Originally published in the Cecil Whig
Was Cecil County’s own, Colonel Isaac Davis an action hero or just the right person at the right place at the right time? You be the judge.
Exhibit “A”: Remember the television and now movie series “Mission Impossible?” It’s about a team of American agents who conduct clandestine operations against foreign nations, even nations with whom we are at peace. This is nothing new. One such operation/invasion took place in the winter following the end of our Civil War and it was led by none other than Col. Davis!
According to an interview given to the Baltimore Sun, Cecil County’s own, Colonel Isaac Davis, said he led that invasion in January of 1866. “I crossed the Rio Grande River in an English schooner, with volunteers from my own troops and some Ex-Confederates from Kirby Smith’s command. I surprised and captured the forts at Bagdad, with two hundred Austrian infantry and four pieces of artillery, and confined the prisoners in the warehouses of the town.” Davis said he defended the forts from bombardment by a French gunboat and three French men-of-war lying in the Gulf of Mexico. When the bombardment failed, Davis says the French “attempted to land a force in small boats, but we drove them back and held the town.” The American invasion ended the next day, January 6th when a Mexican Republican Army unit arrived. Davis returned the town to them, and his units re-crossed the river into United States territory.
This episode in U.S. Mexican relations came during a time when France installed Maximillian of Austria/Hungary as Emperor of Mexico and was replete with back channel negotiations between the U.S. and just about every European power. President Lincoln openly threatened Napoleon III of France with action if French troops did not leave Mexico. Just weeks after the Davis invasion, French forces withdrew. Is that the stuff of Hollywood movies or what?!
Exhibit “B”: If you saw the movie Glory from 1989, you will remember Colonel Robert Shaw who commanded the 54th Massachusetts Regiment which was the first African American regiment in the Union Army. Unlike Col. Shaw, Col. Davis commanded a black company during the war. According to an article in the Cecil Whig of October 21st, 1865, Davis “made application for a commission in a colored regiment,” in May of 1864. He was subsequently given command of Company “D” of the 118 Regiment, United States Colored Troops which fought at Richmond until the fall of the Confederate capital and the end of the war just days later. He was promoted to Lt. Colonel on July 18th of 1865 and transferred with his regiment to the Texas border and we know what happened next.
But that’s not all. Exhibit “C”: According to the book, Biographical Record of Harford and Cecil Counties, Maryland, Davis also fought at “Antietam, Winchester, Varina Landing, Ft. Harrison, Drury’s Bluff, Fair Oaks, and Petersburg.” He was taken prisoner at Winchester and confined in Libby Prison for 2 months.
After the war, Davis returned to his native Cecil County and a much calmer civilian life. Like many an action hero, Davis traded the swash buckling war hero image for family life. He married twice, had four children, and was involved in several business ventures. In his obituary, the Cecil Democrat wrote that Davis “served as clerk to the Board of county Commissioners,” before “becoming cashier of the Second National Bank (in Elkton).” He “was once a candidate for House of Delegates, being defeated by the late James Black Groome.”
Davis died of heart failure at the age of 78 and is buried in Elkton Cemetery. The Historical Society of Cecil County has more information about Colonel Davis and other Cecil County action heroes. Please see our web site at www.cecilhistory.org for hours of operation.