DAVIS
DAVIS
Indiana volunteers, which he commanded as colo-
nel. He was assigned to the department of the
Missouri as acting brigadier-general and for his
action at Milford, Mo., Dec. 18, 1861, was
promoted brigadier-general of volunteers. He
commanded a division at the battle of Pea Ridge,
Marcii 8, 1SG2, and took part in the battle of
Shiloli, April and 7, and the siege of Corinth,
and after the evacuation of that place by the
Confederates, May 29, he was assigned to the de-
partment of the Tennessee. During this cam-
paign he had received, as he alleged, harsh
treatment from Maj.-Gen. William Nelson, his
superior officer. The two officers chanced to
meet in the Gait Hou.se, Louisville. Ky., Sept.
2l>, 1862, and a quarrel ensued, in which General
Davis shot and instantly killed General Nelson.
An arrest but no trial followed and General Davis
wa5 soon after assigned to dutj' in Covington,
Ky. He commanded his division forming a part
of the 20th army corps, at the battle of Stone's
River, Dec. 31, 1862, when he greatly distin-
guislied himself, and General Rosecrans recom-
mended him for promotion to the rank of
major-general. He commanded the 14th army
corps in the Georgia campaign of General Sher-
man, including the march to the sea. At the
close of the war he was brevetted major-general
of volunteers and on July 23, 1866, he was pro-
moted colonel of the 23d U.S. infantry. He
served on the Pacific coast, in Alaska and after
the murder of General Canby by the Modoc In-
dians in 1873 he succeeded to the command of the
department and forced the tribe to surrender.
He died in Chicago, 111., Nov. 30, 1879.
DAVIS, Jessie Bartlett, singer, was born in Morris. 111.; daugliter of Elias and Rsichel (Conk- lin) Bartlett. Her parents, who were musicians of some renown, were both natives of New York state. Jessie attended the public schools, and at an earlj' age began the study of music. She studied under eminent teachers in America and Europe, and in 1880 made her professional debut as Buttercup in " Pinafore." After one j-ear's study in Europe she went into grand opera but it did not prove sufficiently remunerative and she entered light opera, singing contralto parts in the Carleton opera company. In 1888 she was engaged as leading contralto in the " Boston- ians," her most successful part being Alan-a- Dale in "Robin Hood." She was married in 1880 to \V. J. Davis, and had one son, W. J. Davis, Jr., born in 1884.
DAVIS, John, jurist, was born in Plymouth, Mass., Jan. 2o, 1761. He was graduated at Har- vard in 1781, was a tutor in the family of James Otis and became a lawyer in Plymouth in 1786. He was a delegate to the Federal constitutional convention of 1789, and the youngest member
and last survivor of that body. He was a repre-
sentative in the state legislature for several
terms; a state senator in 1795; comptroller of
the U.S. treasury, 1795-96; U.S. district attorney
for Massachusetts, 1796-1801; U.S. district judge,
1801-47, and member of the state constitutional
convention. 1820. He was a fellow of Harvard
college, 1803-07; treasurer, 1810-27, and overseer,
1827-37; president of the Mas.sachusetts historical
societ}', 1818-43; a fellow of the American acad-
emy of arts and sciences and a member of the
American philosophical society. He received the
honorary degree of LL.D. from Dartmouth in
1802 and from Harvard in 1842. He published
an edition of Morton's New England Memorial
(1826); Eulogy on George Washington, and An At-
tempt to Explain the Inscription on Dighton Bock.
He died in Boston, Mass., Jan. 14, 1847.
DAVIS, John, governor of Massachusetts, was born in Northboro, Mass., Jan. 13, 1787; son of Isaac and Anna (Brigham) Davis; grandson of Simon Davis of Rutland, Mass., and descended from Dolor Davis of the County of Kent, Eng- land, who emigrated in 1634. He was graduated at Yale in 1812, was admitted to the bar in 1815, and practised law at Worcester, Mass. He was a representative in the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22d and 23d congresses, serving from Dec. o, 1825, to Jan. 1, 1834, when he resigned to assume the duties of governor of Ma.ssachusetts to which office he had been elected in November, 1833. He was elected to the U.S. senate by the legislature of Massachusetts in 1835 and served until Jan. 1. 1841, when he resigned to resume the duties of governor. In 1845 he was elected to the U.S. senate to fill the unexpired term of Isaac C. Bates, deceased, and in 1847 he was elected for the full senatorial term expiring March 3, 1853. In the senate he opposed the Clay compromise tariff bill of 1833, and the sub-treasury plan of 1840 and was a protectionist in all financial and commercial questions. He opposed the adminis- trations of Jackson and Van Buren; was a con- stant and earnest prote.stant against war with Mexico, opposed the admission of slavery in the territories, supported the Wilmot proviso, and opposed the compromise acts of 1850. He became popularly known as " honest John Davis." He was married to Eliza, sister of George Bancroft, the historian, and had sons: John Chandler Ban- croft, George Henry, Hasbrouck, Horace and Andrew McFarland. He was a fellow of the American academj' of arts and sciences. He re- ceived from Yale the degree of A.M. in 1822 and from Harvard that of LL.D. in 1834. He died in Worcester, Mass., April 19, 1854.
DAVIS, John, representative, was born in Sangamon countj', 111., Aug. 9, 1826; son of Joseph and Sarah (Myers) Davis, and grandson
