Known Activities
Davis entered the Fifty-Second Illinois Infantry Regiment and advanced through its officer ranks during the course of the war. According to the History of Kane County (Joslyn, 1908), he received his commission as lieutenant colonel on December 18, 1864, and subsequently took command of the regiment, being promoted to the rank of colonel. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))
The Fifty-Second Infantry served a three-year enlistment, with operations reported in Georgia and the Carolinas campaign. The regiment participated in the Grand Review at Washington on May 24, 1865, one of the ceremonial concluding events of the war. Davis led the regiment through its final period of service until it was mustered out on July 6, 1865, at Camp Douglas, Chicago. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))
Davis was among several Dundee residents who served in the Fifty-Second Infantry. Others from the community included Charles C. Brown, who served as Sergeant Major, and George M. Peck, who served as Commissary Sergeant and was mustered out earlier, on October 24, 1864. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1 (Joslyn, 1908))
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1862 | Fifty-Second Infantry Regiment organized; Davis's entry into service (approximate) |
| December 18, 1864 | Commissioned as lieutenant colonel of the Fifty-Second Infantry |
| ca. late 1864 – early 1865 | Promoted to colonel; took command of the regiment |
| May 24, 1865 | Regiment participated in Grand Review at Washington, D.C. |
| July 6, 1865 | Mustered out with regiment at Camp Douglas, Chicago |
- History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 1, Joslyn (1908). Available at: archive.org