History of Mount Sterling, (Montgomery County) Kentucky United States of America

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Garrett Davis, senator, was born in Mount Sterling, Ky., Sept. 10, 1801. He received a fair school traifiing and was employed in the county and circuit courts of his district in copying and other clerical work. His association with the law determined him to adopt it as a profession and he was admitted to practice in 1823. He served for three terms from 1833 as a member of the state legislature from Paris, Ky., and was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1839. He represented Kentucky as a Henry Clay Whig and the personal friend of that statesman in the 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th congresses, 1839-47, declining further election and devoting his time to his profession and to the cultivation of his plantation near Paris, Ky. In 1861 he was again called to the public service by the legislature of Kentucky, which body elected him as a senator in congress to succeed John C. Breckinridge, who had resigned to join the Confederate army. He was a prominent Unionist and his influence largely decided his state against secession. He was made a member of the committees on foreign relations, territories, claims and pensions. In 1864 President Lincoln appointed him a regent of the Smithsonian institution and in 1866 he was designated as one of the senators to attend the funeral of Lieut. Gen. Winfield Scott. He was re-elected to the U.S. senate in 1867. He was an eloquent debater and while he sustained the administration of Mr. Lincoln in all measures toward putting down rebellion, he disapproved of emancipation and confiscation, claiming the slaves to be property and the proposed confiscation acts, as affecting the rights of 6,000,.000 persons to $5,000,000,000 in property, as unconstitutional. His brother, Amos Davis, was a member of the Kentucky house of representatives, 1819, 1825, 1827 and 1828; a Whig representative in the 23d congress, 1833-35, and died at Owingville; Ky., June 5, 1835. Garrett Davis died at Paris, Ky., Sept. 22, 1872.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Mount Sterling, (Montgomery County) Kentucky

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