The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-22
THE STATUS OF A SPY:
DOES HE STAND ALONE OR ARE HIS
sUPERI0Rs EQUALLY. GUILTYs


/ and Let the Higher Officers Who
/ Sent Them Out Escape Censure.
Pine Crest villa, Maitland Fla, April
! I'll have never been able to understand
| why public sentiment in the past has
been so severe against a spy. 1t will be
remembered that the late Cyrus w. Field
erected some years ago a monument to
Maj Andre, the famous British spy cap
tured by out troops during the Revolution
airy War, but the people in the vicinity of
! the monument destroyed it in their indig-
nation.
A Spy, it seems to my mind, simply
does the work of a wodern detective, who
| passes himself off for what he is not,
| andethereby secures valuable information
in regard to robberies, murders, etc. The
spy by his shrewdness and misrepresenta-
tons, gets into the enemy's lines and
picks up all the information possible and
carries it back to his superior officers, if
he escapes capture. He makes the ven
ture under orders and not on his own re-
| sponsibility.
An authorized spy is no more respon-
sible for his mission than the superior Of
ficers who send him forth Nor is his
fate, in one sense, any worse, or more
sure, than that of the soldiers who COM
pose a ''forlorn hope" party or engage in
a deadly charge. He may be shot or he
may be hung4 if captured, but the meas
ure Of honor or shame awarded him de-
ponds largely upon the manner in which
he conducts himself in his last hours.
Sam Davis, a noted young Confederate
spy who was hung at Pulaski, Tenn, In
1864, by the Union army, is becoming
most heroic figure in the history of the
Lost Cause" and a magnificent monu-
ment is to perpetuate his memory. AS
spy he was vgilant and brave and sue
cessful until his final capture So i'm
portant were the papers found upon his
person that the Union authorities made
abe most tempting offers to induce him TO
reveal the names of his associates and
helpers in the matter
But no amount of influence could move
him II cannot" he said, "be false to my
comrades or to friends of our cause with
in the Union lines" Even che persuasive
powers of the young Alabama girl to
whom he was engaged failed to shake this
determination not to betray his friends.
His sweetheart plead for herself and for
Sans good old mother at home, but he
only replied: II do love you, and my
heart is almost breaking as 1 think of
mother, but there are occasions where
ones duty to country rises above every
other motive. l cannot be a traitor"
1t is needless to state that such brave,
high minded young soldier won the adj
miration and respect of his captors and
in every possible manner they sought 10
save his life; but to all offers and all en-
CREATES he showed the same unflinching
purpose not to prove false to his CONF
rade and friends. IF l had a thousand
lives" said he on the scaffold, 81 would
lose them all here before l would betray
my friends or the confidence of my in
former"
And thus brave Sam Davis, with every
thing to tempt him TO live, went to his
death as spy with a courage and forti-
tude uneXampled in history. If ID had been
disgraceful in the past to suffer the fate
of a spy, Sam Davis lifted thac cloud OF
disgrace and made 1t a high honor to
face death even upon the scaffold rather
than be false to trust or betray his
friends And now that a splendid monu-
ment is to be erected in his memory the
Union officers whose duty ID was to exc
cute him have given their testimony IN
his favor and some of them. have con-
tributed to the monument fund. The con-
duct of Sam Davis was of such an eXalt-
ed character that the question of which
side he fought on has been lost sight OF,
and tributes to his fidelity and courage,
sublime in all their aspects, have come
alike from the Blue and the Gray.
In his interesting tteCOlltCllOiio VI 1%ip-
by Prison." the late Rev. DR. j. Lansing
Burrows. the eminent Baptist divine OF
Richmond Va tells of his experience
with a Union spy named Webster, who
was in solitary confinement at LIBBY prls-
on in 1863 to be tried by courtmartlal'
Webster was quite reticent as to his ca
reer until after the trial, which ended IN
his conviction and sentence to death on
the scaffold After this he talked quite
freely with Dr. Burrows, who was ms
spiritlal advisor by request. 1t seems that
Webster had taken a great risk as ne
enlisted in a Confederate regiment Tor the
| purpose of examining and reporting the
| state of the defenses on Island No. 10 He
had secretly made full drawings of the
! fortifications and forwarded them, or by
! escaping. says DR. Burrows carried them
| Ia the Union leaders. Being a well edu-
| Gated handsome young man, 1t was quite
! natural that he, like Sam Davis, should
| have been an object of special interest
| DR.. Burrows visited him on the morning
! Of the day OF execution, and conversed
! and prayed with him. after which he
! brought to the cell Union chaplain 10
/ he with him in his last hours on earth.
! But when the prisoner came out into the
| hall and DR.. Burrows wished 10 pld MN
/ farewell he said: you have been very
! kind to me and I thank you for it.
| have only one more request to make OF
| any man on earth, and that is that you
will go with me- pray fer me at the
scaffold. and stay with me to the last
| This request was a great surprise TO
| DR.. Burrows, who did not wish to witness
! the horrible scene to be enacted, yet ne
! couId not refuse the request of man con-
| demned to death. The Union chaplain re-
! tired and Dr. Burrows rode in the car
riage with Webster to the place of eXecu-
| lion at the fair grounds On reaching the
! scaffold the doomed man showed great
calmness and self-pcssessio and talked
quite freely with Dr. Burrows, to whom
ne gave farewell messages to his family,
! and also presented ring as token of
| his gratitude to his kind spiritual adj
| visor.
He was" says DR.. Burrows, 'as brave
a man as l ever met, and with perfect self
| possession he mounted the scaffold and,
! CHANGING at the rope and the distance to
! The ground, quietly said TO the Marshal
who was fastening the cord 20 the cross
| beam: Please make the fall longer. !
! trembled more than he did, and so did
many brave hearts among his guards
when the drop fell"
| Ana so ought il to be whenever a brave