The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
SAM DAVIS'S HEROIC END
DEATH RATHER THAN THE BE.
TR.IrIL OF 4 FRIEND.
A Confederate SPY who Could Have saved uia
hirn with One Word, hut Refused 20 speah
II when Standing mt tho Foot OF the Galiowz,

wv" tt NuuTNtT"JOuTnnf,
The bust Of Sam Davis, the Confederate hero
who met death on tho scatruld ut Pulaski,
Tenn. to save the life OF n comradc, Is ono Of
the best pieces of sculpture In tho Nashville
farthenon. II is the work of George Julian
Holnay, Is heroic in size, noble In conception,
and absolutely truo to the original. Joshua
Brown, now Of New York city, who belonged
to the Second Kentucky Cavalry OF tho Con-
fedcratc army, and was n follow scout with
Samuel Davis, tells the thrilling and awful
story Of his fate In an article in the P~cterdn:
Gen. Bragg had sent lis, n few men who knew
tho country, into middle Tennessee to get all the
information possible concerning tho move
nicnts OF tho Federal army, TO find out IL IL was
moving from Nashville and Corinth to reinforce
Chattanooga. We were to report to Col. Shaw
or Capt. Coleman, who commanded Coleman o
scouts. We were to go south 10 Decatur, and
send our reports by n courier limo 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 expect but
fcw Of us to return; that we would probably be
captured or killed, and we wero cautioned
against exposing ourselves unnecessarily.
After we had been In Tennessee about ten
days, wo watched the Sixteenth Army Corps,
commanded by Gen. Dodge, move up from
Corinth to Pulaski. We agreed that we would
leave for the south on Friday. the 10th Of No
VcmDer, 1898. "A NUMBER mad been captured
and several killed. We were to start that
night, each maj for himself; each of us had his
own information. but l did not write 1t down or
make any memorandum Of II, for fear of being
captured. l had counted almost every rcgi.
ment and all the artillery in the Sixteenth
Corps, and found out that they were moving on
Chattanooga. Late in tho afternoon wo start
ed out, and ran into the Seventh Kansas Cav.
airy, known rs tho kansas and
when we were told that regiment had captured
US W. thought our, time had come. We were
taken to Pulaski, about fifteen 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 i'm
eefio6ecGm%yVn.' n DAVIS Hs' said Hf'a they Sa Hi'n searched TShs him
that he had been taken to. Gen; ISodge''s head.
quarters. They, also had found In his saddle
at Nashville and other points, and an exact re.
port Of the Federal army In Tennessee. They
Which was IL Intended for Gen. Bragg. p"p't'
Davis was sSs. taken a en-, to Ger Gen; Il, D % g head ,EnI
Which aP Gen. an' Dodge X Sf told t %s rsse tsGs S:'"e0n 'n'"'
no ii took on him I to toll, ny l griyisstS SS oii C yer said sar Gsn:
and from what l found upon his person, he had
accurate information in regard to my army, and
l must know where he obtained II. / told him
he was q young man and did not seem to realize
the hoet danger FRI he ,h was Il in .sn Up to (, that ! att time ns. he said
4"'Gen: Dodge, j Know the danger of my situs:
bloll. anu L du llihS ~ Ihhc Il Consequences
son from whom he got the information; that I
who had. given him the plans of the Federal
army. He replied:
tell where I got the information, and there Is no
power on earth, that can make me tell. You
mine. il have to die, do so feeling that I am
doing my duty to God and my country.
power /. possessed to give me some chance to
save his life, for l discovered that he was a most
sdtel saa s f9isns f insesfi With He fhs thsa ssid chat II
is useless to talk to me-, lido not intend to dc. it
You You t GSan tS;st te ,msgtia al mn me- but 1 will not b.
He thanked me for the interest I had taken IN
him, and ! sent him back 70 prison; i.immedi-
The night before he was hanged he wrote tho
following letter to his mother and father:
tfh z E' TnE aoaHo5E Ok, if how paE n ~ It ISIS Is 10
write to you! have got to die t9.moIToW morn
eSer sp5sye ri Mo the 7 ! / % DO not e fear so1 to sG GIs! give fSs'
!.GSH %the 70 tel tell the tSst Children S%Hi ali to e s good. I
wish isI could see yoa all once more but I never
get HH' m n%' Think Of me wSe Ell 1 ann dead, but do
not grieve for me. 1t will not do any good.
want to do so. They will be at Pulaski, Tenn:
kee Mam leave tr yo some pn 5h,nES' is s0G n T GiIss th eoa hStei
Tenn, south Of Columbia. S. D.
After his sentence E, he was put into a cell in
until 1ns "a" Tha ans we m S,a nSs S the " day befo re- t the
execution. We were ordered to get ready. as
We were going to be removed to the o6 Court ,ars
from the en jail tho RBSSiis S sasfhl snd e18ns and and 1 Wss
BROUGHT in Just as we We're eating breakfast
l gave him q piece of meat that l had been cook
eat it with both hands. He thanked me, and
Court House and the guard was doubled.
The next morning, Friday, Nov: q. at 70
with S,eofhn, in It was driven uP, and the Pr:
Davis out. He got into the wagon and stood
up and looked around at the Court House, and,
farewell, lie was dressed in a da"k brown over
coat, with a cape TO II, which had been a blue
and then dyed brown. note this because Il
has been stated that he was dressed IN citizen4
f fSinE he had aG on not a fs srsy jacket SS" anSsrn "aS
He then sat down upon his coffin. and the regt-
where mega tho sall low 70 was snS built fHDu'0' u
Upon reaching hing tn the saIlo Un he b got out Hn q th 9
T tTss. h ssa asked fSsf Capt. s,f seal Hr% Ss : SeR how q lons h :
had to live. lie replied. Fifteen minutes"
Id1d then hem % of sSe Gbs sP,jc A af %irsIa1s the R RsEs; an. nS
that our army had been defeated. He:expresssd
THE boys viii have to fight without me-"
Armstrong said: II regret very much having
to do this; I foel that / would almost rather DID
myself than TO do what l have to do" Davis
~ do not think hard of you; you arc doins
Gen. Dodge still had hopes that Davis would
recant when he saw that death was staring him
In tho face, and that he would reveal the name
asaw of his staff to Davis. He rapidly ap.
preached the %scatfold, jumped from his horse
and went directly TO Davis and asked II ID
would not be better for him to speak tho name Of
the one from whom he had received tho contents
OF tho document found upon him, adding, 1T Il
not too late yet" And then, In his last on
'It / had n thousand lives / would lose them
all here before l would betray my friends or thu
confidence OF my informcr."
He then requested him to thank Gen. Dodge
for his efforts TO save him, but to repeat that be
could not accept the terms. Turning to the
chaplain, he gave him a few kecpsakes to send
to his mother. He then said TO the Provost
Marshal, II am ready" assembled the scaffold
and stopped upon the trap.
Thus passed away one Of the sublimest and
noblest characters known in history, and in flu
ture ages his act will be pointed to M worthy Of
emulation.
: The bust In the Parthenon by the sculptor
George Julian Zolnay, is n heroic figure, and on.
OF the most admired works OF art in the build
ing. Mr.. Zolnay has given the work a noble
1 ness, IA trnness that, while II appeals to thu