Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1897-08-17

/
ERArE SOLDIER.
The bust of Sam Davis, the Con-
federate hero who met his death on
the scaffold at Paluski, Tenn, to
save the life of 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 abso-
lute!y true to the original. Joshua
Brown, now of New York city, who
belonged TO the Second Kentucky
Calvary of the Confederate army,
and was fellow scout of Samuel
Davis, tells the thrilling and awful
story of his fate in an article in the
Confederate Veteran.
'.They may never fail who die
In great cause; the block may soak their
gore;
Their heads may sodden in the sun their
limbs
Be strung to city gates or castle waIls:-
But still their spirit walks abroad. Though
EIapse, aud others share as dark doom,
They but augment the deep and sweeping
thought
Which overspreads all others. aud conducts
The world at last to freedom"
Mr.. Browns contribution to the
Veteran is as as follows:
General Bragg had sent us, a few
men who know the country, into
Middle Tennessee, to get all the in
formation possible concerning the
movements of the Federal ermy, to
find out if it was moving from Nash
vile and Corinth to reinforce Chat
tanooga. We were to report to Col.
Shaw or Captain Coleman, who COM
manded CoIeman's scouts.
We were to go 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 the duty was very
dangerous, and that they did not ex-
pect but few of us to return: that
we would probably be captured or
killed, and VIC were cautioned not 10
show ourselves unnecessarily.
After we had been in Tennessee
about ten days we watched the Fed
eralSiXteenth Army Corps, command
ed by General Dodge, move up from
we would leave for the South on Fri
day, the 10Th of Novem Der, 1863
A number had been captured and
several killed. We were to start
that night, each man for himself;
each of US had his own information,
but l did not write it down or make
any memorandum of it, for fear of
being captured. ] had counted al
most every regiment and all the ar
tillery in the Sixteenth Corps, and
found out they were moving on Chat
tanooga. Late in the afternoon we
started out and ran into the Seventh
Kansas Cavalry, known as the
- Kansas Jayhawkers, and when
we were told that regiment had cap
tured US we thought our time had
come. We were taken to Pulaski,
about fifteen miles away, and put in
to 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, had found some papers
upon him, and he had been taken TO
General Dodge's headquarters. They
also had found in his saddle seats
maps and descriptions of the fortifi-
cations at Nashville and other points,
and an exact report of the Federal
army in Tennessee. They found in
his boot letter, with other papers,
which was intended for Gen. Bragg.
Davis was taken back to Dodge's
headquarters, and this is what took
place between them, which General
Dodge recently told me:
% 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 a
spy, and from what / found upon his
person he had accurate information
in regard to my army, and l must
know where he obtained it. l told
him he was a young man and did not
seem to realize the danger he was in.
Up to that time he said nothing, but
then he replied in a most respectful
and dignified manner:
General Dodge, know the dan
ger of my situation, and L am willing
to take the consequences
1 asked him then to give the name
of the person from whom he got the
information that knew it must be
some one near headquarters who had
given him the plans of the Federal
army.
He replied:
4 know that l will have to die,
but / will not tell where i got The
information, and there is no power
on earth that can make me tell
You are doing your duty as soldier
and l am doing mine. If | have to
die, do so feeling that am doing
my duty TO God and my county,
I pleaded with and urged him with
all the power possessed TO give me
some chance to save his life, for L
4. l. Ill,