John Davidson (general)

Infobox Military Person
name=John Wynn Davidson
nickname=Black Jack
born= birth date|1825|8|14
died= death date and age|1881|6|26|1825|8|14
placeofburial= Arlington National Cemetery


caption=
placeofbirth=Fairfax County, Virginia
placeofdeath=St. Paul, Minnesota
allegiance=flagicon|United States United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears=1845–1881
rank= Major General
unit=1st Cavalry Regiment 10th Cavalry Regiment 2nd Cavalry Regiment
battles=Mexican-American War
*Battle of San Pasqual
*Battle of Rio San Gabriel
Battle of Cieneguilla American Civil War Indian Wars

John Wynn Davidson ("Black Jack") (August 14, 1825 – June 26, 1881) was a major general in the United States Army and an American Indian fighter.

Background

Davidson was born in Fairfax County, Virginia. He graduated from West Point in 1845. He later participated in many battles of the Mexican-American War, seeing considerable action at the San Pasqual and the Rio San Gabriel battles. [ [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/DD/fda80.html "John Wynn Davidson"] - The Handbook of Texas Online ]

Davidson was active in the Union Army during the American Civil War, leading a brigade in the Western Theater.

Following the war, he resumed his Regular Army rank and was assigned to the Western frontier. He led the 1st Cavalry Regiment against the Jicarilla Apaches in the Battle of Cieneguilla on March 30, 1854. [ Davidson, pp. 69 - 79.]

Following the end of the Civil War Davidson was again posted on the Western frontier, this time as a lieutenant colonel of the 10th Cavalry, known as the Buffalo Soldiers. It was there that he acquired the nickname "Black Jack." [ Gorenfeld, Will. "The Battle of Cieneguilla", Wild West magazine, Feb., 2008 ]

In 1879 he was transferred to the 2nd Cavalry, to Fort Custer in the Montana Territory. [ Gorenfeld, Will. "The Battle of Cieneguilla", Wild West magazine, Feb., 2008 ] Davidson died in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1881 after being seriously injured during an inspection tour. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. [ [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jwdavidson.htm "John Wynn Davidson"] - Arlington National Cemetery website]

ee also

*Notable graduates of West Point

References

*cite book |last=Davidson |first=Homer K. |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=Black Jack Davidson, a Cavalry Commander on the Western Frontier: The Life of General John W. Davidson |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |date= |year=1974 |month= |publisher=A. H. Clark Co. |location= |language= |isbn=0-8706-2109-2 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=273 |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote=

Notes

External links

* [http://www.historyofwar.org/sources/acw/officialrecords/vol011chap023part1/02016_01.html "A letter by Davidson"] - (Official Records of the Rebellion: Volume Eleven, Chapter 23, Part 1: Peninsular Campaign: Reports, pp.306-307)
* [http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/ngd/davidson.htm "Pictures of John Wynn Davidson"]

Persondata
NAME= Davidson, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Union Army General
DATE OF BIRTH= August 14, 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH= Fairfax County, Virginia
DATE OF DEATH= June 26, 1881
PLACE OF DEATH= St. Paul, Minnesota