Garrett Davis (September 10, 1801 – September 22, 1872) was a
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 ...
and
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
from
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
.
Early life
Born in
Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Mount Sterling, often written as Mt. Sterling, is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Montgomery County, Kentucky, Montgomery County, Kentucky. The population was 6,895 at the time of the 2010 U.S. census. It is the county seat of Mo ...
, Garrett Davis was the brother of
Amos Davis
Amos Davis (August 15, 1794 – June 11, 1835) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky. He was born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, where he completed preparatory studies. Later, he studied law and was admitted to the ...
. After completing preparatory studies, Davis was employed in the office of the
county clerk
A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...
of
Montgomery County, Kentucky
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,114. Its county seat is Mount Sterling. With regard to the sale of alcohol, it is classified as a moist county—a county in w ...
, and afterward of
Bourbon County, Kentucky
Bourbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,252. Its county seat is Paris. Bourbon County is part of the Lexington–Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of Ken ...
. He studied law, and, after being admitted to the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
in 1823, pursued the private practice of law in
Paris, Kentucky
Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...
. He owned slaves.
Political career
Davis served in the
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...
from 1833 to 1835. Afterward, he was elected as a
Whig to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, serving from March 4, 1839, to March 3, 1847. There he was chairman of the
Committee on Territories.
Davis declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1846, but instead resumed the practice of law and also engaged in agricultural pursuits. He refused to reenter politics the next fifteen years. Davis declined the nomination for
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The lieutenant governor of Kentucky was created under the state's second constitution, which was ratified in 1799. The inaugural officeholder was Alexander Scott Bullitt, who took office in 1800 following his election to serve under James Garrard ...
in 1848 and declined the
American Party nomination for
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
in 1855 and for the presidency in 1856.
Davis was opposed to
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
, however, and supported the
Constitutional Union Party ticket of
John Bell and
Edward Everett
Edward Everett (April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865) was an American politician, Unitarian pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, as a Whig, served as U.S. representative, U.S. senator, the 15th governor of Massa ...
in the
1860 presidential election. This convinced him to reenter politics, and he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a
Unionist by the
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives.
The General Assembly meets annually in the ...
in a
December 1861 special election to fill the vacancy caused by the expulsion of
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...
for supporting the Confederacy. He was reelected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
in
1867
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...
. At the time of his death he was chairman of the
Committee on Private Land Claims (during the
42nd Congress).
Personal life
Davis was married twice, first to Rebecca Trimble, the daughter of
Associate Justice
Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some state ...
Robert Trimble
Robert Trimble (November 17, 1776 – August 25, 1828) was a lawyer and jurist who served as Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, as United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Kentucky and as Ass ...
, and then to Eliza J. Elliott. He was the father of four children: Rebecca, Robert, Carrie and Garrett.
Death and legacy
Davis died in office on September 22, 1872. He is interred at
Paris Cemetery, Paris, Kentucky. Davis' home, called ''Woodhome'', was afterward sold to
George Edgar
Christopher George Edgar (born 21 April 1960) is a retired British and European diplomat who served as the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji.
Early life and education
Edgar is the son of Dr William Macreadie Edgar and Dr Fred ...
who used it for a military academy.
[
Davis is the namesake of ]Davis County, Iowa
Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,110. The county seat is Bloomfield.
Davis County is included in the Ottumwa, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Davis County was ...
.
See also
*
References
Sources
*
* American National Biography, Dictionary of American Biography, United States Congress.
* Memorial Addresses for Garrett Davis. 42nd Cong., 3rd sess. from 1872 to 1873. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1873
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Garrett
1801 births
1872 deaths
People from Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky
Kentucky Constitutional Unionists
Unionist Party United States senators from Kentucky
Democratic Party United States senators from Kentucky
Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Democratic Party Kentucky state senators
Kentucky lawyers
American slave owners
19th-century American lawyers
United States senators who owned slaves