Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-09-16
SAM DAVIS,
/" THE .
a
MASTER SCOUT.

had from an able pen the capture
and execution of Sam Davis, who was
scout in Gen. Bragg's army. He
belonged to the First Tennessee Reg
iment, and on account Of his gal
lantry and wonderful courage he
was promoted by Gen. Bragg as a
scout.
l will try to give description of
this noble fellow, this young knight
He was as straight and slender as
the mountain pine; his hair was as
black as the ravens wing; his eyes
We're deep black, and sparkled like
the diamond; his cheek was tan
from excitement and exposure. He
was as watchful as a Roman soldier
1t has been said (and great many
believe it) that spy is nothing more
than a traitor. Not so. A spy is the
eye and ear of an army. He must
be brainy man, brave, watchful,
Vigilant, able to comprehend what
he sees inside the enemy's lines with
out writing it. A successful spy is
the best all-round man in an army.
1t is contrary to the rules of war to
kill scout ii caught inside the ene-
my's lines with his own uniform on.
Sam Davis was clothed in his suit
of Confederate gray when captured.
1t was the sweetheart of Sam Da-
Wis through whom he received these
papers. She wanted to do something
to help the Southern cause, and for
Gen. Dodge's staff officer, Castor
Horn, who was at that time paying
court to this lady, and she told him
If he would get the papers Sam Davis
wanted Davis was then hid away
on her fathers place, waiting to see
If they could be obtained) that she
would marry him, and he agreed to
do so IL she and Davis would prom
ise never to tell it. That very night
Capt. Horn called at her home with
the desired information and she sent
at once for Sam Davis. He came in
and was introduced to Horn, and he
gave Davis the papers and made him
swear by the Eternal God that he
would never give him away if he
was captured, and it was then that
Sam Davis told him he would die
first. When he was tried for his
life, and the decision was that he
was to be hung, Capt. Horn had to
read to Davis his death warrant. 1t
is stated that Gen. Dodge believed
all the while that Horn was the
guilty party; hence he made him
read the warrant, and it has been
stated that Horn broke down twice
while reading the death warrant.
When the moose was around Sam
Davis neck Gen. Dodge sent one of
his staff to say to him that If he
would tell who gave him the papers
that he would give him his life and
liberty; but he said, "Tell Gen.
Dodge that If | had a thousand lives
l would give them all right now and
right here before I would do what he
asks me to do"
Around that scaffold stood the
stern soldiers Of the government,
with their guns in their hands. This
young man was alone. He was 21
years old, he had no counsel, he had
no friend, he had no backer. That
terrible thing, death, was before him,
and the resolution that he had was
OF his own making. He looked upon
the sun for the last time. Life is
very sweet. The greatest passion in
IL ffa fe, hn -,
particularly sweet when one is about
to lose 1t. The sun that had kissed
his cheeks to a tan for twenty-one
years was giving him her last kiss
the breeze that waved his raven
locks was blowing on them for the
last time; the hills Of Pulaski, cloth
ed in their robes Of gold, were stand
ing silently around him. Nearness of
death must have quickened his fac
ulties. How he must have loved to
live. 1t was so hard for that heroic
young spirit to die in the very bloom
o. youth. Through his veins was
rlnning blood like quicksilver, sing
Ing to him the sweet song of life.
The earth was never so beautiful, the
sky never more lovely to him than it
was on that November day. He
could almost hear the dropping Of
the tears of his mother; he could
hear her low means, and the groans
Of agony that came from his faith
er's heart. Perhaps there was ano-
ther somewhere in Tennessee who