Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-06-30


finement and strength. His eyes
were dark and aglow with intelli-
gence, his hair flowing and almost
black, his figure erect as If 1t scorned
the low and base. His manners were
gentle, as became the brave.
After receiving some education at
! home and in his native county, Sam
Davis was sent to the old military
institute at Nashville and while there
he heard the sound to arms which
reverberated from every mountain
side, swept over every plain and ech-
oed In every valley, as the South
called for her sons to rally for de-
Tense Of home and native land. And
they came. They came from the sea-
board; they came from the towns.
from the fields, from the hills and
glades, from the churches and from
the schools; and they were the
bravest of the brave and the truest
which gathered under the most gal
liant flag that ever waved in the
breeze, and led by the greatest SOL
der who ever drew sword, was
Southern soil and Southern environ
ment.
He enlisted as a member OF Com
pany |, First Tennessee Regiment,
Il tn,
to the scouting party under the COM
mand Of Capt. Shaw, of Gen. Cheat
ans division. We can well under
stand why Davis should have had
such duty to perform, for the scout
must be self-reliant and self-poised,
good horseman, intelligent, and,
above all, man to be trusted in
every emergency andrin every peril.
Shaw Gave Him Papers.
Tennessee was then within the
Federal lines, and Capt. Shaw en-
trusted to Davis certain papers and
maps, giving important and accurate
information concerning the move
the enemy, and these were to be de-
livered to Gen. Bragg, whose head
quarters were at Missionary Ridge.
The mission on which he was sent
capture and death were many; those
of success were few. But the stout
young heart never quailed, and bold
ly he entered the enemy's lines, with
out a thought of personal danger,
with no other thought animating his
bosom save duty, and without a hope
save to perform it we'll.
When about fifteen miles from
Pulaski he was intercepted and cap
tured by Kansas regiment, and,
upon being searched, letter to Gen.
Bragg was found in one Of his boots,
maps and descriptions Of the for
titications in his saddle seat, and
other papers upon his person. These
were delivered to Gen. Dodge, COM
manding the Federal forces, and
Davis was hurried 10 Pulaski and
lodged in Jail. The papers in pos
session of Davis were so accurate
and the information so important
that Cen. Dodge suspected they had
been given by one Of his own officers
and was very solicitous to know from
Davis himself where and from whom
the papers had been obtained. He
was sent for and taken to headquar-
ters and closely questioned by the
commanding general, who, failing
to get the responses that he wished,
finally said to him:
"You are young man. and do
not seem to realize your situation.
And to this Davis replied:
Il know my danger, and am will
ing to take the consequences"
Evidently struck with the lofty
and intrepid spirit and the manly
bearing of one so young, and wishing
if possible to save the life of the
scout, Gen. Dodge explained that he
would have to be courtmartialed,
under the laws of war, and that the
sentence of death would certainly be
inflicted, but that he would save his
life if he would give the information
which he asked. Davis never hes
itated, for to his knightly soul the
bargain was a dishonorable one. to
sell his honor for his life. With mod
cSty, but with decision written in
every lincament of his face, he an
SWercd: