meridian in 1873; charge of the U. S. transit of Venus expedition, in 1874; recovery of the transit of Venus station of 1709 in Lower California occupied by Auteroche de la Chappe; observation of the total solar eclipse of 7 Jan., 1880; and in 1882 charge of the party to observe the transit of Venus in New Mexico. He holds the honorary chair of geodesy and astronomy in the University of California, and was a regent of that institution from 1877 till 1884. Prof. Davidson has been appointed on many important government commissions, and in such capacity has made valuable reports to the departments. He is a member of numerous scientific societies, and has been president of the Geographical society of the Pacific states since 1881, and of the California academy of sciences from 1871 till 1886. In 1874 he was elected to the National academy of sciences. His publications, besides numerous papers contributed to the California academy of sciences, are principally special reports contained in government publications, and the “Coast Pilot of California, Oregon, and Washington” (1857-'87) and the “Coast Pilot of Alaska” (Part I., 1868). — His brother, Thomas, naval constructor, b. in Nottingham, England, 28 Aug., 1828; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 18 Feb., 1874, came to the United States, at the age of four years, with his parents, who settled in Philadelphia. He early developed a talent for mechanical invention and construction, in consequence of which he was apprenticed to the trade of ship-building with Matthew Van Dusen, at the same time studying mathematics with his brother George. His capabilities soon attracted the attention of John Lenthall, then chief constructor of the U. S. navy. In 1850, when but twenty-two years old, he built his first vessel “from the stumps” on the banks of the James river, and soon afterward entered into business in Philadelphia. In 1861 he was appointed quartermaster over the ship-carpenters in the Philadelphia navy-yard, and in 1863 was promoted to assistant naval constructor. He attained the full grade in 1866, with the relative rank of commander, which office he held until his death. At one time during the civil war he was conducting the repairs, at the Philadelphia navy-yard, of forty-two vessels, large and small, and also building several new ones. The “Tuscarora,” sister ship of the “Kearsarge,” was built under his direction in fifty-eight working days, and the “Miami” in twenty-seven days. But his greatest feat was the building, in seventy days, of the “Juniata” (1,240 tons, 7 guns) from the frame of a Florida live-oak frigate that had been seasoned for twenty-three years. Mr. Davidson displayed his engineering abilities in the floating of the “Monongahela,” which had been driven inland on the island of Santa Cruz during the earthquake of 18 Nov., 1867, and left stranded forty feet high. With a body of skilled men selected from the different navy-yards, in a little over three months he succeeded in moving the ship sidewise to the water's edge, and thence for 2,500 feet over the coral-bed to deep water. Subsequently he was ordered on duty at the bureau of construction in Washington, and was busy with plans for developing a navy of armored vessels, torpedo-boats, and fast cruisers. The models and drawings for the first large torpedo-boats built in New York were executed by him. He was about to be sent to Europe for an exhaustive study of foreign navies and navy-yards, when his health failed.
DAVIDSON, James Wood, author, b. in
Newberry district, S. C., 9 March, 1829. He was graduated
at South Carolina college, Columbia, in 1852,
studied languages under private tutors, in 1854-'9
was professor of Greek in Mount Zion college,
Winnsboro, S. C., and in 1859 became principal of
Carolina high-school, Columbia. In 1862-'3 he was
adjutant of infantry in Jackson's corps of Lee's
army. He left Columbia in 1871, and lived two
years in Washington, D. C., and eleven years in
New York city, where he was literary editor of the
“Evening Post” in 1873, and American
correspondent of the London “Standard” in 1873-'8.
He removed to Figulus, Dade co., Fla., in 1884,
where he continues his literary work, and is
engaged in fruit-culture. In 1885 he was a member
of the Florida constitutional convention. Mr.
Davidson has published “Living Writers of the
South” (New York, 1869); “School History of
South Carolina” (Columbia, 1869; new ed., 1886);
and “The Correspondent” (New York, 1886); and
has edited “Lyrics and Sketches,” by William M.
Martin (1865), and “The Educational Year-Book”
(1872). He has in preparation a “Dictionary of
Southern Authors,” and “Helen of Troy,” a fiction
of Homeric times.
DAVIDSON, John Wynn, soldier, b. in Fairfax
county, Va., 18 Aug., 1824; d. in St. Paul, Minn.,
26 June, 1881. He was graduated at the U. S. military
academy in 1845, assigned to the 1st dragoons,
and accompanied Gen. Kearny to California in
1846, in charge of a howitzer battery. During the
Mexican war he served in the Army of the West,
being present at the combats of San Pasqual, San
Bernardo, San Gabriel, and Mesa. He was a scout
in 1850, and was at the action of Clear Lake, 17
May, and at Russian River, 17 June, under Capt.
Nathaniel Lyon. From this time till the civil war
he continued on frontier and garrison duty. He
fought the battle of Cieneguilla, New Mexico, on 30
March, 1854, against the Apache and Utah Indians,
losing three fourths of his command, and being
himself wounded. He was promoted to captain on
20 Jan., 1855, to major on 14 Nov., 1861, and, after
serving in defence of Washington, was commissioned
brigadier-general of volunteers on 3 Feb.,
1862. In the Virginia peninsular campaign of 1862
he commanded a brigade in Gen. Smith's division,
and received two brevets for gallant conduct that
of lieutenant-colonel for the battle of Gaines's Mills,
and that of colonel for Golding's Farm. He was
also engaged at Lee's Mills, Mechanicsville, Savage
Station, and Glendale. He commanded the St.
Louis district of Missouri from 6 Aug., till 13 Nov.,
1862, the Army of Southeast Missouri till 23 Feb.,
1863, and the St. Louis district again till 6 June,
co-operating with Gen. Steele in his Little Rock
expedition and directing the movements of troops
against Pilot Knob and Fredericktown, and in the
pursuit of the enemy during Marmaduke's raid into
Missouri. He led a cavalry division from June till
September, commanded in the actions at Brownsville,
Bayou Metre, and Ashley's Mills, Ark., and
took part in the capture of Little Rock. He was
made chief of cavalry of the military division west
of the Mississippi on 26 June, 1864, and on 24 Nov.
led a cavalry expedition from Baton Rouge to
Pascagoula. He was brevetted brigadier-general in
the regular army on 13 March, 1865, for the capture
of Little Rock, and major-general for his services
during the war. He was made lieutenant-colonel
of the 10th cavalry on 1 Dec., 1866, was acting
inspector-general of the Department of the Missouri
from November, 1866, till December, 1867, and
professor of military science in Kansas agricultural
college from 1868 till 1871. He then commanded
various posts in Idaho and Texas, and, in 1877-'8,
the district of Upper Brazos, Tex. On 20 March,
1879, he was made colonel of the 2d cavalry.
