Georgia Division SCV Confederate History Month Committee
"If I had a thousand lives, I would given them all here before
I would betray a friend"--Sam Davis.
April is Confederate History Month and this is a History Month
minute.
Like the American soldier doing his duty, today, in Iraq and
around the world, so did the legendary Tennessean--Sam Davis.
Davis was born in Smyrna, Tennessee in 1845. He is called the
Boy Hero of the Confederacy. Sam Davis served as a private in
the 1st Tennessee Infantry under Captain Coleman. Coleman's
scouts gathered information about Union Forces moving from
middle Tennessee toward Chattanooga.
Davis was captured by Union troops in Middle Tennessee. He was
wearing his Confederate uniform but was arrested as a spy for
carrying a secret message. He would not reveal the name of who
had given him the information. For this reason, he was
arrested as a spy, and sentenced to die by hanging unless he
was willing to give the name of his contact. It is written
that he answered by saying, "I would rather die a thousand
deaths than to betray a friend."
Sam Davis, Not even 19 years of age, was hanged by Union
forces in Pulaski, Tennessee on November 27, 1863. It is said
that the officer in charge of the execution had trouble in
carrying out the orders as Davis was calm, It is also written
that Davis said, "Officer, I did my duty. Now you do yours."
Davis' story is said to parallel that of Nathan Hale during
the American Revolution. His boyhood home has been preserved
in Smyrna, Tennessee as well as the spot marked where he was
hanged. He was an American Hero who should not be forgotten.
Find out more about Confederate History Month at:
http://confederateheritagemonth.com