The National tribune., 1904-09-15

fact that they all knew Col. Shaw was one
of our captives, and that if his Importance
was made known to us he would certainly
be hung, and they did not think that Davis
would be executed.
Upon Davis was found a large mail of
value. Much of it was letters from the
friends and relatives of soldiers in the
Confederate army. There were many
small presents, one or two, l remember,
to Gen. Bragg, and much accurate in
formation of my forces, of our defenses,
our intentions, substance of my orders,
Zens, and general approval of my pay
ment for supplies, while a few denounced
severely some of the parties who had
hauled in supplies under the orders.
Capt. Coleman mentioned this in one
of his letters.
There were also intimations of the en-
deayor that would be made to interrupt
single soldiers and small parties of the
command out after forage.
DAVIS PROVES oBDURATE.
1 had Davis brought before me again,
after my Provost-Marshal had reported
his inability to obtain anything of value
from him. l then informed him that he
would be tried as spy; that the evidence
against him would surely convict him,
and made direct appeal to him to give
very quietly, but firmly. refused to do it.
| therefore let him be tried and suffer the
consequences. Considerable interest was
taken in young Davis by the Provost
Marshal and Chaplain Young, and con-
siderable pressure was brought to bear
upon them by some of the citizens of
Pulaski; and l am under the impression
that some of them saw Davis and en-
deayored to induce him to save himself,
but they failed. Mrs. John A. Jackson,
L remember. made personal appeal in
his behalf directly to me. Davis was con-
victed upon trial and sentenced. Then
one of my noted scouts. known as ''Chick-
asaw," believed that he could prevail upon
Davis to give the information We asked.
He took him in hand and never gave it
up until the last moment. going to the
scaffold with a promise of pardon a few
moments before his execution.
Davis died to save his own chief. Col.
Shaw, who has in prison with him and
was captured the same day.
The parties who were prisoners with
Davis have informed me that it was Shaw
who had selected Davis as the messenger
to Gen. Bragg. and had given to him part
of his mail and papers.
l did not know this certainly until a
long time after the war. | first learned
of it by rumor and what some of my own
scouts have told me since the war. and it
has since been confirmed confidentially to
me by one of the prisoners who was cap
tured about the same time that Davis
was and who was imprisoned with him up
to the time he was convicted and sentenced.
and knew Col. Shaw. as well as all the
facts in the case.
The statement made TO me is. that Col
S. Shaw was the chief or an important
officer in Gen. Brags's Secret Service
Corps: that Shaw had furnished the i'm
portant documents to Davis. and that their
captors did not know Shaw and his inn
portanea
Col. Shaw | sent with the other pris-
,eners North. as prisoners of war. | also
learned that Shaw was greatly alarmed
when he was informed 1 was trying to IN
duce Davis to give me the information he
had.
A TRUE SOLDIER.
This is where Davis showed himself a
true soldier. He had been entrusted with
an important commission by an impor-
tant officer, who was imprisoned with
him, and died rather than betray him. He
knew to a certainty, IL he informed me