church and
went on picket covering Il line five miles long.
At alayhrrak September 10th, Hampton.
cavalry and three brigat,es of infantry made
u combined attack upon this picket line.
striking it in front and on both flanks, getting
in on the right through another regiment, and
going around to the extreme left where there
were no picketS. 1t was fearful struggle.
hut numbers and the advantage of the com
pletc surprise. gave the victory to the enemy.
who departed with more than half of this
regiment as prisoners. and twenty-thrcc hun
drcd head Of cattle-thc object of the attack.
In this engagement Daniel +. Davis, who
in the meantime had been promoted to cor
poral, was taken prisoner. The record thus
far is the record of his company and regiment
while he was with them. Soon after this en-
gagcment the Maine men in the First District
of Columbia Cavalry were transferred TO the
First Maine Cavalry, and Corporal Davis,
though prisoner, was. as were scores of his
comrades, transferred with the rest. and was
borne on the First Maine rolls from that time.
He was assigned to Co. F., and appears in the
Adutant Generals report for 1864, dated No
vcmbcr 30th, as a corporal of Co. F.. "trans-
terred from lst ID. c. Cavalry, missing in ac-
tion Sept. l6." He is borne on the monthly
returns of Co. F. as ''prisoner of war" from
the time of the transfer until February 1861,
when he is reported ''absent with leave and
in April, May and June is reported "absent
sick" The Adiutant Generals final report
of the regiment gives him as discharged by
order June 10th. as does also the company
roll II is probable that after being released
from prison he furloughed, and being un-
able to take the field, he remained in the hos
pital at Augusta. and was mustered out under
General Order No. -, dated April 2Sth. 1865
ordering the muster-out of returned pris-
oncrs and convalesconts in hospital.