Jefferson C Davis, an American soldier, born in Clark co., Indiana, March 2, 1828. At the beginning of the Mexican war he enlisted in Col. Lane's Indiana regiment, and was promoted in 1848 to second lieutenant in the first United States artillery for gallant conduct at Buena Vista. He became first lieutenant in 1852, and in April, 1861, was one of the garrison of Fort Sumter during the bombardment. In May of the same year he was promoted to captain, and given leave of absence to raise the 22d Indiana volunteers, of which he became colonel. For gallant conduct at Milford, Missouri, where he captured a superior force, he was made brigadier general of volunteers, Dec. 18,1861. At the battle of Pea Ridge in March, 1862, he commanded a division. In April he participated in the battle of Corinth, and after the evacuation of that place by the confederates was assigned to the army of the Tennessee. On Sept. 29, 1862, he killed Gen. Nelson after an altercation in a hotel in Louisville; he was arrested, but was never tried, and was soon restored to duty.

He commanded a division in the battles around Murfrees-borough and at Chickamauga in 1862-'3. In 1864 he commanded the 14th corps of Sherman's army in the Atlanta campaign and in the march through Georgia. He received the brevet of major general in 1865, and was made colonel of the 23d infantry, July 28, 1866. He was subsequently stationed on the Pacific coast, commanding for some time the troops in Alaska. In 1873, after the murder of Gen. Canby by the Modoc Indians in southern Oregon, he took command of the forces operating against them, and compelled them to surrender.