b. December 20, 1819, in New York, New York; d. January 12, 1892, in Danville, Illinois. In 1841, Davis settled in Danville, Illinois, where he would remain for the duration of his life. He studied law and was admitted to the state bar in December of 1842. Davis frequently utilized Lincoln's legal services. He was elected to the state legislature as a Democrat in 1851, and in 1857, he was elected to the same position as a Republican. Davis was one of the Chicago Convention delegates who supported Lincoln's nomination for President. In 1861, Davis became judge of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial Circuit until his resignation in 1866. In 1873, he was elected judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, and in 1877, Davis became a member of the Appellate Court, Third District. He retired from the bench in 1889 but continued to practice law.