Charles Henry Davis

For the American businessman and civil engineer, see Charles Henry Davis (businessman).
Charles Henry Davis
Born(1807-01-16)January 16, 1807
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedFebruary 18, 1877(1877-02-18) (aged 70)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Place of burial
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Navy
Years of service1823–1877
Rank Rear admiral
CommandsSt. Mary's
Western Gunboat Flotilla
South Atlantic Squadron
Battles / warsFilibuster War

American Civil War

Spouse(s)Harriette Blake Mills
RelationsDavis political family

Charles Henry Davis ((1807-01-16)January 16, 1807 – (1877-02-18)February 18, 1877) was a self-educated[1] American astronomer[2] and rear admiral of the United States Navy.[3][4] While working for the United States Coast Survey, he researched tides and currents, and located an uncharted shoal that had caused wrecks off of the coast of New York. 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. Davis was also one of the founders of the National Academy of Sciences in 1863 and he wrote several scientific books.[5][6][page needed][7]

Historian Donald L. Miller describes Davis during the time of the Civil War as "tall, solemn-looking and contemplative, with a drooping mustache that hung over his mouth."[8]

  1. ^ Davis, Charles Henry (1899). Life of Charles Henry Davis, Rear Admiral, 1807-1877. Houghton, Mifflin. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-598-62841-1.
  2. ^ Jansen, Axel (2011-02-14). Alexander Dallas Bache: Building the American Nation Through Science and Education in the Nineteenth Century. Campus Verlag. p. 249. ISBN 978-3-593-39355-1.
  3. ^ "Commander Charles Henry Davis". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  4. ^ "Charles Henry Davis | U.S. Navy, Hydrography, Cartography | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  5. ^ "Charles Henry Davis | American naval officer and scientist | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  6. ^ Davis, Charles Henry (2019-03-08). Life of Charles Henry Davis, Rear Admiral, 1807-1877. Creative Media Partners, LLC. ISBN 978-0-530-69890-8.
  7. ^ "Charles Henry Davis (Davis, Charles Henry, 1807-1877) | The Online Books Page". onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference miller was invoked but never defined (see the help page).