John Davis was born in about 1755, possibly of Welsh descent. In March 1778 he married Mourning Pilkinton in Johnston County, North Carolina. On June 30, 1779 he became a private in Captain Kedar Ballard's regiment of the 3rd North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Line, enlisting for the duration of the war. He likely saw combat at the siege of Charleston and the Battle of Eutaw Springs, both in South Carolina. He died in Johnston County, North Carolina on November 9, 1831.