regiment to North Carolina in Burnside's expedition. He took part in the Battle of New Berne, March 14, 1862, and was promoted first lieutenant of his company, and was at South Mountain and Antietam. Lieutenant Davis remained with the Army of the Potomac to the close of the war holding important staff positions, witnessing the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. He served as chief quartermaster of a division and accompanied the twenty-fifth army corps. General Weitzel, to Texas, when war was threatened on the Mexican border. He was honorably discharged from the volunteer service, 1866; was commissioned captain, 14th United States infantry, early in 1867 and was ordered to Arizona, subsequently serving in Dakota, Nebraska, Utah and Texas, acting principally as engineer in the erection of military posts and army buildings. In 1876 he was appointed chief assistant to General Casey and helped to plan and execute the completion of the long unfinished Washington monument without taking down the portion built years before on an insecure foundation. He was assigned to the staff of Lieutenant-General Philip H. Sheridan as aide and soon after was made instructor of engineering at the United States military school at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1890 by special act of congress he was granted indefinite leave of absence with permission to accept the general management of the Nicaraguan Canal Company, of which corporation he became vice-president. When financial difficulties caused the company to abandon its work in 1893, Major Davis was ordered to special duty in the war department at Washington. In 1895 he was appointed president of the board of publication of the "Rebellion Records" and in 1896 was the war department official in charge of the reception given by the government to Li Hung Chang on the occasion of his visit to the United States. He was promoted major, United States army, in 1897, and lieutenant-colonel in 1898.
At the beginning of the war with Spain he mustered into service the volunteer troops at New York and was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers and placed in command of Division A in the Second army corps which he organized at Camp Alger. In November, 1898, he was sent to Cuba as acting military governor of the province of Piner del Rio, and in January, 1899, he was made department commander. In May, 1899, he was assigned by President McKinley to the command of the Department of Porto Rico, becoming the military governor of the island. He received promotion to
