Background
Dawes was born on May 27, 1840 to a large family in Marietta, Ohio.
Dawes was born on May 27, 1840 to a large family in Marietta, Ohio.
He finished his bachelor’s degree at Marietta College in 1861, the same year that he enlisted in the 53rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he was a First Lieutenant.
Military career
While an infantryman, Dawes fought in many of the most important battles of the Civil War, including the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Resaca, and Atlanta. Dawes was promoted to the rank of major in January 1863, in which he served under General Grant in the successful capture of Vicksburg. He then went on to serve under General Sherman in Jackson and Dallas, where he lost his lower jaw.
After months of pain, Doctor George Blackman reconstructed his jaw, restoring his health.
Later life
After being honorably discharged from the army in 1864, Dawes entered the railroad business, beginning with Cincinnati railroad companies in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. He lost his fortune in the 1873 economic crash, but rebuilt his business in Saint Louis and Chicago as the president of Saint Louis and Big Muddy Coal Company.
Dawes also maintained a strong interest in the Civil War and became an avid collector of Civil War manuscripts, books, and pamphlets. Dawes married Frances Bosworth in 1866.
He died in 1895.