Joseph Hamilton Daveiss (; March 1774 – November 7, 1811), a Virginia-born lawyer, received a mortal wound while commanding the

Dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

of the Kentucky Militia at the

Battle of Tippecanoe The Battle of Tippecanoe ( ) was fought on November 7, 1811, in Battle Ground, Indiana, between United States Armed Forces, American forces led by then Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and tribal forces associated with Sh ...

. Five years earlier, Daveiss had tried to warn President Thomas Jefferson about

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805 d ...

's plans to provoke rebellion in Spanish-held territories southwest of his Kentucky district.

Early and family life

Joseph Hamilton Daveiss was born on March 1 (or 4), 1774, in

Bedford County, Virginia Bedford County is a county (United States), United States county located in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is the town of Bedford, Virginia, Bedford, ...

, to Jean/Joan (née Hamilton) and Joseph Daveiss. He moved at a young age with his parents to Kentucky, first to Lincoln County. The family eventually settled near Danville in Boyle County. He studied classics at a private academy in Harrodsburg with Jesse Bledsoe,

Felix Grundy Felix Grundy (September 11, 1777 – December 19, 1840) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 13th United States Attorney General. He also had served several terms as a congressman and as a U.S. senator from Tennessee. He ...

, Archibald Cameron and John Pope. He then studied with Dr. Culbertson. In 1793, he volunteered in a six-month military campaign against Native Americans following a call for volunteers by

John Adair John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, slave trader, soldier, and politician. He was the List of Governors of Kentucky, eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the United States House of Re ...

. At the end of the campaign, he received an officer's commission and declined commission in the regular army to study law. He studied law under George Nicholas. While studying law, he became associated with Pope, Bedsoe, John Rowan, Thomas Dye Owings, Isham Talbot and John Stewart.

Legal career

Admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1795, Daveiss settled in Danville but also practiced in nearby locations. He became known for his eccentricities, not accompanying other lawyers "riding the circuit" but riding through the backcountry alone, and often appeared in court dressed as a backwoodsman. He was known to use sarcasm in court and referring to judges with names like "Your Solemnity", "Your Asininity", "Your Pomposity" and "Your Stupidity". He was aligned with the

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

political party. Like many Kentucky lawyers, Daveiss owned enslaved people, seven in the 1810 census. Daveiss assisted John Rowan as his second in a duel, in which Rowan mortally wounded his antagonist James Chambers, then fled, so Daveiss also became a fugitive for a time. When Rowan turned himself into authorities, Daveiss defended him at trial, and achieved an acquittal. Daveiss became the first lawyer west of the Appalachian Mountains to argue a case before the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

. Following his trip to Washington, D.C., Daveiss was appointed as

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for Kentucky by President

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

. In February and March 1806, as U.S. Attorney, he wrote President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

several letters warning him of possible conspiratorial activities by

, who at that point was a former vice president of the United States. Daveiss' July 14 letter to Jefferson stated flatly that Burr planned to provoke a rebellion in Spanish-held parts of the West in order to join them to areas in the Southwest to form an independent nation under his rule. Similar accusations were appearing against local

Democratic-Republicans The Democratic-Republican Party (also referred to by historians as the Republican Party or the Jeffersonian Republican Party), was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. It championed li ...

in a

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city and the county seat, seat of Franklin County, Kentucky, Franklin County in the Upland Sou ...

newspaper ''Western World'', and Jefferson dismissed Daveiss' accusations against Burr, a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party (also referred to by historians as the Republican Party or the Jeffersonian Republican Party), was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. It championed l ...

, as politically motivated. On November 3, 1806, Daveiss brought treason charges against Burr in Kentucky. The charges were, however, dismissed thanks to the help of Burr's attorney,

Henry Clay Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seventh Spea ...

. Burr faced federal charges of treason in 1807 but was acquitted at trial, which made Daveiss unpopular. He published "A View of the President's Conduct concerning the Conspiracy of 1806" in 1807.

Battle of Tippecanoe

In 1811, Daveiss volunteered to serve in the Indiana militia, answering Governor Harrison's call for troops to march against

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; (March 9, 1768October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the Territorial evolution of the United States, expansion of the United States onto Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

's village at Prophetstown. He was placed in command as a major of two companies of dragoons, and all the cavalry in Harrison's army. On the night of November 6, 1811, Harrison's army made camp near Prophetstown. Major Daveiss' dragoons occupied a position in the rear of the left flank. The dragoons were instructed to fight dismounted, with pistols, as a reserve in the event of a night attack. When the Indians attacked early the next morning, Daveiss advanced with a small detachment of 20 men. He was mortally wounded in the process and died soon after. He was buried where he fell. The Tippecanoe battlefield has a memorial marker as well as a gravestone. At the time of the Battle of Tippecanoe, Daveiss was serving as the Grand Master of Masons of the

Grand Lodge A Grand Lodge, also called Grand Orient, Obedience, or by another similar title, is a name for the overarching governing body of a fraternal or other similarly organized group in a given area, usually a city, state, or country. In Freemasonry A ...

of Kentucky. He was a member of Lexington Lodge #1. Daveiss's sword from the battle was given to the Masonic Widow and Orphans' Home in Louisville.

Personal life

Daveiss married Chief Justice

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remai ...

's sister Ann in June 1803. Around 1800, he moved to Frankfort. For a time, he lived in the home of Kentucky secretary of state Harry Toulmin in Frankfort.

Places named after Daveiss

Several places in the United States are named for Daveiss, but though he spelled his name "Daveiss", these places all have the spelling "Daviess". *

Jo Daviess County, Illinois Jo Daviess County () is the northwesternmost county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 22,035. Its county seat is Galena, Illinois, Galena. Jo ...

* Daviess County, Indiana *

Daviess County, Kentucky Daviess County ( "Davis"), is a County (United States), county in Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 103,312. Its county seat is Owensboro, Kentucky, Owensboro. The county was formed from part of Ohio ...

* Daviess County, Missouri * Jo Daviess Township, Minnesota

References

External links

Who was Jo Daviess?
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daveiss, Joseph 1774 births 1811 deaths American military personnel killed in the War of 1812 United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 Indiana Territory officials Kentucky lawyers People from Bedford County, Virginia People from Danville, Kentucky People from Indiana in the War of 1812 United States attorneys for the District of Kentucky American Freemasons United States Army officers American slave owners Burr conspiracy