The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-09-09
SAM DAVIS ~
HEROIC END.
DEATH RATHER THAN TIE BE-
TRAVAIL OF A FRIEND.

THE bust of Sam Davis, the confed
crate hero who met death on the
scaffold at Pulaski, Tenn, to save the
life of a comrade, is one of the best
pieces of sculpture in the Nashville
Parthenon. 1t is the work of George
Julian Zolnay, is heroic in size, noble in
conception and absolutely true to the
original. Joshua Brown, now of New
York city, who belonged to the Second
kentucky cavalry of the confederate
army. ard was a fellow scout with Sam
uel Davis, tells the thrilling and awful
story of his fate in the Neteran:
"Gen. Bragg had sent us, few men
who knew the country, into middle Ten
ressee to get all the information pos
sible concerning the movements Of the
federal army, to find out if it was mO7-
ing from Nashville and Corinth to re-
;nforce Chattanooga. We were to re-
port to Col. Shaw or Capt. Coleman,
who commanded Culeman's scouts. We
were to 90 south to Decatur and send
our reports by courier line to Gen.
Bragg at Missionary Ridge. When we
received our orders we were told that
tie duty was very dangerous, and that
they did not expect but few of us % re-
turn; that we would probably be cap
tured or killed. and we were cautioned
against exposing ourselves unneces-
sariy.
after we had been in Tennessee
about ten days we watched the Six
teenth army corps, commanded by Gen.
Dodge, move up from Corinth to Pulas-
ki. We agreed that we would leave for
the south on Friday, the 10th of Novcm-
bct, 1863. A number had been captured
and several killed. We were to start
that night, each man for himself; each
CT us had his own information, but ]
did not write it down or make any
memorandum of it, for fear of being
captured. | had counted almost every
regiment and all the artillery in the
Sixteenth corps and found out that
they were moving on Chattanooga.
Late in the afternoon we started out
and ran into the Seventh Kansas cav
airy, known as the Kansas Jayhawk-
ers,' and when we were told that regi-
ment had captured US we thought our
time had come. We were taken to
Pulaski, about Is miles away, and put
into Jail, where several other prisoners
had been sent, and among whom was
Sam Davis. | talked with him over our
prospects of imprisonment and escape
Which were very gloomy. Davis said
they had searched him that day and
found some papers upon him, and that
Ee had been taken to Gen. Dodge's head
quarters. They had also found in his
saddle seat maps and descriptions OF
The Notifications at Nashville and 9th
er polntsaud an exact report of the fed
eral atny in Tennessee. They founC
IN his boot letter, with other papers
which was intended fop Gen. Bragg.
Davis was taken to Gen. Dodge:
headquarters, and this is what tool
place between them, which Gen. Dodgt
told me recently:
took him to my private office, sale
Ten. Dodge, and I told him it was 1
very serious charge brought agains
MIN; that he was spy, and, from wha
found on his person, he had accu
rate information in regard to my army
and l must know where he obtained it
told him he was a young man ant
oid not seem 10 realize the danger h
was IN. Up to that time he said moth
ilg' but then he replied in a most re
spectful and dignifed manner:
Gen. Dodge, I know the danger O
my situation, and I am willing to tax
the consequences"
l asked him then to give the nam
" tie person from whom he got th