W. L. Davis

As printed in 1911

GENERAL W. L. DAVIS

General W. L. Davis was a gallant soldier of the Civil war and few" men have been equally well known in connection with the Iowa National Guard. His local connection as a resident of Cedar Rapids lias been that of manager of the money order department, of the postoffice for nearly twenty years, and his military service has been characterized by no greater loyalty or fidelity than he has displayed in the discharge of his civic duties. General Davis is the fourth son of Rev. Dr. William and Charlotte (Miller) Davis, the father being a minister of much prominence in the church of the United Brethren in Christ. The son was born August 4, 1843, near South Bend, Indiana. The family, owing to the father being called to various pastorates, frequently changed their place of above and Bluft'ton, Indiana, and Dayton, Westerville, Cincinnati and Seven Mile, Ohio, were successively the places of residence of the family during the childhood of General Davis. While serving as pastor of the congregation of his church, the Rev. William Davis pursued a course of study in the Cincinnati Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1849. Soon after completing the course there, he removed to Seven Mile, a village about thirty miles north of Cincinnati, where for ten years he enjoyed a large practice as a member of the medical profession, while his children were given the advantage of excellent common school and academic training. In 1861 the call of the west brought General Davis and his two elder brothers to Areola, Illinois, where an unsuccessful effort was made at farming. The elder brothers enlisted in the Fifty-fourth Illinois Infantry, leaving the younger brother with the farm crop and all the appurtenances to dispose of and claims to settle. The father came on from Ohio and took charge and General Davis found a special engagement to teach in Westfield College during the winter.

The spring of 1862 found the family in Muscatine, Iowa, and William Davis in the employ of Neidig & Burtner as traveling salesman in Mercer and Rock Island counties, Illinois. In this he was quite successful. On the 7th of August, 1862, General Davis enlisted as a member of Company B, Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry, under command of Captain A. B. John. On settling with his employer he was amazed at his remuneration, it being more than double what he had anticipated. Being a stranger or nearly so in the city and state, preferment was neither sought nor expected with his company and regiment. He participated in a series of battles which resulted in the capture of Vicksburg under General Grant, the subsequent, campaign of Sherman against Jackson, Mississippi, the Meridian campaign, the Red River expedition, including the battles of Fort De Russy, Henderson Hill and Pleasant Hill, and the operations at the mouth of the Black River. Later under the command of General A. J. Smith, he took part in the battle of Lake. Chicot, Arkansas. The next few months were spent in West Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri, chasing Price and Marmaduke from those districts. This being accomplished, his command embarked at St. Louis and proceeded to Nashville, Tennessee, where under "Pap" Thomas,

General Davis look part in a two class' battle that drove Hood from the state, continuing the pursuit to Eastport, Mississippi. A short respite from the strenuously active campaign and the troops then received orders to proceed to Mobile, Alabama, by way of New Orleans. While at Memphis, Mr. Davis, then a young lieutenant, received orders from the war department to report to General A. L. Chetlain at Memphis for assignment to duty. There he remained during the rest of his army life, performing all the duties pertaining to the office of his rank until his muster out, March 31, 18GG, a portion of the time being in command of the "Irving Military Prison."

On his return from the army he found his father presiding over the destinies of Western College at Western, Iowh. lie pursued a course in the business college at Pittsburg, afterward becoming traveling salesman for N. B. Brown, a manufacturer of woolen goods in Cedar Rapids, later managing a couple of real-estate transactions at Lisbon, and then hung out his sign proclaiming him to be a dealer in drugs, paints, oils, wall paper, etc.

In 1867 General Davis was married to Miss Mattie W. Cowden of Pennsylvania. Prosperity and adversity in about equal proportions came as they do to most people. The community was one day shocked by the suicide of the editor of the Lisbon Sun and his widow requested Mr. Davis to assume the management of the paper. Later he bought the plant and continued as editor and proprietor of the Sun during the succeeding ten years. Within a month after the beginning of General Grant's first term as president he was appointed postmaster of Lisbon and continued in office for nearly a year after Mr. Cleveland's first term as president began, so that his incumbency covered more than sixteen consecutive years. Being of a military turn of mind, Mr. Davis soon after locating in Lisbon organized a company of state militia, now the National Guard, and was elected its captain. A year later he was chosen lieutenant colonel of the First Regiment of the Iowa National Guard. The Lisbon company was then transferred to Cedar Rapids and George Greene was elected captain. Four years later Mr. Davis was commissioned colonel of the regiment which under his management gained a reputation for efficiency and department, and military bearing unequaled by any in the state. It was during his five years' service as colonel that lie organized a battalion of the National Guard of the state, conducting them to Washington, D. C. The command was in the inaugural parade of President Benjamin Harrison. It is noticeable that this is the only instance in which Iowa troops ever participated in the inauguration of a president of the United States. The command was royally treated and was applauded vociferously for its excellence. The newly inaugurated president extended to the members a special reception at the White House and the newspapers of the city gave illustrations of the command in the procession, and also cuts of the officers. When General B. A. Beeson was appointed by Hie governor to the office of adjutant general, Colonel Davis was chosen as his successor in command of the Second Brigade, I. N. G. It was during this period in his military career that the Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago and the ceremony pertaining to the dedication of the buildings was participated in by a large contingent of the military force of several states. Adjutant General George Greene, under General Boies, by his orders organized a brigade of the First and Second Regiments from the Iowa National Guard, placing General Davis in command, although he was not the senior commanding officer. Disagreeable weather to a great extent married much of the ceremony, yet on the day of the greatest display, General Miles, the Commander-in-Chief, took occasion to highly compliment Colonel F. W. Malin and his First Iowa Regiment for their almost perfect work as escort to the vice president, a part of which escort duty the regiment had to perform on double time. General Davis was placed on the retired list of the state at the expiration of his five years' service as brigadier general and has since continued in civil life.

Four children were born unto General and Mrs. Davis: Carrie, who is now head of a division in the agricultural department in Washington, D. C.; Lulu B., who is the widow of B. F. Tisdale and lives in this city; Arthur W., a lettercarrier connected with the Cedar Rapids postoffice; and Ira J., who was drowned in the Cedar River near the Palisades, May 17, 1894.

General Davis is a member of the United Brethren church and is president of its board of trustees. He belongs to Mount Ilermon Lodge, A. F. & A. SI.; Trowel Chapter, R. A. SI.; Apollo Commandery, K. T., and also to El Kahir Temple of the Mystic Shrine. His political allegiance is given to the republican party but he has never sought elective office although he has been continuously in public service. He has made a distinguished record in military circles and manifests public spirit in his support of municipal interests, furthering every movement and measure for the general <rood.

As printed in History of Linn County Iowa : from its earliest settlement to the present time (1911). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.