George E. Davis (Medal of Honor recipient)
Encyclopedia
George Evans Davis was a recipient of the Medal of Honor
during the American Civil War
.
, and worked as a clerk in a local store.
Following President Lincoln's
call for more volunteers in July 1862, Davis enlisted as a private in Company D, 10th Vermont Infantry
. He was quickly elected to the rank of second lieutenant and promoted to first lieutenant in January 1863.
On July 9, 1864, at the Battle of Monocacy
, Davis was in command of a small detachment ordered to guard bridges. Despite repeated attacks by the Confederates, Davis's detachment held.
Davis continued to serve with the 10th Vermont Infantry and was promoted to captain during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign
. While in winter quarters in Petersburg, Virginia
, his cabin accidentally collapsed. Davis suffered an injury to his leg and was discharged due to disability.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company D, 10th Vermont Infantry. Place and date: At Monocacy, Md., 9 July 1864. Entered service at: Burlington, Vt. Birth: Dunstable, Mass. Date of issue: 27 May 1892.
Citation:
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
Davis was born in Dunstable, MassachusettsDunstable, Massachusetts
Dunstable is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,179 at the 2010 census.-Etymology:Dunstable was named after its sister town Dunstable, UK....
, and worked as a clerk in a local store.
Civil War
At the start of the war, Davis enlisted in the 1st Vermont Infantry for three months service. After his three month enlistment expired, he returned to his civilian job.Following President Lincoln's
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
call for more volunteers in July 1862, Davis enlisted as a private in Company D, 10th Vermont Infantry
10th Vermont Infantry
The 10th Vermont Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 10th Vermont Infantry was organized at Brattleboro, Vermont and mustered in for three years service on September 1, 1862 under the command of Colonel Albert Burton Jewett.The regiment...
. He was quickly elected to the rank of second lieutenant and promoted to first lieutenant in January 1863.
On July 9, 1864, at the Battle of Monocacy
Battle of Monocacy
The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, just outside Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, in the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace...
, Davis was in command of a small detachment ordered to guard bridges. Despite repeated attacks by the Confederates, Davis's detachment held.
Davis continued to serve with the 10th Vermont Infantry and was promoted to captain during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
. While in winter quarters in Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, his cabin accidentally collapsed. Davis suffered an injury to his leg and was discharged due to disability.
Postbellum life
On May 27, 1892, Davis received the Medal of Honor for his command of the bridge defense at Monocacy. He died at the Vermont Soldiers' Home in Bennington, Vermont, and is buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Burlington, Vermont.Medal of Honor citation
Citation:
While in command of a small force, held the approaches to the 2 bridges against repeated assaults of superior numbers, thereby materially delaying Early's advance on Washington.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: A–F