When
the Census was again taken in 1860 Anna Davis and her children
were living in
Camden's Middle Ward
Though
still in his teens, Josiah M. Davis twice went off to war in the
Union Army. He first enlisted
as a Private in the Independent Company, New Jersey 1st Infantry Regiment on
June 17, 1863. When Lee
invaded Pennsylvania in June, 1863, Governor Curtin, of that State, appealed to the
other loyal States for assistance, and on
June 17th the Governor of New Jersey
called for volunteers for thirty days to aid in
repelling the enemy. James M. Scovel at
once recruited an independent company in
Camden, which was mustered in on June
19th. It left for Harrisburg the same day
and was assigned to duty under General
Couch. At the end of the thirty days
service the company was returned to Trenton
for discharge. Its roster was as follows: Captain,
James M. Scovel;
First Lieutenant,
Timothy C. Moore;
Second Lieutenant,
George Holl;
First Sergeant,
James Lane; Sergeants, James V. Gibson, Ernest Troth,
George E. Webb, Francis C. Vanhorn; Corporals,
Joseph M. Cooper, Sylvester Birdsell,
P. J. Murray, Benjamin Wright,
Lawrence Breyer, John Capewell, William Wible, Henry Smith. Privates, Joseph
Bates, John Kline,
Anthony Bernard, William Mahoney,
Henry Breyer, James McCormick, William Bundick, Peter Quinn, Joseph Burton,
Michael Leibinlitz,
Simpson Campbell, Enoch Shootz,
John Decker, John Smith, William Dorman, James Snowe, George Dosinger, David
Sparks,
John Dovey, Isaac H. Stowe, Thomas Dovey, George
Tenner,
John Fenner, Benjamin Todd,
Henry Figley, Benjamin Tyre, Edward Gifford, John Ward,
Henry Gilbert. James Wilson.
John Guyant, William Wilson,
Frank Hewett, David Wood,
John Hill, Frederick Wood, William C. Kaighn, Henry Belisle,
H. Kelly, John Campbell,
John Coats, John McGuin,
Josiah Davis, Josiah Mead,
David W. Hutton, David D. Middleton,
Henry Ivins, and John Stetzer.
Josiah
M. Davis enlisted in Company
A, New Jersey 1st Infantry Militia on July 14, 1864. Company A,
First Militia, was commanded by Captain Richard H. Lee with First
Lieutenant William C. Shinn and Second Lieutenant Charles H. Kain
assisting. In the early part of July, 1864, the cities of Washington, D.
C., and Baltimore, Md., were endangered by a threatened invasion of
the enemy. A battle had been fought within a few miles of Baltimore
and communication with Washington had been interrupted. In view of
this emergency the governor of New Jersey issued a proclamation
dated at Trenton, July 12, 1864, calling for the organization of
the militia for 30-days' service in Pennsylvania, Maryland or the
District of Columbia. Under the call this company reported for
duty, was accepted, and mustered in at Camden N. J., July 14, 1864,
for 30 days. It left the state on July 15 for Baltimore, Md., and
on arrival reported to Major General Lew Wallace, commanding the
Middle Department. It was stationed at the Relay house, below Baltimore,
and was attached to the 1st separate brigade, 8th army corps. Upon
expiration of term of service it returned to New Jersey, and was
mustered out at Camden, Aug. 15, 1864. The total strength of the
company was 94. Besides Josiah Davis, among those who served were Benjamin
M. Braker and Isaac Shreeve.
The
1870 Census shows Josiah Davis in Camden's Middle Ward with his
mother and his sister Eliza. Josiah Davis was then working as a
carpenter.
Josiah
M. Davis served with the Camden Fire Department as a member of the Hook
and Ladder Company from January 8, 1872, when he replaced Charles G.
Zimmerman, until to October 7, 1872 when he resigned from service with
the Fire Department, and was replaced in turn by Edmund
Shaw. A
carpenter by trade, Josiah Davis then lived at 410 Stevens
Street. He
returned to the Fire Department and the Hook
and Ladder Company in April of
1874, when he replaced James
Carey. Josiah Davis remained with the
Department until the spring of 1876. During this time, he was living at
1006 Carpenter
Street.
Josiah
Davis was reinstated on April 8, 1877. He was then living at 525 Federal
Street and working as a driver. He moved to North 5th Street above
Arch
Street by the spring of the following year, and to 804 Kimber Street by
April of 1879. Josiah Davis was not reappointed in April of 1882. He
took a job as a brakeman with the Pennsylvania Railroad. This
did not turn out to be a good idea, as on the night of January
10, 1884 Josiah M. Davis fell from freight train and was cut in
two.
The
1880 Census shows Josiah M. Davis at 804 Kimber Street
with his wife
Maggie and three sons, Ephram, 9, Augustus, 7, and Charles, 3. Another
son, William, was born in April of 1883. Maggie Davis and her
sons were still living at 804 Kimber Street
as late as 1914.
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