b. 1854 Kingston, Jamaica. d. 19/08/1903 Hampton, Virginia.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 02/1881 Toulon, France.
Born in 1854 in Kingston, Jamaica, Davis immigrated to the United States and by February 1881 was serving as an ordinary seaman on the USS Trenton. Sometime during that month, while Trenton was at Toulon, France, Coxswain Augustus Ohlensen fell overboard and, because he could not swim, began to sink. Davis and another sailor, Seaman Alexander Haure Turvelin, jumped into the water and rescued Ohlensen from drowning. For this action, both he and Turvelin were awarded the Medal of Honor three and a half years later, on October 18, 1884.
MOH CITATION:
On board the U.S.S. Trenton, Toulon, France, February 1881. Jumping overboard, Davis rescued Augustus Ohlensen, coxswain, from drowning.
BURIAL LOCATION: HAMPTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.
PHOEBUS SECTION, C-8534
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
