 :for other persons with similar names, see samuel davis (disambiguation), sammy davis (disambiguation) and sam davies (disambiguation).  sam davis (october 6, 1842 â november 27, 1863)biography from the website of the sam davis home and museum. retrieved on august 10, 2013. is called the boy hero of the confederacy. he was born in rutherford county, tennessee. he served in various combat roles in the confederate army in 1861 through 1863 during the american civil war. as a confederate courier, he was captured around november 20, 1863, and upon suspicion of espionage was executed by the union army after a captivity of only seven days. ==youth and confederate service== born october 6, 1842 in rutherford county, tennessee, young sam was the oldest son of charles lewis and jane simmons davis. davis attended local school in smyrna, tennessee, and educated at the western military institute, now montgomery bell academy, which he attended from 1860â1861. while there, he came under the influence of headmaster and future confederate general bushrod johnson. he was recruited by confederate scout forces early in the civil war. he signed up as a private in the first tennessee volunteer infantry in 1861 and his regiment marched off to war first at cheat mountain, next in the shenandoah valley, then at shiloh and perryville. wounded slightly at shiloh, davis suffered a more severe wound at perryville; after recovering from the latter casualty he took on very active service as a courier for coleman's scouts. ==capture and execution== he was captured near minor hill, tennessee, on november 20, 1863, wearing a makeshift confederate uniform and in possession of union battle plans. he would not give the name of who gave him the items. for this reason, he was arrested as a spy, and was seen as ineligible for the privileges of a prisoner of war. inste
1842_births 1863_deaths 19th-century_executions_of_American_people_by_hanging American_Civil_War_spies Confederate_States_Army_soldiers Executed_spies Guggenheim_Fellows People_executed_by_the_United_States_military_by_hanging People_from_Rutherford_County,_Tennessee People_from_Tennessee_executed_by_hanging People_of_Tennessee_in_the_American_Civil_War