Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-21

ouainted with the case. The pri
soner was handcuffed, placed on hi,
coffin and driven to the place of exc
cution. A rope was carefully placed
around his neck and then in the
: presence of the army, he was launch
ed into eternity. Just as tie dror
J, fell ! turned my head aside an6
! when | again turned to tie seaffol1
the victim was dangling in the ali
and passing the portals of the gates
which never open in this direction.
: From the following which / find in
a northern paper, it appears that
measures have been taken TO per-
petuate the memory CT the brave
young spy This will meet with the
hearty approval of every federal
\ soldier who witnessed the tragic end
of the heroic rebel:
Monuments are Useful in bringing
examples of heroism and honor tc
the attention of the living that they
may inspire courage and patriotism.
Forty-five years after his death, it
is proresed to unveil a monument at
Nashville to the memory of Samuel
Davis, Confederate scout and spy.
With papers duplicates of Gen.
Grant's-giving the field positions of
the federal troops, he was captured
70 foI OF LIT
Tenn, November %. 1863. and
brought before Gen. Dodge to ex-
plain from whom he had received
them. The general offered him his
horse. side arms and an escort to
TIE federal lines If he would yield
the name of the traitor. Seated on
the edge of his coffin and condemn
ed to be hanged he replied: Had
thousand lives would lose them
all before / wouli betray my
friends He was a 81 year old hero.
They cut the buttons from his
weatherworn jacket and he handed
them TO the chaplain to be sent to
I his mother and sisters at Ruther-
/ ford, Tennessee, with a message of
4 love. j. c. Kennedy, now a member
of the monument committee, then a.
lad, and Oscar Davis, brother of
Samuel, were sent to Pulaski by the
mother to get the body. The pro-
vost- marshal gave them the assist.
ance of soldiers in removing the cof-
fin from the grave and at Columbia
a federal ferry boat was pressed into
service to transport team. wagon
and contents across the river. while
the federal soldiers stood with bow
ed heads as the body of the scout
passed by. Their own experience
had taught them the honor due to
courage"
Toward the last of April all the
itrcors under command of General
Dodge left Pulaski for Chattanooga,
passing through Huntsville, Ala
hama, where there are some of the
finest springs / ever saw, beautiful
clear water of great depth and large
area, which should make Of that
place a popular resort for health
seekers who desire a moderately
warm climate. Nest of the boys who
were to be mustered out during the
month of May were left behind
ON q a diFor hri -
keep open the line of communica-
tion between Nashville and the
front. was the only officer with
the company when we left Hunts
vile. My First Lieutenant, j. C.
Conway, being on the staff of Gen.
eral Rice, and my Second Lieuten-
ant, o. NJ Langford remaining with
the non-veterans. When we had ar
rived within hailing distance of
Chattanooga and camped for the
night, l wrote home as follows:
Lookout Mountain, May 4th, 1864.
My Dear M:
! again improve an opportunity to
write you few lines. We left Hunts
vile on Monday morning and march.
ed about fifteen miles. then camped
for the night; next morning we re-
sumed our march apd that day COW
cred twenty-five miles, when We
camped for the night. This morn
ing we took the cars on the Mem
phis and Charleston railroad and to-
night finds US at Chattanooga The
program was changed after we left
Huntsville, or we would have had to
march all the way. The original plan
was an expedition by Sherman to-
ward Atlanta, on grand scale. but
information has been received by
General Thomas that the rebels are
about to attack him in force, hence
the change. We are undoubtedly on
the eve of very stormy events. The
Twelfth Army Corps under General
Hooker and the Fifteenth under
General Logan are on the way here.
III think a big battle will be fought
somewhere near Ringgold Only a
small force has been left to guard