Private Samuel S. Davis, Co. D, 78th Illinois Infantry Regiment. Davis, of St. Mary's, Hancock County, Illinois enlisted on 1 September 1862. He was killed in action on 1 September 1864 during the Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia. In his report Lieutenant-Colonel M.R. Vernon, commanding officer of the 78th Illinois, stated "at 3 p.m. we were formed in line of battle in front of and about a half mile from the enemy's fortified position on the railroad, north of the town, the Seventy-eighth Illinois and Ninety-eighth Ohio forming the front line, the enemy's works presenting to us two fronts running at right angles to each other, with one battery in the angle and another farther to his left, the center of our line being opposite the angle. The order was given to advance to a knoll some 300 yards in front of his works, which was done under a severe fire of shot and shell. Resting here a few minutes, the men lying flat on the ground, the order was again given to advance, quick time, and commence firing. As the men rose up and passed over the crest of the knoll a terrible fire of shell, grape-shot, and musketry was opened upon the line ... the men were now falling at every step, yet their brave comrades pressed steadily forward [and] in a few minutes reached and passed over the enemy's works, forcing him to surrender and pass to our rear. In front of the right wing he continued to work his artillery with terrible effect, until, either killed or borne down at the point of the bayonet, he fired his last piece, double-charged with grape ... my two right companies, A and D, were less than ten paces from it, and two-thirds of the regiment [was] inside his works ... . We carried his entire line... from where the left first struck it to the crest of a ridge, where his line made another angle, a distance greater than the front of the regiment, capturing 1 battery of 4 guns and several hundred prisoners, including 1 brigadier-general and a number of field and line officers. The loss in the regiment was very heavy, 13 killed on the field and 69 wounded; 3 died on the following morning ... . Capt. R. M. Black, Company D, and First Lieut. D. W. Long, Company G, were both killed, gallantly leading their companies in the charge." The Confederate Brigadier General captured by the 78th Illinois was Daniel C. Govan. Samuel S. Davis is buried at Marietta National Cemetery, grave 5545. This period photograph shows Confederate defensive positions near Atlanta.