John Gayle Davis – Major, United States Army

John Gayle Davis of Missouri

• Appointed from Illinois, Private, Company E, 81st Indiana Volunteer Infantry, 22 August 1862
• Hospital Steward, U. S. Army, 24 November 1863 to 1 October 1866
• Major, Surgeon, U. S. Volunteers, 13 June 1898
• Major, Surgon of Volunteers, 11 August 1898
• Died 1 November 1900

John Gayle Davis was born in Missouri about 1845. He died of acute specific dysentery November 1, 1900 at the 1st Reserve Hospital in the Philippine Islands. John was buried January 1901 in section 1, grave/lot 323 of Arlington National Cemetery.

John married Mattie McCreary Bronston in 1890.  She died March 24, 1928 in Orlando, Orange County, Florida. Mattie was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

John Gayle Davis was a physician. He served his country in the Spanish-American War in 1898-1900. John G. Davis was commissioned Major and Surgeon, 7th Regiment, U.S. Volunteer Infantry at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri June 30, 1898. On July 12, he was ordered to report to Tampa, Florida for transport to Santiago de Cuba. He was subsequently ordered to report to the Chief Surgeon, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps for assignment. On August 10, 1898, he was discharged from the service to enable him to accept an appointment as Brigade Surgeon.

In September 1898, hospital ship records show that he had “malarial fever – persistent.” He apparently shipped out for duty in the Philippine Insurrection, but his service record does indicate when this happened. On September 19, 1900, he was admitted to the to the Emergency Hospital in Manila and was soon transferred to the 1st Reserve Hospital. It was here that he expired. An autopsy was performed and listed a lengthy list of maladies.

John Gayle Davis and Mattie McCreary Bronston had the following children:
Dorothy Davis. She died in infancy.
Gayle Davis. Gayle married Henry Fordham.

DAVIS, JOHN G

• MAJOR SURGEON US VOLS CIVIL WAR MO
• DATE OF DEATH: 11/01/1900
• BURIED AT: SECTION 1  SITE LOT 323
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

DAVIS, MATTIE B WIDOW OF JOHN G

• DATE OF DEATH: 03/24/1928
• BURIED AT: SECTION W-W  SITE LOT 323
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• WIFE OF JG DAVIS, MAJ SURG US VOLS

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard