The sun., 1898-12-04
CONFEDERATE DIES 4 HERO
General Grenville NJ. Dodge Now
Chief War Investigator Tells
Story of Sam Davis Death.
ENEMIES HONORED HIN

This Spy in Order to Save
the Life of the
.r. Young Boy.
General James H. Wilson tells an in.
teresting story which was repeated to
him by Major General Grenville M.
Dodge, now chief investigator on the
War Investigating Committee. The
story illustrates General Dodge's ability
to deal with propositions whose serious
ness requires considerable investigating.
The story told by General Wilson is
about Sam Davis, the young Confederate
who was hanged as a spy by his Federal
captors, the story of a lad who died a
hero's death, the story of soldier
whom even his enemies have delighted
to honor.
Briefly it is this as told by General
Dodge II was south OF Athens, Ala,
with 10000 men and 5000 animals and
without provisions and no railroad or
water communication. Ny men were
compelled to forage.
my necessary enforcement of sup
plies gave opportunity for struggling
bands on both sides to rob and charge
up their depredations to my command.
My investigation to get rid Of these strag-
glers led to discovery still more i'm.
portant. l found that there was a well
organized and disciplined corps of scouts
and spies within my line, one force op-
Grating to the east of the line under one
Coleman 1t was not until long after
wards, not until too late, that l learned
that Coleman was but the nom de
guerre of Captain H. B. Shaw, Bragg's
chief of scouts and secret service corps.
I issued orders to my own spies to locate
these individuals and sent out scouting
parties to wipe them out or drive them
across the Tennessee river. 1t was the
Seventh Kansas Cavalry, I remember,
that captured all about the same time,
Sam Davis, Joshua Brown, one Smith
and II. B. Shaw. Of the latter's import
ance we knew not.
Nothing was found on any OF the
prisoners except Davis, who evidently
had been selected to carry through to
General Bragg the information they had
obtained. Upon his person and in his
saddle seat were found letters from
Coleman maps and description of the
Notifications at Nashville and other
points, and an exact report of the Fed
eral army in Tennessee.
'tDavis was brought Immediately to
me, as his captors knew his importance.
When brough to my Office l met him
| knew what had been found
upon him and desired to locate Cole.
man. who was furnishing the informa-
tion which saw was accurate and valu-
able to General Braggs. Davis met me
modestly. He was fine soldierly-look-
ing young man, between 10 and 20,
dressed in faded Federal soldiers
coat, one of our army soft hats and top
boots.
"He had frank, open face which was
inclined to brightness. tried to i'm
press upon him the danger he was in
and that l knew he was only a
messenger holding out to him the
hope of lenient treatment if he would
answer truthfully. as far as he could, my
questions. He listened respectfully and
but, as | recollect, made no
definite answer. and J. had him returned
to prison. The next day he was brought
to me again. told him Of the serious
charge brought against him, that he was
a spy, and l explained to him the danger
he was in. Up to that time he had not
replied, but then he said in the most re.
spectful and dignified manner: General
Dodge, know the danger of the stua-
tion and am willing to take the conse-
quences.
81 asked him to tell me the name of
the person from whom he got the infor-
nation. pleaded with him and urged
him to give me some chance to save his
life. / told him that l should have to
call court martial and that, from the
evidence in hand, it would be compelled
to condemn him; that there was no
chance unless he gave me the source of
his information. He replied:
Il know that l shall have to die. but
l will not tell where l got the informa-
ton. You are doing your duty as sol
der and I am doing mine."
On Friday, November q, Davis was
marched in company with regiment of
infantry to the court yard at Pulaski,
Tenn. Davis stood up in the wagon and
gave farewell salute to his comrades in
the Jail.
Even after he mounted the scaffold
General Dodge had hope that he would
recant. One Of the noted Federal scouts,
'Chichasaw,' believing that he could pre-
vail upon Davis to save his own life,
sprang from his horse and followed him
up the scaffold.
"It is not too late yet, Davis, he
said.
"Then, in his last extremity, Davis
turned upon him and said: If l had
thousand lives l would lose them all be-
fore l would betray the confidence Of my
informer.'
"He died as heroes die, and there were
many such on both sides in that bloody
conflict of brother against brother. But
do you remember that the man whose
name Sam Davis would not reveal was
his fellow prisoner, H. B. Shaw, alias
Coleman"
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