Pre-War Profession Mexican War, graduated West Point 1853, frontier duty.
War Service 1861 staff Major, 1862 Col., Island No 10 (c), released, August 1863 Brig. Gen. with a brigade in Wheeler's cavalry, commanded Davidson’s Bde/Pegram’s Divn at Chickamauga, commanded Jackson’s Bde/Lomax’s Divn in Shenandoah Valley campaign, Carolinas campaign.
Post War Career Civil engineer, agent of Southern Pacific Railroad.

Brigadier General Henry B. Davidson, a true son of the Volunteer State, received his appointment at the United States military academy as a reward for gallant services as a sergeant of Tennessee volunteers at the battle of Monterey, Mexico, September 21 to 23, 1846. He was graduated at West Point in 1853, and promoted to brevet second lieutenant of dragoons. He served at the cavalry school for practice, in garrison duty at Jefferson barracks, Mo.; on scouting duty at Fort Union and Albuquerque; was engaged with Apache Indians in a skirmish on Penasco river, New Mexico, January 18, 1855, and again with hostile Indians in Oregon, March 27, 1856; in the combat of the Four Lakes on September 1st; on the Spokane plains, September 5th, and on Spokane river, September 8, 1858. He was quartermaster of First dragoons from December 5, 1858 to May 13, 1861. Being on leave of absence when the Confederate war began, he resigned his commission as captain in the United States army and entered the service of the Confederate States, actuated by a sense of duty to his native State, whose command he felt bound to obey. Reporting to the Richmond government, he was assigned in 1862 to the command of the post at Staunton, Va., with the rank of colonel. In August, 1863, he was commissioned brigadier-general, and early in 1864 he was at Rome, Ga., in command of a cavalry brigade belonging to Wheeler's corps. On the 17th of May, as the enemy was approaching Rome, Ector's brigade of French's division, supported by the cavalry of Ross, Morgan, and Davidson had quite a spirited affair, in which Davidson attacked the enemy on the right, driving in their skirmishers. General Davidson did not long remain in Georgia, but was sent back to Virginia and assigned to the command of a brigade of cavalry attached to the division of General Lomax, operating in the valley under Early. This brigade consisted of the First Maryland, and the Nineteenth, Twentieth, Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Virginia battalions of cavalry. After the war, General Davidson moved to the city of New Orleans, of which he was deputy sheriff, 1866 and 1867. From 1878 to 1886 he was inspector of United States public works at San Pedro, Cal. In 1887 he was appointed deputy secretary of state of California.

Bibliography:

Evans, Clement, ed. Confederate Military History, Vol. XII, Confederate Publishing Company, Atlanta, GA, 1899. Reprint 2001. Clearwater, SC Eastern Digital Resources.