Confederate
Memorial Day
A Confederate hero
The American Civil War was a bitter struggle between the North and the
South. The war lasted four long years. In that time, more than half a
million men died.
At the start of the war, in 1861, a young Tennessee farm boy named Sam
Davis joined the Confederate, or Southern, army. He was nineteen years
old. Two years later, Sam was an experienced army scout. It was his job
to get information about the enemy.
One day, in 1863, Sam and a number of other scouts were on their way
back with secret information. Near Pulaski, Tennessee, they were
captured by Northern troops. The scouts were searched. At first, nothing
was found. Then, secret papers were discovered in Sam’s boots. Looking
further, the Northern soldiers cut open Sam’s saddle. More secret
information was found.
Sam was in uniform, so he knew he should be held as a prisoner of war.
Instead, he was tried as a spy and sentenced to be hanged. Sam was
offered the chance to save his life—
if he would tell who gave him the secret information. But he refused.
\”I would rather die a thousand deaths,” young Sam said, \”than betray a
friend or be false to duty.” These were Sam’s last words.
Sam Davis and all the Civil War dead of the South are honored on
Confederate Memorial Day. Most Southern states observe this holiday.
Some states celebrate it in April, and some at other times of the year.
