THE BAD LUCK OF COLLOSTIN J. DAVIS, CPL., 12th MAINE VOLUNTEER INFANTRY

Map of Fortress Munroe, 1862, shows the "neck of land" on which Davis and his regiment travelled north to escape the flooded beaches where they were encamped.¹

I am occasionally participating in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, a writing challenge encouraging genealogy researchers to write about their ancestors. The challenge is hosted by genealogist, blogger and podcaster Amy Johnson Crow.

This week's prompt: Luck

By Nancy Gilbride Casey


Collostin J. Davis, my husband's 3x great grandfather, was a corporal in the Civil War, serving in Cos. H & B, 12th Maine Volunteers. He enlisted on 1 Nov. 1861 in Pittsfield, Maine, and was honorably discharged on 18 April 1866 at Savannah, Georgia.²

If serving in any war wasn't difficult enough, Davis had some really bad luck, suffering illness and being wounded in battle, which affected him for the rest of his life. 

In 1884, Davis called upon LaGrange Severance, his former adjutant, to swear out an affidavit regarding his illnesses and injury, to support his invalid pension application. Severance went into great detail about troop activities, as well as the circumstances which led to Davis' debility following the war. His narrative is transcribed below.³ 

State of Indiana
County of Huntington

In the Matter of the Pension claim of Collostin Davis
Co. H, 12th Regiment, Maine Vols., personally
came before me, a Clerk of Circuit Court in and for the aforesaid County and State,
LaGrange Severance, of Huntington, County of
Huntington, State of Indiana, who, being duly sworn
declares in relation to the aforesaid claim that his age is 44 years; that he is the identical person who served as a Private, Sergeant, 2nd, and Adjt. in Co. H, 12 Reg't Maine Vols.,
and knows the above soldier, who was a member of Co. H, 12 Reg't, Me Vols;
that on or about the latter part day of January, 1862, while in the line of duty, and
without fault or improper conduct on his part, at or near While on board the U.S. state of
transport steamer Constitution, the solder incurred on its voyage from Boston, 
Mass. to Fortress Monroe, Va., said Collostin Davis contracted the measles;
that on our arrival at Fortress Monroe the Regt. was disembarked
and encamped on the low beach north of the Fortress, leading to
the main land; that soon after landing, owing to a severe storm

Sibley tent, the type used by Davis' regiment.⁴

of wind and rain, coming from the east, the low beech on
which we were encamped was overflowed by water, and there
being no transportation, the men of the Regt. were obliged to carry 
their tents (Sibley's) and camp & garrison equipage two miles up
the neck of land, in order to find a camping=ground above
water, that on arriving at this high ground, which was occupied as a soldier's cem-
etery, it was after night and the men slept on the ground in the open air; that
on the next day, the water subsiding, the Regt. returned to its old camping=ground.
Said Davis entering the hospital on board the transport; that the Regt was in a few 
days ordered to ship inland, and on re=embarking the quarters adjoined
to the hospital, between decks was so crowded that said Davis was sent to his
Co. whose quarters were in a much more exposed condition on the
upper deck; that during the exposure, consequent above these movements
said Davis contracted a cold which settled on his lungs, which kept
him from duty during our subsequent stay on ship inland and until the
following June, after our arrival at New Orleans; that during the
remaining term of service the said Davis often suffered from pain in the side, so
much so as to be placed on "light duty" or "in quarters."

That on the 26th day of May, 1863, while on duty with his Regt, on picket
about Port Hudson, in the State of Louisiana, and in that part of the line imme-
diately under my charge & I at that time acting as 2d Lt of Co. H.
12th Maine, during a sudden attack of the enemy on said picket line, said
Davis was wounded in the right arm, between the elbow and shoulder.

That I was acquainted with said Davis at time of enlistment, 
personally and well, and knew him to be in good health at
at [sic] the time, he being enrolled on recruiting papers then 
in my charge. 

Affiant further declares that he has no interest, direct or indirect, in this claim, and that he makes the
above statement from personal knowledge.
Affiant's Post-Office address is as follows: Huntington, Indiana


LaGrange Severance
Late Adjt. 12th Me Vet. Vols. 


Collostin Davis suffered from the bullet wound in his arm, "...causing pain and weakness of said arm, especially when required to bring it into steady use."⁵ His bout of measles led to pleural adhesions which made him short of breathe and prone to coughing fits; numerous affidavits sworn by family, neighbors and associates attested this condition plagued him throughout his life. 

Davis' luck eventually did change: He was awarded a pension of $2 per month, on 28 Sept. 1883,⁶ (later increased), and subsequently his wife— Ellen Maria Martin Davis—received a widow's pension following Collostin's death in 1911. 


Until next time...

Subscribe to "Leaves on the Tree," to receive more family history stories, right in your email box. Click the green Subscribe link above.


NOTES
1 Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/2xvzwkr : accessed 10 March 2020), "Fort Monroe," updated 3 March 2020, at 23:12 (UTC).
2 Collastin J. Davis (Cpl., Cos. B & H, 12th Me Inf., Civil War), pension no. Inv. Claim 308,563, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; "Declaration for Original Invalid Pension," 22 Sept. 1883; citing Record Group 15:  Records of the Department of Veterans Administration; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
3 Collastin J. Davis (Cpl., Cos. B & H, 12th Me Inf., Civil War), pension no. Inv. Claim 308,563, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; "Affidavit to Origin of Disability" 31 March 1884; citing Record Group 15:  Records of the Department of Veterans Administration; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
4 Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/39H15Fv : accessed 10 March 2020), "Sibley tent," updated 8 August 2018, at 09:30 (UTC). 
5  Collastin J. Davis (Cpl., Cos. B & H, 12th Me Inf., Civil War), pension no. Inv. Claim 308,563, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; "Declaration for the Increase of an Invalid Pension," 18 March 1889; citing Record Group 15:  Records of the Department of Veterans Administration; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
6 Collastin J. Davis (Cpl., Cos. B & H, 12th Me Inf., Civil War), pension no. Inv. Claim 308,563, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications, 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; "Original Invalid Claim," citing Record Group 15:  Records of the Department of Veterans Administration; National Archives, Washington, D.C.