Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/183

 DAVIS

DAVIS

the committee on foreign affairs. He favored emancipation and the enlistment and arming of the negroes. He supported President Lincoln during the early part of his administration, but joined with Senator Benjamin Wade, Represen- tative Thaddeus Stevens and others in opposing the extraordinary powers assumed by tlie execu- tive, and in the second session of the 38th con- gress he bitterly attacked the administration as compromising its position in the interest of reconciliation. He demanded that congress, when in session, should direct the executive de- partment of the government in conformity with the statute law. At his death congress set apart a day in which to commemorate his memory, an honor never before paid to a representative in congress when death occurred after the expira- tion of his term of office. He was married, Oct. 30, 1845, to Constance T., daughter of William C. Gardiner, who died a few years later, and he married, as his second wife, Nancy, daughter of John B. Morris of Baltimore, Md., Jan. 26, 1857. He was a regent of the Smithsonian institution. Hampden-Sidnej^ conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. in 1864. Republished: War of Orniuzd and Ahriam iji the Nineteenth Century (1853). He died in Baltimore, Md., Dec. 30, 1865.

DAVIS, Horace, representative, was born in Worcester, Mass., March 16, 1831; son of Gov. John and Eliza (Bancroft) Davis. He was grad- uated at Harvard in 1849 and began the study of law but removed to San Francisco, Cal., in 1852, where he engaged in manufacturing. He repre- sented his adopted state in the 45th and 46th con- gresses, 1877-81, and served as president of the University of California, 1888-90. He was mar- ried in 1875 to Edith S., daugliter of the Rev. Thomas Starr King. He received from the Uni- versity of the Pacific the degree of LL.D. in 1889. He iJublished : Likelihood of an Admixture of Japanese Blood in the North West (1872); Dolor Davis: a Sketch of His Life (1881); American Constitutions, in the Johns Hopkins series (1884) ; Shakspere and Copyright (Atlantic, 1893) ; Cali- fornia Breadstiiffs (Chicago Journal and Political Economist. 1894) ; and other magazine articles.

DAVIS, Isaac, patriot, was born at West Acton, Mass., Feb. 23, 1745; son of Ezekiel and Mary (Gibson) Davis. In November, 1774, he was made commander of a company of minute men consisting of about forty j'oung men of Acton. On the morning of Ajiril 19, 1775, on hearing of the approach of the British, lie called his company together and marched to the North bridge, at Concord. Captain Davis was assigned to the post of danger, sajnng, " I haven't a man that's afraid to go." At the first volley from the British three men fell, Captain Davis being in- stantly killed. He thus headed the first column

of attack on the king's troops in the Revolution- ary war. After his death his widow was twice married, and died in 1841, at the age of ninety- five years. In 1851 a monument was erected to Captain Davis and the two other patriots who fell on the same day : Abner Hosmer and James Hayward. In 1895 a tablet was placed in front of the Davis homestead, bearing this inscription : " This farm was the home of Capt. Isaac Davis, who was killed in battle by the British at the old North Bridge in Concord, April 19, 1775."

DAVIS, Isaac, statesman, was born in North- boro, Mass., June 2, 1799. He was graduated at Brown university in 1822, was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1825, and practised his pro- fession in Worcester. He was state senator, 1843-54; member of the governor's council, 1851; state representative, 1852 ; delegate to the state constitutional convention, 1853; mayor of Worcester, 1856, 1859 and 1861; delegate to the successive Democratic national conventions, 1828-60; member of the Massachusetts state board of education, 1852-60; member of the board of visitors, U.S. military academy, 1832; presi- dent of the board of trustees of Worcester acad- emy, 1843-83; trustee of Brown viniversity, 1838-51, and fellow, 1851-79 ; trustee of Columbia college, 1847-72; of Waterville college, 1847-55; president of the Massachusetts Baptist conven- tion, 1838-40; of the American Baptist conven- tion, 1838-40; of the American Baptist home mission society, 1848-55 ; colonel of the 6th regi- ment, Massachusetts state militia, 1828-31; president of the Quinsigamond bank, 1836-45, 1854-78 ; of the Mechanics savings bank, 1851-55 ; director of the Providence & Worcester rail- road, 1857-78, and of the Worcester &' Nashua railroad, 1848-53, 1874-79. He received the de- gree of LL.D. from Columbian college, D.C., in 1846, and from Brown university in 1800. He died in Worcester. Mass., April 1, 1883.

DAVIS, Jefferson, soldier and statesman, was born in Christian county, Ky., June 3, 1808; son

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of Samuel and Jane (Cook) Davis, and grandson of Evan Davis. The exact place of his birth is known as Fairviev>-, Todd county, and a Baptist