North Capitol in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Sam Davis of Tennessee
Educated at the Western Military Institute at Nashville.
Early in the Civil War he joined the Confederate Army
Company 1, First Tennessee Regiment.
In 1863 he was assigned to Shaw’s Scouts, Cheatham’s Division.
In November, 1863, when on duty
uniformed in Confederate butternut and grey,
Davis was captured in his native state, then within the Federal lines.
Important papers, descriptive of the Federal fortifications and forces,
were found upon his person.
These papers had been given Davis by Captain Shaw
who had also been captured and was confined in the same prison.
Davis was tried by court-martial,
condemned to death and executed at Pulaski, November 27.
The Federal commander offered Davis his life, if he would tell
who gave him the papers. To this offer, under the very shadow of
the gallows, Davis made his immortal reply:
”I would die a thousand deaths
before I would betray a friend.”
• • •
”Greater love hath no man than this -
that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Erected 1909.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1863.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 36° 9.906′ N, 86° 47.054′ W. Marker was in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It was in North Capitol. Memorial was on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard east of 7th Avenue North, on the right when traveling west. Marker, monument and statue are located near the southwest corner of the Tennessee State Capitol grounds. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 600 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville TN 37219, United States of America.
We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Lest We Forget: The Middle Passage (a few steps from this marker); Tennessee State Capitol (within shouting distance of this marker); Mrs. John Hill Eakin - Mrs. Robert F. Weakley (within shouting distance of this marker); Motlow Tunnel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Tennessee State Capitol (within shouting distance of this marker); Samuel Dold Morgan 1798-1880 (within shouting distance of this marker); Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Operation Enduring Freedom (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.
Also see . . . Sam Davis (Wikipedia). Davis suffered a fate shared by many intelligence gatherers operating around Nashville. Most of the rural counties surrounding Nashville were only nominally under Union control, and this 'no-man's land' witnessed over three years of bloody internecine conflict and the steady dissolution of the institution of slavery. In this context, execution for espionage was not uncommon. The Provost Marshal records for Middle Tennessee offer evidence of scores of execution on espionage charges, with not all the victims receiving trials (as Davis did). Most executions, however, went unrecorded apart from a perfunctory note in the Provost Marshal's records. (Submitted on March 19, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 19, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 228 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 19, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.