Gustavus Cheyney Doane - Civil War and Reconstruction Experiences

Civil War and Reconstruction Experiences

Desiring to participate in the American Civil War, in October, 1862 after unsuccessful attempts at gaining an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a 22 year old Doane volunteered at San Francisco for the 2nd Regiment of Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteers known as the California 100. This group of volunteers, after paying their own way to Boston by ship from California, were inducted into the U.S. Army in January 1863. A month after his enlistment, Doane was made a Sergeant and began seeing combat in actions around Washington, D.C. against forces of Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby, also known as the Gray Ghost.

In March 1863, Doane was transferred to the Mississippi Marine Brigade, Vicksburg, Mississippi as a First Lieutenant. Although Doane's unit did see action with the enemy, he did not distinquish himself during this assignment. When it was dissolved in August 1864, Doane was transferred to an infantry regiment. Doane was honorably discharged from the Army in January 1865.

After a brief post-war stint in Illinois, Doane and some of his wartime associates returned to Yazoo City, Mississippi to establish a merchandising business. Initially successful because of the post-war boom, by late 1866 the sour post-war economy and poor business decisions resulted in bankruptcy. It was during this period that Doane met and married Amelia Link, the daughter of a wealthy southern landowner. Although Doane tried to make a living from Amelia's father's land, that too failed. In 1867, Doane tried his hand at politics in Mississippi, becoming Justice of the Peace and Mayor of Yazoo City for a short period of time. However, local politics and Reconstruction policies proved too much for Doane and he left Mississippi in May 1868 for Illinois abandoning his business and political ambitions in Mississippi.