BOONE, IOWA. FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 9, 1912

CHAPTER XVIII

The commission that sat on the case when Sam Davis was tried was composed of the following: Col. Madison Miller, 18th Missouri; Lieut-Col. Thos. W. Gains, 50th Missouri Inf.; Mayor Lathrop, 39th Iowa Inft.; Judge Advocate.

After hearing the evidence the following sentence was pronounced:

“The commission do hereby sentence him, the said Samuel Davis, of Colman’s Scouts, of the so-called Confederate States to be hanged by the neck until dead, at such time and place as the commanding general shall direct, two thirds of the commission approving. The sentence will be carried into effect on Friday, November 27, 1863 between the hours of 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. Brigadier General T. W. Sweeny, commanding the division will cause the necessary arrangements to be made to carry out this order in the proper manner.”

Capt. Armstrong informed Davis of his sentence by the court martial. He was surprised at the severity of his sentence, expecting to be shot not thinking that they would hang him, but he showed no fear and resigned himself to his fate as only brave men can. That night he wrote the following letter to his mother.

Pulaski, Tenn. Nov. 26, 1863.

Dear Mother,

Oh, how painful it is to write you. I have got to die tomorrow morning, to be hanged by the Federals. Mother, do not grieve for me. I must bid you good by forever more. Mother, I do not fear to die. Give my love to all.

Your son

Samuel Davis

Mother, tell the children all to be good. I wish I could see you all once more, but I never will any more. Mother and Father don’t forget me. Think of me when I am dead but do not grieve for me, it will not do any good. Father, you can send after my remains if you want to do so. They will be at Pulaski, Tenn. South of Columbia.

He was then taken back to his cell in jail and we did not see anything more of him until Thursday morning. The day before his execution we moved into the court house, about 100 feet from the jail. Davis was handcuffed and brought in just as we were eating breakfast. I gave him some meat and he thanked me for it. The guard was then doubled around the jail and we all bade him good bye.

Next morning, Friday, Nov. 29th at 10 o’clock we heard the drums and a regiment of infantry came marching down the street to the jail. A wagon and a coffin in it was driven up and the Provost Marshal went in the jail and brought Davis out. He stepped into the wagon and looked around at us and seeing us at the windows bowed to us his last farewell. He was dressed in a dark brown overcoat such as many of us had captured and dyed brown. He sat down on the coffin and the regiment moved off to the suburbs of the town where the gallows had been erected. Upon reaching the gallows he stepped from the wagon and took a seat on a bench under a tree. He asked Capt. Armstrong how long he had to live and he replied, “Fifteen minutes.” He then asked the Captain the news. He told him of the battle of Missionary Ridge and that the Confederates had been defeated at which he expressed his regret and said, “The boys will have to fight the battles without me.”

Captain Armstrong then said: “I regret to do this. I feel that I had almost rather die myself than to do what I have to do.”

Davis replied, “I do not think hard of you. You are only doing your duty.”

Gen. Dodge still had hopes that Davis would recant when he saw death staring him in the face and that he would reveal the name of the traitor in his camp. He sent Capt. Chickasaw, of his staff, to Davis. He rapidly approached the scaffold, jumped from his horse and went directly to Davis and asked him if it would not be better to tell who gave him the information in the documents found on him, as it was not yet too late.

And now, in his last extremity, Davis turned to him and said:

“If I had a thousand lives I would lose them all here before I would betray my friends or the confidence of my informer.”

Davis then requested Capt. Chickasaw to thank Gen. Dodge for his efforts to save him, but to report that he would not accept the terms. Turning to the chaplain he gave him a few keepsakes to send to his mother and then said to the Provost Marshal, “I am ready,” ascended the scaffold and stepped upon the trap.

Thus passed away one of the noblest and most sublime characters known in history and in future ages this act will be pointed out as one most worthy of emulation.

In a private letter with this sketch Comrade Brown writes that Gen. Dodge has been very kind and has given every assistance in getting reports from the war department and that he, Gen. Dodge hopes that the citizens will build a monument to Davis in the capitol square at Nashville and thinks that it should be of bronze, representing a Confederate soldier. The monument has been erected as suggested and one of the grandest things about the whole affair is that Gen. Dodge subscribed $10 as a contribution toward the fund which was raised to build it.