Hunter Davidson (September 20, 1826February 16, 1913) was an American engineer, inventor, and naval officer, first serving the United States and then joining the Confederacy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He later served as the first commander of the Maryland Oyster Police Force during the height of the

Oyster Wars The Oyster Wars were a series of sometimes violent disputes between oyster pirates and authorities and legal watermen from Maryland and Virginia in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River from 1865 until about 1959. Background In ...

Early life and family

Davidson was born in Georgetown in 1826. He was the son of William B. Davidson, an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

officer in the United States Army, and Elizabeth Chapman Hunter. Davidson was twice married and had seven children. His older brother was

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

John Wynn Davidson John Wynn Davidson (August 14, 1825 – June 26, 1881) was a brigadier general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and an American Indian fighter. In 1866, he received brevet grade appointments as a major general of voluntee ...

. In 1847, he graduated from the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

Military service

United States Navy

After graduating from the Naval Academy, Davidson was stationed aboard the USS Portsmouth during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. During the 1850s, Davidson was stationed on the USS Dale (1839), USS Dale as part of the Africa Squadron and Atlantic Anti-Slavery Operations of the United States to suppress the slave trade. In the 1850s, Davidson was also assigned duty for several years with the Coast Survey, a predecessor of what became the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Davidson was promoted to lieutenant in 1855, and was granted two patents for a Lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat-lifting device. In 1856, Davidson was one of the officers selected to return the exploration vessel HMS Resolute (1850), HMS ''Resolute'' to Queen Victoria and the Royal Navy. Davidson was an instructor at the Naval Academy from 1858 to 1861 prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War.

American Civil War (Confederate Navy)

Davidson was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. He was stationed on the CSS Virginia as a gunnery officer during the Battle of Hampton Roads of 1862. In June and July 1862, Davidson was commander of the CSS Teaser, used by the Confederate Naval Submarine Battery Service to plant and service "torpedoes" (Naval mines) in the James River. Davidson later served as commander of the Submarine Battery Service, also referred to as the "Torpedo Bureau," a branch of the Confederate Secret Service. He was credited for his work in operationalizing the electric detonation of mines.

Later life

After his service for the Confederacy, Davidson was ineligible for further military service in the United States after the Civil War had ended. In 1865 he briefly served as a merchant officer in the United Kingdom.

Maryland Oyster Navy

In 1868 during the early period of the Oyster Wars in Maryland, Davidson was unanimously appointed as the first commander of the Maryland Oyster Police Force, which was nicknamed as the "Oyster Navy." Davidson acquired a 12-pounder Dahlgren howitzer for the force's first steamer, ''Leila'', for use in the gun battles between the police force and the illegal oyster Dredging, dredgers. The organization was tasked with enforcing the state's oyster-harvesting laws and served as the predecessor of the modern Maryland Natural Resources Police. In 1870, as part of his role, Davidson delivered a report to the Maryland General Assembly which made recommendations regarding oyster management issues, protecting oyster habitats, and regulating the harvesting of oysters in the state. In 1871, Davidson thwarted an assassination plot against him by a pirating oysterman named Gus Rice. Davidson served in the role until 1872.

South America

After leaving his post with the Oyster Navy, Davidson relocated to South America where he founded and was the first chief of the Argentine Navy’s Torpedo Division. In the role, he conducted the first detailed hydrographic surveys of Argentine waterways, including the Bahía Blanca, Bahia Blanca Estuary and Iguazu River. In 1874, he designed a 620-ton steamer, ''Fulminante,'' for the country's Minister of War (and previous Vice President), Adolfo Alsina. He retired to Paraguay in 1885.

Death and burial

Davidson died on February 16, 1913 in Paraguay, South America at the age of 86.

Works

* "Electrical Torpedoes as a System of Defence," in the ''Southern Historical Society Papers.'' Volume 2, July 1876

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Hunter 1826 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American engineers 20th-century American people American oceanographers People from Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) People of Virginia in the American Civil War United States Navy officers United States Navy Argentine Navy officers Confederate States Navy commanders American patent holders American engineers Engineers from Virginia United States Naval Academy alumni