Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-11-28
ON THE ETERNAL SHORE.
Capt. J B Davis Resn his Craft
in q Safe Harb n.
The Veteran lsseanssas nan Passes
suddenly AWAY weane saay Nsrht-
sketch or His Active river Ser.
vice.

Capt. John B. Davis died very unex>
pectedly At his home on Twenty>third
street near Fifth avenue at /, O'Clock We'd
nesday night. During the day be was
about among his friends n apparently
the best OF spirits and good health. Early
10 the evening he chstted pleasantly In
the parlor at his home with his married
son. Thomas B. Davis. who had called.
aud shortly after he start.d for prayer
meeting at the Broadway Pre- bYterian
church. As he reached Il q door of the
church he experienced an Unusual senss-
ton. and did not enter but returned i'm
mediately home. He was net at the door
ny his son. s. s. Davis. who was sur
prised at bis fathers return so soon, as
well as alarmed by his psllor.
The son persuaded his father to
lie ON sofa. and being told
by the latter that the trou Die was 10 the
region OF the heart he at once sent for
DIR. Craig who responded with all possi-
BILE haste. He at once pronounced the
ailment extremely serious and Capt.
Davis wife and daughter. who were at
the Broadway church. were Immediately
summoned. DR.. Craig had 10 the mean
time applied restoratives and the captain
having revived somewhat. expressed q
desire to go up stairs to his room. On
reaching his room he exp essed himself as
feeling better. and when his son asked
him il he should assist him ia removing
his pantaloons. he replied that he could
do it himself. He raised up TO unfssten
them at the waist, when he gasped and
was gone, death had coue at s o'clock
exactly, from heart disease.
Capt. John B. Davis Was born at Mays
vile, KY, April 10. 1925. At an early
age he evinced a fsscins.io for river life
and soon engaged it 1t. His first ex>
perience was on the Ohio. where he soon
rose to the captainey and later to the
ownership of two packets between Gin
clnnau and ST. Louis. In 1858 he turned
his attention to stesmboating on the
Mississippi and established line of his
own between st. Louis and st. Paul. He
re sided here one year when he moved
back to Kentucky. He still continued to
traverse the Mississippi and was at St.
Paul when the first call for troops came at
the npanfuu nf tho u,or NJ 80 $500 ~.
listed in the Second Minnesota regiment.
| and though southe rner by birth and
education. the preserys ton of the union
was the first principle with him. and after
organizing company he proceeded TO
the scene OF the rebellion where he re-
peatedly distinguished himself for gal>
lsntrY and bravery and rose rapidly to the
rank of major. At the battle OF Chicka-
manga he was foremost in the fight and
was severely wounded and carried of the
field, and the surgeons ordered that he be
sent home. He did not recover until
after the war was over.
In 1857 he resumed steamboating on
the lower river. condu citing line of his
own from Memphis up White river. He
lived at Memphis unit 1874. when he
removed again to Rock Island and enter.
ed the government service. having been
| made captain OF the old Montana, -1aA
the Gen--B1fsssa, when Col. Macomt
was in charge of upper Mississippi i'm
provements. He served three years in
this capacity. when he took govern
ment contract to convey freight from thu
terminus Of the U. P. road at Bismarkc
Dakota. up the Yellowstone river. L
was just after the ter rible Custer massa'
ere and many other men would have beer
timid about invading that country BY
land or water. but the captain knew moth
ing OF fear and be d. schsrged his dutie,
with great satisfaction to the government
and all concerned. After fulfilling hi
contract he returned 10 Rock Island ant
entered the service of the Diamond j
line as master of some of the best pack.
eta running between ST. Louis and st
Paul, and he remained with this compau,
until he accepted an offer from the Hud
son Bay Fur company to conduct Q lint
OF boats on the Sas kstchawan river IL
Canada. He was thus engaged for tw,
| years when the Riel rebellion broke on
and he was employ ed by the Canadial
government to tran sport troops on tn
Saskatchewan, and he remained In tha
occupation until tia capture Of Riel an,
the putting down Of the rebellion. The
he returned TO Rock Island and his ser
vices were soon IN demand by his old
time employer. Diamond 10 Reynolds. 81
was appointed mas ter of the Libbie Con
ger and captained her one season whel
he was promoted 10 the captaincy of tn
Sidney on which be served gear. whe
10 1888 he resigned to engage with syn
dictate composed OF c. II. Deere and cap
italists at st. Paul in the construction O
n steel hull packet which was to do
strictly passenger business and which /
was expected wou d reyolutlonize time o.
the river between lower and the uppe
Saints Of steam boat navigation ON tn
Mississippi The project, though neve
fully consummaied. was not entirel
given up and had the captain not yielde
to the persuasinns of bis family an
abandoned his &C tive interest In steam
boating which hid always characterize
his life. the boat would have been col
structed before this and Captain Davi
would have been In command of It. Fl
two years ne has been associated with b
sons, T. B. and g. 8. Davis, OF the Mel
chants Electric Light company.
Capt. Davis l,aves with his wido'
three children. Thomas B., Samuel 8. an
Miss Mary. He was 9 member Of th
Broadway Presb Yterian church and of Il
Masonic fraternity.
BE was man of warm hearted, haE
py disposition, who always had q plea,