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Rh colonel of the 23d U. S. infantry, October 19, 1899. He transferred his civil functions to the government May 1, 1900, and upon the discontinuance of the Department of Porto Rico the body politic became operative as The People of Porto Rico. He was transferred to the war department and thence to the Philippine Islands as inspector-general of the army, January, 1901. He was appointed brigadier-general U. S. A., in February, 1901, and commanded the city of Manila and the troops serving therein. He drafted a law for the civil government of the city at the request of the Philippine Commission, and the measure with some changes was adopted and went into effect August, 1901. He was then sent to the Moro country to suppress the insurgents, and by April, 1902, had broken the rebellion and established a military government. In July, 1902, he was appointed major-general, U. S. A.; and in August he assumed command of the military district of Luzon. On October 1, 1902, he was placed in command of the Division of the Philippines. He established order on the islands and assisted the civil government. Early in 1903 he suppressed an outbreak near Lake Lanao by capturing all the MoTo forts; and he constructed good roads between remote posts and Manila.

General Davis was retired July 26, 1903, by operation of law. On March 3, 1904, he was appointed a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission. He was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion and of the Metropolitan club of Washington, District of Columbia. He was married April 30, 1870, to Carmen Atocha. His army life has kept him entirely out of politics and he has never voted at any political elections. His most profitable reading has been history, engineering and political economy, and he took up building and engineering "from a desire to do things." The influences that shaped his course in life began in his home by the precepts and example of his parents and received strength by his association with men of affairs and by his own determination not to be an idler. His advice to young men is, "Do as you would be done by and never cease doing"; "persistent plodding industry has done more for me than all else." His published works consist of "Reports" on the economical and industrial conditions of the islands over which he was governor from 1898 to 1903, nine in number, published by the war department.