Memorial Address — John Eugene Davies. 615 



recommended for promotion at this time, but liis commission as 

 first lieutenant did not reach him until after the battle of Ben- 

 tonville, and the army had entered Goldsboro, Korth Carolina. 

 He finally accompanied Sherman on his famous ''march to the 

 sea/' and returned home with his regiment by way of Richmond 

 and Washington, having served three years without a day's 

 furlough. 



His war record was without a blemish. Entering the ranks 

 as a private and from pure love of country, he served, it is true, 

 in comparatively humble positions, but always with the highest 

 courage and fidelity. 



As soon as he was mustered out of service, he resumed his 

 studies at the Chicago Medical College, and received the degree 

 of Doctor of Medicine in the spring of 1868. He continued his 

 attendance, however, at clinical lectures in Cook county hospital, 

 and at Mercy hospital, until the end of August, 1868, when he 

 came to Madison to enter upon his duties as professor of natural 

 history and chemistry in the University of Wisconsin, to which 

 chair he had been elected bv the Board of Resrents at their mid- 

 summer meeting. He had already occupied a professorship in 

 the Chicago Medical College for a year, giving lectures on 

 organic and inorganic chemistry and t-oxicology. In connection 

 with the regular work of his professorship. Dr. Davie's taught 

 the subject of astronomy also in the University, and in 1874 the 

 title of his chair was changed to that of astronomy and physics. 

 In 1878 his chair was made to include physics only, and in 1891 

 it was changed to that of electricity and magnetism and matlie- 

 matical physics, which chair he continued to hold at the time 

 of his death. 



Dr. Davies was a charter member of the Wisconsin Academy 

 of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, was for many years its general 

 secretary, and was always one of the Academy's most sincere 

 and devoted friends, sharing liberally in its best contributions 

 to the cause of science. He was also an active and efficient 

 co-laborer upon the United States coast survey, contributing 

 many manuscript volumes to its records, and performing special 

 and very valuable service in the triangnlation, and on the gen- 

 eral geodetic survey of Wisconsin. It was through his inter- 



