Edmund J. Davis

Edmund Jackson Davis (born October 2, 1827 in St. Augustine Florida , † February 7, 1883 in Austin , Texas ) was an officer in the American Union Army and 15th Governor of Texas .

Davis was born in Florida to William Godwin and Mary Ann Davis. His father was from South Carolina and worked as a land surveyor and attorney in St. Augustine. In 1848 the family moved to Galveston , Texas . Here the young Davis worked as a clerk in the post office and studied law. In 1849 he moved to Corpus Christi , worked as a clerk in a shop, completed his studies and was admitted to the bar that same year. In 1853 he became district attorney for the 12th district in Brownsville and in 1856 Governor Elisha M. Pease appointed him a judge in that district.

On April 6, 1858, he married Anne Elizabeth Britton, the daughter of Forbes Britton , a Senator and friend of Sam Houston . The couple had two sons.

Davis first belonged to the Whig Party, but then joined the Democrats around 1855. As a result of his political views against the Confederates, he had to leave Texas in May 1862. He fled with John L. Haynes and William Alexander first to New Orleans and then to Washington, DC , where he met President Abraham Lincoln , who was preparing troops to invade Texas. On October 26, 1862, Davis became a colonel and was given permission to set up a cavalry regiment in what would later become the First Texas Cavalry . After the war ended, Davis held various public offices and succeeded Pease as governor of Texas in 1870. In 1872 he stood for re-election and was confirmed in office until 1874. Richard Coke was his successor . In 1880 he ran again for election, but was beaten by Oran M. Roberts .

literature

Carl H. Moneyhon: Edmund J. Davis of Texas: Civil War General, Republican Leader, Reconstruction Governor. Texas Christian University Press, Fort Worth 2010, ISBN 978-0-87565-405-8 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Davis, Edmund J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Davis, Edmund Jackson (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American officer in the United States Army and 15th Governor of Texas
DATE OF BIRTH	October 2, 1827
PLACE OF BIRTH	St. Augustine Florida
DATE OF DEATH	February 7, 1883
Place of death	Austin , Texas