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History of Cambria County, V.3

370 HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
killed were Captain John M. Jones, Lieutenant W. A. Scott and Adjutant J. C. Noon. The greater part of the following winter was passed at Falmouth, Virginia. The company next saw service at Chancellorsville, May 5, 1863. After this battle the term of enlistment expired, and the company was mustered out at Harrisburg in May, 1863, and returned home.
    In September, 1864, Colonel Davis enlisted in Company C, Two Hundred and Ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, under Captain Robert Litzinger. In this company Colonel Davis was first lieutenant and Hugh Jones second lieutenant, the latter being killed at Fort Steadman, March 25, 1865. The company served at Bermuda Hundred, under General Benjamin Butler, Eighteenth Corps, Army of the James. Later it was transferred to the Ninth Corps, Army of the Potomac, and lay in the rear of Richmond until the taking of that city. The company was mustered out June 7, 1865, at Harrisburg. After his return home Samuel W. Davis was elected colonel of the Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania National Guard, and from that time until his death was familiarly known as "Colonel."
    Immediately after the war Colonel Davis, in partnership with his brother Lemuel, engaged in the livery business in Ebensburg, and for a number of years conducted a very successful establishment. When the present court house was erected Colonel Davis was one of the county commissioners, and to him is due much of the credit for this handsome temple of justice, which is largely the result of his interest and efforts. In after years, when Colonel Davis held office, it was frequently spoken of as "the Colonel's house." When the First National Bank of Ebensburg was organized, in September, 1897, Colonel Davis was one of the incorporators, and served upon the executive committee of the board of directors up to the time of his death, which event caused the first vacancy in the board which has occurred since the organization of the bank. The handsome three-story Davis office building on Centre street, Ebensburg, was the last enterprise in which Colonel Davis took an active part, he, in company with T. Stanton Davis, of this place, being the owner of this modern business block, which was completed in May, 1906.
    Politically Colonel Davis was a stanch and uncompromising Republican and was ever active in the service of the organization. Even up to the last election before he died, as chairman of his party in this county, he labored unceasingly for its success. In 1878 he was elected to the office of county commissioner, and in 1881 was re-elected. At the expiration of his term as commissioner he became clerk to County Treasurer Alexander Stackhouse, and in 1889 was appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff J. C. Stineman. At the end of three years, when Sheriff Stineman's term expired, and James M. Shumaker was elected in his place, Colonel Davis was continued in the office as deputy. When David W. Coulter was elected to succeed Sheriff Shumaker, Colonel Davis was again reappointed and served in that capacity under Sheriff Coulter for one year. In 1895 Colonel Davis was elected to the office of prothonotary of Cambria county, which position he held for two terms, a period of six years. During his long political career Colonel Davis was never known to shrink from duty, but was as upright and honest as he was fearless. He was prominently connected with John M. Jones Post, No. 566, Grand Army of the Republic, and belonged to Summit Lodge, No. 312, Free and Accepted Masons, Portage Chapter, No. 195, and Oriental Commandery, No. 61. He was a devout member of the First Congregational church of Ebensburg.


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