The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-19


 Give my love to all, Your son,
 SAMUEL DAVIS.
 Mother, tell the children all to be good, l wish I could see you all once more, but I never will any more Mother and father do not forget me- Think of me when am dead, but do not grieve for me. It 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 keeper for you. Pulaski is In Giles county, Tenn, south of Columbia s. D.
 After his sentence he was put Into cell in the jail and we did not see any thing of him until Thursday morning, 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. Davis was handcuffed and was brought in just as we were eating breakfast. I gave him piece of meat that I had been cooking, and he. being handcuffed, was compelled to eat it with both hands. He thanked me. and We all bade him good-by, and were sent to the court house and the guard was doubled.
 The next morning, Friday, November 27, at ten o'clock, we heard the drums and regiment of infantry marching down to the jail, and a wagon with Q coffin in it was driven up. and the pro- vost marshal went into the jail and brought Davis out, He got into the wagon and stood up and looked around at the court house, and, seeing us at the windows, bowed to us his last farewell He was dressed in a. dark brown over coat, with a cape to 1t, which had been blue Federal coat, such as many of us had captured and then dyed brown. l note this because 1t has been stated that he was dressed in citizens clothes. do not remember exactly, but think he had on g. gray jacket underneath. He then sat down upon his coffin, and the regiment moved off to the suburbs of the town, where the gallows was built
 Upon reaching the gallows he got out of the wagon. and took his seat on 0 bench under adtree. He asked Captain Armstrong how long he had to live He replied, Fifteen minutes" He then asked Captain Armstrong the news. IIo tOlu llltl Ol CllC put SA0 Ol 4hAASSAOLeAy Ridge, and that our army had been de feated. He expressed much regret and said:
 "The boys will have to fight without me-"
 Armstrong said: T regret very much having to do this; feel that I would almost rather die myself than to do what I have to do," Davis replied:
 T do not think hard of you; you are doing your duty"
 General Dodge sttfl had hopes that Davis would recant when he saw that death was staring him in the face, and that he would reveal the name of the traitor in his camp. He sent Captain Chickasaw of his staff to Davis. He rapidly approached |, the scaffold, jumped from His horse, and weiit di- rectly to Davis and asked If 1t would not be better for him to speak the name of the one from whom he had re- ceived the contents of the document found upon him, adding, Tt Is not too late yet" And then, in his last ex- tremity Davis turned upon him and said:
 "If I had thousand lives I would lose them all here before I would be- tray my friends or the confidence of my informer."
 He then requested him to thank Gen. eral Dodge for his efforts to save him, but to repeat that he could not accept the terms. Turning to the chaplain, he gave few keepsakes to send to his mother. He then said to the, provost marshal, T am ready" ascended the scaffold and stepped upon the trap.
 Thus passed away one of the sublim- est and nobIest characters known in history and in future ages his act will be pointed to as worthy of emulation.
 The bust in the Parthenon by the sculptor, George Julian Zolnay, is he roic figure, and one of the most ad- mired works of art in the building. Mir. Zolnay has given the work nobleness, a firmness that, while it appeals to the masses on account of its strength, also has a softness that impresses every visitor It is one of MT. Zolnay's best productions
 A number of leading Confederates are now raising a fund to erect a monu- ment over the spot where he was execu- ted. A large amount has already been contributed for the purpose.-Courier- Journal.