Hasbrouck Davis (April 19, 1827 - October 19, 1870) was an American general from

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. The son of prominent politician "Honest" John Davis, Davis attended

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...

and briefly taught before studying to become a Unitarian minister. He later studied law and moved to

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

to practice. He was mustered into service with the 12th Illinois Cavalry in 1862, later leading the regiment as a colonel. Late in his war service he was brevetted to brigadier general. In 1870, he died in the wreck of the SS ''Cambria''.

Biography

Hasbrouck Davis was born on April 19, 1827, in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

. He was the third son of U.S. Representative and later U.S. Senator "Honest" John Davis. He attended public schools then matriculated at

in 1841. He graduated four years later, returning to Worcester to teach at the high school. After a year, he decided to instead pursue a career in the ministry. He studied in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

to study the German language. He returned to Massachusetts in 1849, accepting the pastorship of the Unitarian church in Watertown. Davis preached for only a few years before deciding to step down to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1854, then opened a law office in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. The next year, Davis decided to head west to

, opening a successful firm there. Davis was mustered into service with the 12th Illinois Cavalry in February 1862 as a lieutenant colonel. Arriving shortly after the

First Battle of Winchester The First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Vall ...

, Davis was put in charge of scouting posts. On a mission around

Bunker Hill, West Virginia Bunker Hill is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Berkeley County, West Virginia, Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley on Winchester Pike (U.S. Route 11 in West Virgi ...

, Davis successfully repelled a Confederate attack. The Confederates counterattacked the next morning, but Davis sent a band of forty troops out near

Darkesville, West Virginia Darkesville is an unincorporated community in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States. Established in 1791, Darkesville has been nationally recognized as a historic district.Wood, Don C. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/No ...

. Under Davis' command, they routed the opposing troops, killing 25, including the great-grandson of

Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton or Charles Carroll III, was an American politician, planter, and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic signatory ...

, and taking 50 prisoners. In October 1862, the unit's colonel Arno Voss left for the recruiting serving, putting Davis in charge of the regiment until the next February. The unit saw action at the

Battle of Harpers Ferry The Battle of Harpers Ferry was fought September 12–15, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. As Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee's Confederate States Army, Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his ...

, escaping the surrounded fortification and taking a band of prisoners in the process. As part of Stoneman's 1863 Raid during the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

, Davis was ordered to take a brigade to disrupt the

Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The track is now the RF&P Subdivision of the CSX Transportation system; the original corporation is no longer a railroad comp ...

and

Virginia Central Railroad The Virginia Central Railroad was an early railroad in the U.S. state of Virginia that operated between 1850 and 1868 from Richmond westward for to Covington. Chartered in 1836 as the Louisa Railroad by the Virginia General Assembly, the railr ...

s. He returned to Illinois with the regiment in November 1863 to reorganize as a veteran regiment. On January 5, 1864, he was promoted to colonel after Voss was forced to discharge due to illness. The regiment was assigned the

Army of the Gulf The Army of the Gulf was a Union Army that served in the general area of the Gulf states controlled by Union forces. It mainly saw action in Louisiana and Alabama. History The Department of the Gulf was created following the capture of New Orl ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, fortifying Fort Butler near

Donaldsonville Donaldsonville (historically ) is a city in, and the parish seat of Ascension Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located along the River Road of the west bank of the Mississippi River, it is a part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistic ...

. On October 31, he was reassigned to

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

. The regiment was moved to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

on January 5, 1865, to scout for Embury D. Osband and the 3rd United States Colored Cavalry Regiment. He was brevetted a brigadier general on March 12, 1865, and was sent to

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...

Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat and largest city of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River of the South, Red River ...

. However, he fell ill and was forced to resign on August 1. He returned to Chicago and continued to practice as a lawyer, serving one term as city attorney. Davis married Martha W. Stickney in November 1850; they had four children. In 1870, he boarded the SS ''Cambria'' to tour Europe; the vessel sank off the coast of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

on October 19. Davis was one of the 178 lives lost; his body was never recovered. A cenotaph was erected in his honor at

Rural Cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-19th century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries, which tended to be churchyards. Rural cemeter ...

in Worcester.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Hasbrouck 1827 births 1870 deaths Deaths due to shipwreck at sea People of Illinois in the American Civil War People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War Military personnel from Worcester, Massachusetts Union army colonels Gardiner family Williams College alumni

Biography

See also

References

External links