The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-07-14
9mAeseoa SMteIliakMeeR,
SAM DAVIS HEROIC END.
Death Rather than the Betrayal of a
Friend.
From the Louisville Courier Journal.

crate hero, who met death on the scat
fold at Pulaski, Tenn, to save the life
of a comrade, is one Of the best piece!
of art in the Nashville Parthcnon. II
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 I'd Kentucky cav
airy of the Confederate army, and was
a fellow scout with Samuel Davis,
tells the thrilling and awful story
of his fate in an article in the Voter
an
Gen. Bragg had sent US, a few men
who knew the country, into Middle
Tennessee to get all the information
possible concerning the movements oi
the Federal army, to find out if it was
moving from Nashville and Corinth tc
reinforce Chattanooga. We were tt
report to Col. Shaw or Capt. Coleman,
who commanded Coleman's scouts
We we're to 60 south to Decatur, and
send our reports by a courier line tc
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 few
of us to return; that we would proba.
bly, be captured or killed, and we were
cautioned against exposing ourselves
unnecessarily.
After we had been in Tennessee
about ten days we watched the 10th
army corps, commanded by Gen.
Dodge, move up from Corinth to Pu-
laski. We agreed that we would
leave for the South on Friday, the
10Th of November, 1868. 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 I did not write
it down or make any memorandum OF
it, for fear of being captured. I had
counted almost every regiment and all
the artillery in the 10th corps, and
out that they were moving on
Chattanooga. Late in the afternoon
we started out and ran into the 18th
Kansas cavalry, known az the "Kan,
sas Jayhawkers," and when we were
told that regiment had captured 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 been sent, and
among whom was Sam Davis. I talked
with him over our prospects of impris,
onment and escape, which were very
gloomy. Davis said they had search
ed him that day and found some pa
pers 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 fortified
tious at Nashville and other points,
and an exact report of the Federal
army in Tennessee. They found in
his boot a letter, with other papers,
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:
81 took him to my private Office
said Gen. Dodge, "and [ told him it
was a very serious charge brought
against him; that he was q spy, and
from what l found upon his person be
had accurate information in regard to
my army, and I must know where he
obtained it. I told him he was a
young man, and did not seem to real,
lie the danger he was in. Up to that
time he said nothing, but then he re:
piled in most respectful and digni6ed
manner:
"'Gen. Dodge, I know the danger
of my situation, and | am willing to
take the consequences
II asked him then to give the name
of the person from whom he got the
information; that I knew it must be
some one near headquarters who had
given him the plans Of the Federal
army. He replied:
"'I know that I will have to die,
but I will not tell where I got the in
and there is no power on
earth that can make me tell. You are
doing your duty as a soldier, and I
am doing mine. If I have to die do
so feeling that | am doing my duty to
my God and my country.
IT pleaded with and urged him with
all the power I possessed to give me
some chance to save his life, for dis
covered that he was a most admirable
young fellow, with the highest char
acter and strictest integrity. He then
said: 1t is useless to talk tc me. /
do not intend to do it. You can
court,martial me, but [ will not be-
tray the trust reposed in me-
"E[e thanked me for the interest I
had taken in him, and Isent him back
to prison. I Immediately called a
court-martial to try him.
The night before he wa hanged he
wrote the following letterto his moth
er and father:
"Pulaski, Giles County, Tenn, No
7ember 26, 1S63.-Dear Mother: Oh,
how painful it is to write to you! l
have to die tomorrow morning-to be
hanged by the Federals. Mother, do
not grievc for me. I must bid you
forevcrmorc. Mother, I do
not fear to die. Give my love to all.
Your son. SAMUEL DAVIS.
Mother, tell all the children to be
good. I wish I could see you all once
but I never will any more.
Mother, and father, do not forget me.
Think Of me when I am dead, but do
not grieve for me. 1t will not do any
good. Father, you can send after my
remains if you want to do SO. They
will be at Pulaski, Tenn. l will leave
some things, too, with the hotel keep
er for you. Pulaski is in Giles Coun'
ty, Tenn, south of Columbia:
After the sentence he was put into
a cell in the Jail, and We did not see
anything of him until Thursday morn
ing, the day before the execution,
We were ordered to get ready, as We
were going to be removed to the Court
House, on the public square, about
one hundred feet from the Jail. Da'
Wis was handcufed and was broughtir
lust as We were eating breakfast. ]
gave him a piece Of meat that | hac
heen cooking, and he. being hand