Collection: Books and Periodicals

About This Item:

Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 301 both died, the former in 1846, at the age of forty-six, and the latter in 1882, he being at the time of his death eighty-two years old. They raised a family of eleven children, of whom the last two, Alonzo E. Davis and Edwin A. Davie, were twins. The former is a man who has made quite a reputation for himself in the public affairs of this coast. In former years he resided in Arizona, has served in both houses of the Legislature in that State, and is now one of the supervisors of Los Angeles County, California, where he is residing. ‘Edwin Amenzo Davis was born in Livingston County, New York, June 30, 1840. He was raised in that and in the adjoining county, Wyoming, with the exception of a short time spent in Wisconsin. This was when Edwin was about séven years old, his father going there to engage in the hotel business. This proved, however, to have been an unlucky move for him, as the hotel was finally destroyed by fire, together with all of its contents, including one member of the family, a daughter of Mr. Davis, who was burned to death in the flames. After this sad loss be returned to his old home in New York State. Edwin, from the time he was ten years of age, was placed entirely upon his own resources, and, it is due largely to the establishment of this independent element in his character so early in life that has helped to make him so snecessful in after years. He started in working on a farm for $5 « month during two summer seasons, while in the winter he did chores fur his board and went to school. After a while, by hard study, he became able to teach. While attending one of the district schools one of the commissioners came along one day to inspect the school, which was the usual custom, and, there being a vacancy existing in the adjoining district, prevailed upon young Davis to take it. After teacing one term he entered the Normal School at Albany in 1859, and remained there about one year. When the war broke out in 1861 he assisted in raising a cumpany at Perry, Wyoming County, New York. About the 1st of May the company, then numbering but fifty-two men, was sent to Staten Island, where General Daniel E. Sickles was organizing a brigade. The men remained on the island for over a month, when an effort was made to consolidate the company with another one, but this the boys didn’t like. They had a few days previous received their uniforms, but hadn’t sent back their old clothes. By a preconcerted plan they one afternoon took off the blue, donned their own clothes and quietly went out of their quarters over into New York city, and laid their case before the officers of the New York & Eric Railway, who gave them free transportation back to Elmira. Onr subject arrived at the latter place about the Ist of July, where he made arrangements to join another company. He then went to his home in Perry, Wyoming County, where he spent the 4th, returning to Elmira on the 5th, and on the 6th of July enlisted in Company G, under Captain James Pe:kins, Twenty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel (now General) Slocum. The regiment went to Washington and went into camp at Camp Andereon, remaining there a little over a week, when they were ordered to join McDowell’s army on its move against Richmond. The regiment participated in the tirst battle of Bull Run, in which their Colonel was shot through the leg, and our subject received a severe sunstroke sometime during the day, after being in the fight about two hours. He had in the meantime been on the sick list, but refused to go tu the hospital, and for this reasun was physically in no fit condition to be in the heat of battle. The second day after the tight he was brought into Camp Andersun, and as svon as he got able was put aboard the cars and sent home. The date of his discharge is July 30, 1861. The following winter he taught school again, and in the fall of 1862 re-entered the Normal School at Albany, from which he was graduated in 1864. In 1867 he received the degree of Bachelor of Laws, conferred upon him by Hamilton