Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/164

 DAVIDSON

DAVIDSON

Pilot of Alaska (part 1, 1869); and many special reports are contained in government publica- tions.

DAVIDSON, James Henry, representative, was born in Colchester, N.Y., June 18, 1858; son of James and Ann (Johnson) Davidson, and grand- son of William Davidson. He attended Walton (N.Y. ) academy and was a teiicher in the public schools for several years. He was graduated from Albany law school in 1884 and in 1887 re- moved to Princeton, Wis., where he engaged in the practice of his profession. He was district attorney of Green Lake countj* in 1888 and chair- man of the Republican congressional committee for the 6th district of Wisconsin, 1890-96. He removed to Oshkosh in 1892, and was city attor- ney, 1895-97, and a Republican representative from the sixth di.strict in the 55th, 56th, 57th and 58th congresses, 1(S07-1903.

DAVIDSON, James Wood, author, was born in Newberry district, B.C., March 9, 1829; son of Alexander and Sarah Jones (Weed) Davidson, and grandson of Alexander Davidson, Sr., who was born in Scotland, moved to Ireland, married there, and then immigrated to Craven county (now Newberry county) South Carolina. He studied the languages under private tutors and was graduated at South Carolina col- lege in 1852. He was 1 irof essor of Greek in ^It. Zion college, Winnsboro, S.C,

1854-59, and principal of Columbia male academy, 1859-61. He served in the Confed- i^ H /'^/^'i^'' erate army as adju- ^ ■ '^ tant in Jackson's

corps in the army of J^. IVe^<C adoATuUcn^ Northern Virginia, ^ 1862-63. In 1865 his

home in Columbia, S.C, his manuscriiits, — the accumulation of ten years' labor,— and his library had been burned during Sher- man's march through the place. He then became a correspondent for the Columbia, Charles- ton and New York papers, and in his letters exposed the corruption of the reconstruction government of the state. In 1871 he removed to Washington, D.C., and in 1873 to New York city, where he engaged in literary work. He was the American correspondent of the London Standard, literary editor of the Evening Post and educa- tional editor for a publishing house. In 1884 he was married to Mary Josephine Allen, a native of Bristol. England, and removed to Figulus, Dade county, Fla., where he engaged in the culture of

tropical fruits and in literary work. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1885; represented iiis county in the state legisla- ture of 1887, and removed to Washington, D.C., the same year. His published works include: Livinfj Writers of the South (1869j; School History of South Carolina (1869, new ed., 1886); The Cor- respondent (1886); The Poetry of the Future (1888); and The Florida of Today (1889). He also edited Lyrics and Sketches by William M. Martin (1865); and The Educational Year Book (1872). In 1899 he had in preparation A Dictionary of Southern Authors, a work on the cause of the war of se- cession, and a book on theology.

DAVIDSON, John Wynn, soldier, was born in Fairfax county, Va., Aug. 18, 1824. He was appointed a cadet at the U.S. military academy in 1841, graduating with the class of 1845. He commanded a howitzer battery under General Kearny in California in 1846, and remained with the army in Southern California during the Mex- ican war, taking part in the battles of December, 1846, and January, 1847, that secured possession of Southern California and New Mexico. He continued on frontier duty and led his command in the fight at Cieneguilla, N.M., March 30, 1854, where he defeated the combined warriors of the Apache and Utah tribes with a loss of three- fourths of his force. This action, in which he was wounded, won for him promotion to the rank of captain, Jan. 20, 1855, and he was promoted major, Nov. 14, 1861, while stationed at Wash- ington in the defence of the national capital. He was commissioned brigadier-general of volun- teers. Feb. 3, 1862, and commanded a brigade in the army of the Potomac during the peninsular campaign. He was bre vetted lieutenant -colonel for action at Gainess Mill and colonel for Geld- ing's Farm, and also distinguished himself at Lee's Mills, Meclianicsville, Savage's Station and Glendale. He was transferred to the department of the Missouri and commanded the St. Louis dis- trict, from August to November, 1862; the army of southeast Missouri, December, January and February. 1862-63; and the St. Louis district for five months thereafter. He directed the opera- tions against Pilot Knob and Fredericktown and drove General Marmaduke out of Missouri. He commanded a cavalry division in the operations in Arkansas leading to the capture of Little Rock. On June 26, 1864, he was made chief of the cav- alry forces west of the Mississippi and led the cavalry expedition from Baton Rouge to Pasca- goula. Nov. 24, 1864. On March 13, 1865, he was brevetted brigadier-general in the regular army for his success at Little Rock and major-general for his services during the civil war. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel of the 10th U.S. cav- alry, Dec. 1. 1866, was acting inspector-general