The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-05-25
Foney's WashingtOa chr0zitae, Nay ls,l
Robert nj. M. Davidson, Of FlOr-
~ aAfh


Florida, September %, 1859, and Is the first ma
tive Floridian ever sent 10 Congress from that
State. His father was DR.. John W Davidson, .
descendant of q Scotch Itish family Of note, and
. native of North Carolina, DR.. Davidson mar
ried Miss Sylvester in North Carolina during
the first quarter of this century and took mp bis
residence in Florida in 1928 Major John David
SOD, great grandfather .Of the subject of this
sketch, was one of the signes Of Ahe famous
Mecklenburg declarahoA of independence, and
DR.. Epbraim Brevard, agreat-grand uncle, was
the author of that document
Mr.. Davidson obtained an academic education
at Quincy, aflerward Studying law At the Univer-
sty of Virginia. and subsequently, reading with
Judge Boiling Baker at Quincy. He was admit
ted to practice in 1854 at the bar Of Gadsden
county. In 1856 he Was elected to the House of
Representatives Of Florida, and re-elected for
another term of two years in 1853 In 1850 he
waSsent to The Stale Senate from his district,
and in the same year wac married
In 1852 he retired from the Senate to enter the
Confederate army. volunteering rs 3 private, but
being mustered in as captain of infantry, and
aflerward made major and then Iieuteaant-
colonel of the Sixth FLORIDA regiment Colonel
Davidson was with Generals Bragg and Joe
Johnston in the Western army, going through
the Kentucky campaign and with General Joe
Johnston from ChickamsagA down. He received
a severe and very painful wound near Dallas,
Ga, on hay %, 1854, which rendered him unfit
for further service. and BE was compelled to re-
turn home.
In 1855 Mr.. Davidson was a member Of the
State Constitutional Convention, and in II was
candidate for elector Onihe Greeley and Brown
ticket. He first ran for Congress in 1879 against
Major W. ]. Purman. WHO then Represented the
First District, and suecAeded in gverrDminga
strsng Republican majority afler one of thsmOst
active canvasses ever made in the State. He
was reelected in 1868 BIZ upward Of 82oo ma
jority over Senator Simon B. Conover, being q
gain of 800 On his votein '76.
In the Forty-iffh Oo1igress he was . member
OF the committees on Pablic Expenditures and
Manufactures In the present Congress he has
been on two committees requiring the cloasst
application-Clai and Naval Affairs. Daring
all the time Mr.. Davidson has been in Conercss
he has especially advocatsd every measure which
would benefit his State and has sueceeasd IN
accomplishing more for the benefit of his district
than any other representative il hna had. He
has, by energy and perseverance, sueeeeded IN
obtaining many appropriations tor the Improve.
nent Of rivers and harbsss Of his district slI of
which will add much toscnmmeFce and naViRa-
tion of the same. He hss also succeede3 An Oh:
tanning greatly increased facilities Cor mail oee
vice In all portions Of his district Amonx the
most important matters introduced by Mr.. David
son have been bill for the apprUpriAtiOa Of
$S0Oo0 fer naval whsf NJ Key W@t, whicA
has passed the House; asbill f1r an appropriation
OF $1SS,OOO for enstomIhome ana posi-oilce At
Key West, which has hesn hvurahiy rsported I;
resolution providing Cor settlement of nc
counts between Florida and the United states
and a bill granting bounty lands 70 persons who
rendered military service in the suppression of
Indian hostilties in the State of Florida between
the years 1855 and '0o Mr. Davidson loes not
indulge in u set speeches" but has, on several
occasions. spoken complimentary and ahly on
yaTious subjects. He hes received MANY over
lures from his friends in regard to arenominasiOn
and viii, no doubt, be the choice of the conven-
tion, which may be considered almost equivalent
to reelection, such has heen hi record here
ahd he career ct hcn.:. Mr.. Davidson y an
earnest ana active canvasser for The DemocrAcy,
and b possessed OF great popularity. Hei rnther
heAsily huilt. weighing aeOut l0e ponnih, shout
five FEET ten inches IN height md his pessunal
appearance is Superior ID hat Of the msjorily Of
the gentlemen who adorA the halls Of OonRrpns.
Considering that the Ways and Neass Com
naitee was mot going 70 10 anything 10 he inEiR.
@ys the PhilAdelphia zEass, Il b accninulnainra
tolerably large neelst hi lie 4uckef biR 4Aese
l. the advantage in thiA howeyer, hat he lnl 3
already large that ihess b not the least psphn
Kitty Of - ssiting through sishsr hSdsss
-Four iacolnotiyes wtss stopped By drift q
asnow shedsp he Unios PseiAr I3aisoaa Sow
covered Tia soof eampletsiy, - akas moais Odd
gel ID aad no Smoke cooEld xes ont ,TAs knain-
eeFs and nremen soon beclue insensiAaa %fkfsn
Chinamen Weut to aha Bearns, and wara alnnnver
come. All were nearly. dead ffom aia6eartnn
when Anally tnkcn oaa as:
HxzDRscxs ron Fik1aa-TAe CsnSssp.li n
qairm publishes inssFyi(tws wilh ex .goResns,r