Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-15
EXECUTION OF A "REBEL SPY" AT
PULASKI, TENN.

We take the following acc1unt of tho exc
ca,ior If an nllesel Confederate spy from the
Pulaski "Chant;elear," of Decemhe. let, {
paper edited by G. W. uldresh, and devoted
10 tho interest Of tho lett wing Of tho Sig
teentn Yankecj Army Corps;
Last Friday the citizens and soldiers Of Pu.
laski witnessed enc Of those painful executions
Of stern justice, which makes the war 30 ter
Tib!e and though sanctioned by the usages Of
war, is no moro than men in tho service Of
their country expose themselves to every day.
Samuel Davis of General Ccleman's scouts,
having been found within the Federal lines
with dispatches and mails destined for the
enemy, was tried on the charge of being n
spy; ard being found guilty, Was condemned
to be hung between the hours of 10 o'clock \.
". and & o'olack p. II on Friday, November
q. 1868. Tho prisoner was apprised Of his
snn;cuce by Captain Armstrong. local Provost
II Il. shal, and though somewhat surprised Mt
The sentence of death, did not manifest any
outward signs Of agitation.
Chaplain Ycung, of the 6lst Ohio infantry,
visited the prisoner, and administered spiritu-
Ill consolation. The prisoner expressed him
self resigned to his fate, and perfectly pre-.
pared to die. He exhibited frnness unu.-
a,ial for ono of Eis Ggc, and 10 the last showed
9. lively interest in tho news of the day. c1-
pressing regret when .tpli Of the deleas Of
Gen. Bragg.
The scafs!d fo- the execution Of the prison-
~ WAS hus. upon tn, ridge cast Of town. near
i.--NcEinarv, position which could lie seen
from any part of the town.
A. precisely 10 o'clock A NJ, the prisoner
va taken from bis cell, his hands tied behind
him a1d, accompanied hy the chaplain Of the
Slst Ohio, was PLACED in wagon, seated upon
his coffin, "ad conveyed to the scafold Pro-
vost Marshal Armstrong conducted the pro-
&C dings. At rrcci5elv FIVE minutes Fast 10
O'clock the wagon containing the prisoner and
tho guards entered the hollow. squaee formed
in tho centre Of whiuh was the scafold. The
prisoner then stepped from the wus1n and
seated himself upon bench ut the foot Of
The scaFnd. lie displayed great Hrmuess-
CHARGING casually ct tao coffin as it was taken
rrGn. the wagon. Turning to Capt. Armstrong,
tc ioqur4i hn" long he had to live and vas
I'D ;aat he had Just fifteen minr.cs: be then
scmarssd "wH would lave to fight the rest
Of our battles alone"
Capt. Armstrong-"I nm sorry to be COM
pnllal to perform THE painful duty"
P-isuner--with o smile" 1t d es not hurt
me, CAPTAIN; I am Innocent, though am
prepared to die, and do not think hard Of it i"
Cartain Chickasaw then asked the pri-onc
if il would not have been better for him To
have accepted the oEer Of life, upon the dis-
9iosGrc Of facts in his possession when the
prisoner answered, with much indignation
"Do YOU suppose would betray friend
No, sir! would die Thousand times first {"
He was then questioned upon other matters,
Lur refused to give any information which
c2uli be of service.
The rriseGpr then mounted the scafold ac-
com panied by the chaplain, James Young.
whom he requested to pray with him at hi5
execution. The prisoner then stepped upon
tie trap; the rope was adjusted about his
neck, and the cap drawn over hisheed. In q
moment the trap was sprung and the prisoner
fell suspended in the air. For few moments
he struggled with his hands and feet this
was succeeded by slight quivering of the
h)dv, which ceased at three and q half
minutes from the time he fell. After being
suspended seventeen and half minutes, the
officiating surgeon, ID. W. Voyles. Goth Indi-.
ana. pronounced the prisoner dead. and he
was cut down md placed in his coffin. 1t
waa euposed. from the prptracted animation
which the prisoner exhibited, that the fall had
mot broken his neck, and that he died by
strar gulation but upon subsequent cxami-
nation, bis neck was found to be entirely
broken.
S. fell one whom tho fate of war cut down
in early youth, aud who exhibited trnits OF
character which, under other circumstances
might have made him available friend anl
In, 1s .s,kr,