John Lee Davis (September 3, 1825 – March 12, 1889) was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, who served during the American Civil War, and later commanded the Asiatic Squadron.

[2] While serving as acting lieutenant aboard the sloop Preble of the East India Squadron, he commanded one of the boats that boarded a piratical Chinese junk off Macao in November 1849, with another officer and sixteen men, and captured the vessel and crew.

As executive officer of the gunboat Water Witch he took part in engagements with the Confederate ram Manassas at the battle of the Head of Passes on 12 October 1861.

The leak was stopped temporarily, and after the action the vessel was taken on shore and patched at the falling of the tide.

He was promoted to commodore on 4 February 1882, and commanded the Asiatic Squadron in 1883, and on 30 October 1885, received his commission as rear admiral.