Year: 1861

.Fie but brilliant genius, Joseph Hamilton
Davies, of Kentucky, more familiarly known
as Joe Daviess. He was the compeer of Clay
at the Kentucky bar, and in eoquence and
legal aeumen was perhaps his superior. He
was killed at the battle of Tippecanoe, where
he commanded a company of Kentucky caval-
ry. Among many anecdotes told of him is
the following:


Davies was the first western lawyer who
ever appeared in the Supreme Court of the
United States. He had somehow become in
terested in a large tract of land lying in the
Green River country" the title of which had
been in litigation; and it was agreed that he
was to receive one-half of the tract, provided
he could succeed in establishing the claim.


The fame of his genius and eccentricities had
by this time become national but this was to
be his first appearance beyond the bounds of
his own State, and he seems to have determin-
ed that it should be marked both by the most
splendid exhibition of his intellectual powers.
and by the most glariug display of his eccen-
tricity.


His entrance into the Federal capital, as
described by an eye witness of the spectacle,
must have been worth beholding. On foot,
dressed in an old pair of corduroys, ripped at
the ankle, for the convenience Of rolling up
with thread-b drab overcoat hanging to
his heels, and furnished with innumerabe capes
of various sizes, with shoes dilapidated, muddy,
and destitute of strings or buckles, IA constant
habit with him,) and hat to match Fancy


this stalwart figure, six feet high, stalking sol
emnly through the street, looking neither to
the right nor to the left, leading by the bride
little black, rough hhair-fey, her tail matted
Over the saddle was hung small wallet, con.
tanning, as it afterwards appeared, papers and
q provision of gingerbread and cheese. Such
was the trim in which Joseph Hamilton Da-
viess presented himself for the first time to the
eyes of the dennizens of Washington. Few
who behed this strange figure pass by, could





ing hat was laboring with thoughts the elo-
quence and power of which would in few
hours astonish the most learned tribunal of the
land


Putting his mare into an obscure tavern,
the stranger relieved himself Of his great coat,
when he appeared in short gray linsey round
about into one pocket of which he transferred
from his wallet quantity of bread and cheese,
while the other received bundle of papers
tied up with blue yarn string. Thus equip
ped, he issued forth inso tlae street again, the
observed of all negroes aud idle boys Arr-
wing as if by chance, in front of the building
in which the Supreme Court was holding its
sittings, he lounged into the bar and took
seat, not ceasiug, even in that presence, to
regale himself from the store in his roundabout
pocket.


Unknown to all-taking as it seemed no
particular notice of anything, yet in reality,
as soon appeared, watching everything with
the eye of lynx)-he passed, as he had done
in the street, for some awkward countryman
on his first visit to the city.


The case in which he was employed was
soon called. and Mr.. Taylor, of Virginia, the
leading lawyer on the other side, arose to speak
He seemed to be advancing swimmingly in bis
statement Of facts preparatory to beginning
his argument, when all at once the stranger
ceased eating, listened earnestly for a moment
then tapped him on the back, and very quietly
corrected him on some point of his statement.
Taylor stopped, turned around and, looking
at him an instant without replying. recon-
mended his remarks, taking no further notice
of the interruption ; Davies resumed his eat
ing amid the smiles of the bar and audience
In a few minutes he again tapped the speaker
and made another correction. This was re-
peated third time, when Taylor, becoming
irritated at the interruption, begged the court
to protect him from the impertinenee of i" that
fellow" Judge Marshall, always exceedingly
lenient, and supposing now that he saw before
him some Kentucky backwoodsman come to
see the progress of his case, and, if things did
not suit him, to take it out Of the hands of his
attorneys-as lawyers know backwoodsmen
will sometimes do-repied, that the gentleman
was, he supposed, one of the parties to the
action; as such he had the right to be heard,
and that his corrections seemed very just
though irreguarly made. But he advised the
stranger to leave his cause in the hands of bis
counsel, one Of whom was present in Court
Davies colleague had by this time got hint
as to whom his strange ally was, and to humor
the joke kept silent.


Taylor finished his argument-one of great
power and ingenuity-and sat down not as
may be supposed, in the best of humors.-
Then, to the amazement of all, the stranger
arose, and throwing aside all oddity of manner,
began a speech so clear, so forcible in its COM
pact logic, and so mastery in its exposure of
his adversary's weak points, that the gentle
man, the ugh well accustomed to the conflicts
of the forum, seemed completely paralyzed and
sat like one overwhelmed by some certain and
unavoidable calamity. 1t is said that the
sweat stood in large drops on bis face as he
listened to the crushing reply. The man whom