Charles Henry Davis
Charles Henry Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 16, 1807 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 1877 (aged 70) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1823–1877 |
| Rank | Rear admiral |
| Commands | St. Mary's Western Gunboat Flotilla South Atlantic Squadron |
| Battles / wars | Filibuster War |
| Spouse(s) | Harriette Blake Mills |
| Relations | Davis political family |
Charles Henry Davis (January 16, 1807 – February 18, 1877) was a self-educated American astronomer and rear admiral of the United States Navy. 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.
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."