George Davis

This 2004 painting by Bill Groff entitled Fighting at the Junction hangs in the stairwell at the visitors center at Monocacy National Battlefield. It portrays Lt.  Davis and his men at Monocacy Junction on July 9, 1864.

Soldiers of the 10th Vermont and Wallace's 100-day men fought bravely for hours against several Confederate assaults at Monocacy Junction. Lt. Davis received a Metal of Honor for his actions during this fight and leading the men during the retreat across the Railroad Bridge.  -- NPS

 Groff '04

1st Lt. George Evans Davis

The image below from an historical marker entitled Desperate Escape shows Davis and his men retreating across the railroad Bridge over the Monocacy after the burning of the covered bridge that carried the Frederick Pike  over the river.

After Union General Wallace ordered the covered bridge burned, the railroad bridge became the only route of escape for Lieutenant Davis and his men, who were separated from the rest of the Union forces by the river. His troops fought bravely all morning and afternoon, but by 4:00 p.m. the situation grew critical—the Confederates attacked with great force. Davis wrote, “It seemed we should be swept into the river.” Overwhelmed, Davis ordered a retreat across the railroad bridge. Some of his men were shot before reaching the bridge, some fell through the bridge ties, but most escaped with Davis unharmed.

I knew nothing of the situation, or plan of battle, except as apparent to the eye...I received no orders from any source after the first gun was fired in the morning.
First Lieutenant George E. Davis, 10th Vermont Infantry

On the 27th of May, 1892 Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Monocacy.
The entry in  Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863-1878 reads:

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company D, 10th Vermont Infantry. Place and date: At Monocacy, Md., 9 July 1864. Entered service at: Burlington, Vt. Birth: Dunstable, Mass. Date of issue: 27 May 1892. Citation: While in command of a small force, held the approaches to the 2 bridges against repeated assaults of superior numbers, thereby materially delaying Early's advance on Washington.

The medal is currently on display at Monocacy National Battlefield.

Medal of Honor presented to Lt. George Davis on May 27, 1892

for his actions in the Battle of Monocacy.