The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-08
HEROISM OF SAM DAVIS
HE EPREFERREO DEATH Rather THAN
THE BETRAYAL OF A FRIEND.

THE BETRAYAL OF FRIEND.
Spy Could Havs Saved Eis Life with ons
Word, But ae Refused to spesk Il
When ssand,ps as rh= Foot of fhe Gal
lows.
The bust Of Sam ! avis, tie Confed
crate hero who met death on the scat
fold at Pulaski, Tenn, to save the lite
of comrsde, is one nj the best pieces
Of SCULPTURE in the Nashville par'he
non. 1t is tho york OF George Julian
Zolpsy, is heroic in size, noble in con
ception and absolutely true tn the
original. Joshus Brown, now 1t New
York city, who belonged to the Second
Kentucky cavalry OF the Confederate
arnnv spd was a fellow scout with
Samuel Davis, tells the thrilling and
awful story Of mis- fate in an article IN
the Veteran:
Gen. Bragg had sent US, few men
who knew the country, into middle
Tennessee, to get all the information
possible concerning the movements
of the Federal armv. to find out II it
was moving frorn Nashville and Cor
inth to reinforce Chattanooga. We
were to report to Col. Shaw or Capt
Coleman. who commanded Colman's
scouts. We wer3 to go south to d.
catur and send our reports by courier
line to Gen. Bragg at Missionary
RIDGE. When we received our orders
we were told that the duty was very
dangerous, and that they did not ex
pect bu. few of us to return; that we
would probably be captured or killed,
. and we were cautioned sgalnst expos
ing ourselves unnecessarily.
After we had been in Tennessee
about ten days, We watched the SIX
teenth army corps, commanded by
Gen. Dodge, move up from Corlnth
to Pulaski We agreed that we would
leave for the south on Friday, the 18th
of November, 1868. A number had
been captured snd several killed. We
were to start that night, each maa for
himself; each man had mis- own infor-
nation, but I did not write it down or
make any memorandum Of it for tear
of being captured. I had csunted al
most every regiment and all the artil
lery in the Sixteenth corps, and found
out that they were moving on Chatta
ncoga. Later in the afternoon we
starred out, and ran into the
Seventh Kansas cavalry, known as
the kansas Jayhawkers," and when
we were told that regiment bad cap
tured us we thought our time had
come. We were taken to Pulaski,
about fifteen miles away, and put into
Jail, where several other prisoners had
besn sent, and among them was Sam
Davis, I 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 he had been taken to Gen. Dodge's
headquarters. They also found in his
saddle seat maps and descriptions Of
the Notifications at Nashville and
others points, and an exact report OF
the Federal army in Tennessee. They
found in his boot a letter, with other
papers, which was intended for Gen.
Bragg.
Davis was taken to Gen. Dodge's
headquarters, and this is what took
place between them which Gen.
Dodge told me recently:
II took him TO my private office, !"
said General Dodge, land l told him
it was a very serious charge brought
against him; that he was spy, and
from what l found upon his person,
he had accurate information in regard
to my army, and mcsI know where
he obtained it. I toll him be was
young man and did not seem to realize
the danger he was 10. Up TO that time
he said nothing, but then he replied in
a most respectful manner:
"'Genersl Dodge, I know the dan
ger OF my situation and | am willing
to take the consequences
Il asked him tDen TO give the name
of the person from whom he go. the
information: that l knew it must be
some oae near headquarters VINO had
given him the plans CT the federal
army. He replied:
"'I know that will have to die,
but will no! tell where 7 got the in
formation. ard thers is no power on
earth that can make me tell. You
are doing your duty SIS soldier. and
am doing mine. II l nave to die, l
do SO feeling that l anu dining MY duty
to God and my country
"I pleaded with bin and urged Elm
with all the power I possessed to give
me some chance to save his life, for |
discovered that he was most admir-
able young fellow, with the highest
character and strictest integrity. He
then said: 1T is useless to talk to
me. / DO not intend to do it. You
can court martial me, but will not
betray the trust reposed in me-
He thanked noe for the interest
had taken in him, and I sent him back
to prison. I immediately called 9 court
martial to try him"
The night before he was hap ged he
wrote the following letter to his moth.
er spd father:
Pulaski, Giles County, Tenn.
Nov. 26, 1863. Dear Mother: o..
how painful it is la write to you. I
have got to Gle tomcrroH morning
to be hanged by the t. derals. Mother
do rot grieve for me. | must bid you
good bye for evermore. Mother. do
not fear to die. Give my love to all
Your Sou,
Samuel Davis.
Mother, tell tN2 children ell to be
coed | wish J. could s. e yea all once