Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/168

 DAVIES

DA VIES

the army and Gen. Andrew Jackson was ap- pointed his successor. He received the degree of A.M. from Princeton in 1779 and that of LL.D. from the University of North Carohna in 1811. See Peele's Lives of Distinguished North Carolinians (1898). He died at his home, "Tivoli," near Waxhaw Church, S.C., Nov. 18, 1820.

DAVIES, Charles, mathematician, was born in Washington, Conn., Jan. 22, 1798; the second son of Thomas John and Ruth (Foote) Davies; and a direct descendant of John Davies, who came from Herefordshire, England, in 173.5, and purcliased land at Davies Hollow, in Litchfield county, Ck)nn. His parents removed to Black Lake, St. Lawrence county, N.Y., where his father was an extensive farmer. In 1813 Charles secured an appointment as cadet at the U.S. military academy through the influence of Gen- eral Swift, chief of engineers, U.S.A., then sta- tioned at Sacket Harbor, and who was a frequent visitor at the Davies liome. After less than two years at the academy he was graduated, Dec. 11, 1815, the exigencies of the time demanding officers for the army, and as brevet second lieu- tenant of light artillery he was stationed on gar- rison duty in New England. He was transferred to the engineer corps with the rank of second lieutenant Aug. 31, 1816, and ordered to West Point. He resigned the post Dec. 1, 1816, to ac- cept the assistant professorship of mathematics and natural and experimental philosophy in the military academy, and in 1823 he was advanced to the full chair. He resigned from the army in 1836 and travelled in Europe, his health having become impaired from overwork. He was Sea- bury professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Trinity college, Hartford, Conn., 1811-42, resigning on account of continued illness. He was appointed paymaster in the U.S. army with the rank of major and was detailed as treas- urer of the U.S. military academy, 1842-46. He was professor of mathematics and natural phil- osophy in the University of the city of New York, 1848-49. He then devoted several years to the preparation and revision of his text-books on mathematics, and after a short service as pro- fessor of mathematics in the normal school, Albany, N.Y., he was profes.sor of matliematics in Columbia college, 1857-.59, professor of higher mathematics, 1859-65, and professor emeritus, 186-5-76. He was tru.stee of Trinity college, 1839-41, and a fellow of the American academy of arts and sciences. He received the honorary degree of M.A. from Williams college and from the College of New Jersey in 1874, and that of LL.D. from Hobart college and from the Uni- versity of the state of New York in 1840. His text-books inckide a full series from a primary arithmetic to the higher mathematics, published

between the years 1837 and 1867, with an edition of Legendre's Geometry (1840), and of Bourdon's Algebra (1851). He also published: Descriptive Ge- ometry (1826); Surveying and Navigation (1830); Shades, Shadows and Perspective (1832); Differential and Integral Calculus (1836); Logic and Utility of Mathematics (1850); Mathematical Dictionary (1855); and The Metric System (1870). He died at Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, N.Y., Sept. 17, 1876.

DAVIES, Henry Ebenezer, jurist, was born in Black Lake, N.Y., Feb. 8, 1805; son of Thomas John and Ruth (Foote) Davies; and brotlier of Charles Davies, mathematician. He was brought up on his father's farm, attended the district school, and when fourteen years old was received into the family of Judge Alfred Conk- ling as a law student. He was admitted to the bar in 1826 and began the practice of his profession at Buf- falo, N.Y., becoming prominent as a law. yer and as a Whig poUtician. In 1830 he was admitted into partnership with his uncle. Judge Samuel A. Foote, in New York city. In 1848 Judge Foote retired from practice and Davies became associated in partnership with Judge William Kent, son of Chancellor Kent. He was a member of the common council of the city in 1840, was elected corporation counsel in 1850, justice of the supreme court in 1855 and of the court of appeals in 1859. He was chief justice of the court for two years, liis term expiring in 1867, when he declined re-election. He was the friend and confidential advisor of President Fillmore and accompanied him to Europe in 1855. In 1868 with his son, Julian Tappan Davies, he formed a law partnership with Judge Noah Davis which lasted till Davis's election to the supreme bench of the state in 1872, after which Judge Davies continued in active practice with his son until his death. He was counsel and trustee of the Mutual life insurance company, receiver of the Erie railway in 1861 and a commissioner for the city in the matter of an underground rail- road. He was dean of the law department of the University of the city of New York, 1870-81, and president of the Institution for the instruc- tion of the deaf and dumb. He was married to Rebecca Waldo, daugliter of Jolm Tappan of Boston, Mass., the brother of Lewis and Arthur Tappan, the noted abolitionists, and a descendant

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