Charles Henry Davis ( – ) was an American

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

of the United States Navy. While working for the U.S. Coast Survey, he researched tides and currents, and located an uncharted shoal that had caused wrecks off of the coast of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. During the American Civil War, he commanded the Western Gunboat Flotilla, where he won an important engagement in the First Battle of Memphis before capturing enemy supplies on a successful expedition up the Yazoo River.

Early life

Davis was born in Boston, Massachusetts.Eicher, p. 201. He attended the

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...

and entered Harvard College in 1821, but left after two years when he was appointed as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

in the United States Navy on August 12, 1823. Between 1827 and 1828, he served onboard the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

in the Pacific. In 1829, he was promoted to passed midshipman. From 1830 to 1833, he served on the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

. In 1834, he was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the . In 1840 to 1841, he served onboard the ship . In 1841, he received an honorary Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard; in 1868, he received an honorary LL.D. from the same institution.Memorials of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, 1890. pg. 193.

Career

From 1846 to 1849, he worked in the United States Coast Survey on board the , where he discovered a previously unknown

shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It ...

that had caused shipwrecks off the coast of New York. During his service to the Survey, he was also responsible for researching tides and currents and acted as an inspector on a number of naval

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...

s. From 1849 to 1855 he was the first superintendent of American Nautical Almanac Office and produced the

American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac ''The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac'' was published for the years 1855 to 1980, containing information necessary for astronomers, surveyors, and navigators. It was based on the original British publication, '' The Nautical Almanac and Ast ...

. In 1854, he was promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

and given the command of the . On April 30, 1857, he mediated with the Central American forces at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, the capitulation of filibuster

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and some 300 men, who departed in the St. Mary's for Panama the next day. In 1859, while commanding the ''St. Mary's'', Davis was ordered to go to Baker Island to obtain samples of

guano Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. G ...

, becoming perhaps the first American to set foot there since it was annexed by the United States in 1857. The guano was necessary as fertilizer. Commodore William Mervine had previously been sent, but he did not land and believed the island to be inaccessible. (From evidence that was later found on the island, it had been visited prior to 1857 by whalers).

Civil War service

In the American Civil War, Davis was appointed to Blockade Strategy Board in June 1861. On 15 November 1861, he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He was made acting flag officer, in command of the Western Gunboat Flotilla. A day after he took command, the flotilla fought a short battle with Confederate ships on the Mississippi River at Plum Point Bend on May 10, 1862. Caught unready for battle, two of the Union ships were badly damaged and had to be run into shoal water to keep from sinking. The Confederate vessels escaped with only minor damage. On June 6, his ships fought in the Battle of Memphis, which resulted in the sinking or capture of seven of the eight Confederate ships, compared with damage to only one of the Union vessels. In July, he cooperated with Flag Officer

David G. Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. ...

in an attack on Vicksburg, Mississippi, but they were forced to withdraw. In August, he proceeded up the Yazoo River and successfully seized Confederate supplies and munitions there. After this excursion, he was made Chief of the Bureau of Navigation and returned to Washington, D.C.. On February 7, 1863, he was promoted to

Post-war service

After the war he joined the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). He was a member of the New York Commandery and received insignia number 1022. From 1865 to 1867, he was the Superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory. In 1867, he was given command of the South Atlantic Squadron and was given the as his flagship. In 1869, he returned home and served both on the Lighthouse Board as well as in the Naval Observatory. Davis died in Washington, D.C., and is buried in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Personal life

He married Harriette Blake Mills, the daughter of

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Elijah Hunt Mills Elijah Hunt Mills (December 1, 1776May 5, 1829) was an American politician from Massachusetts. Early life Mills was born in Chesterfield, Massachusetts. He was educated by private tutors and graduated from Williams College in 1797. Mills studie ...

. Together, they were the parents of: * Constant Davis, an 1864 graduate of Harvard who died of tuberculosis in 1869. * Anna Cabot Mills Davis, who married U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. * Evelyn Davis, who married Brooks Adams, son of

Charles Francis Adams Sr. Charles Francis Adams Sr. (August 18, 1807 – November 21, 1886) was an American historical editor, writer, politician, and diplomat. As United States Minister to the United Kingdom during the American Civil War, Adams was crucial to Union effort ...

, grandson of President John Quincy Adams, and great-grandson of President John Adams. Brooks and Evelyn were the last of the Adams families to live at Peacefield, which was home to three previous generations of Adamses. * Charles Henry Davis, Jr., a Commander of the U.S. Navy served as Chief Intelligence Officer of the Office of Naval Intelligence from September 1889 to August 1892. In 1843 he became a member of the Massachusetts

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

in succession to his grandfather Colonel

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(1757–1824). Davis was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1852. Davis died in Washington, D.C. on February 18, 1877

Namesake

Several ships of the United States Navy are also named in his honor: the torpedo boat , the destroyers and , and the oceanographic research ship A species of

sea anemone Sea anemones are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates of the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classifi ...

native to the coasts of New England and Nova Scotia, the ''Rhodactis davisii'', is named for Davis.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . *"Navy." ''The Military and Naval Magazine of the United States''. Washington: Mar 1835. Vol.5, Iss. 1; pg. 78, 3 pgs *"The ''Independence''." ''The Naval Magazine''. New York: May 1837. Vol.2, Iss. 3; pg. 290, 2 pgs *"American Guano." ''The New England Farmer; a Monthly Journal''. Boston: Jun 1859. Vol.11, Iss. 6; pg. 265, 2 pgs *"The American Guano Islands." ''National Era''. Washington: Jun 16, 1859. Vol.VOL. XIII., Iss. No. 650.; pg. 94, 1 pgs *"The Aquarial Gardens." ''Friends' Intelligencer''. Philadelphia: Aug 6, 1859. Vol.16, Iss. 21; pg. 333, 3 pgs *"Another Naval Victory." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: May 12, 1862. pg. 8, 1 pgs *"Current Events." ''The New-England Historical and Genealogical Register''. Boston: 1862. pg. 299, 3 pgs *"Rear Admiral Charles H. Davis." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Feb 19, 1877. pg. 5, 1 pgs

External links

Memoir of Charles Henry Davis (1807–1877)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Charles Henry 1807 births 1877 deaths United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) Union Navy admirals People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War People from Boston Members of the American Philosophical Society Harvard College alumni Boston Latin School alumni