Sam Davis (1842–1863) is called the Boy Hero of the Confederacy. He was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee. He served in various combat roles in the Confederate army in 1861 through 1863 during the American Civil War. As a Confederate courier, he was captured on November 19, 1863, and upon suspicion of espionage was executed by the Union Army after a captivity of only seven days.
Davis' story, and its parallel to that of Nathan Hale during the American Revolution, became a rallying point for the Southern cause in the waning days of the Confederacy.
Postbellum, he was commonly spoken of by clergy as well as laity as a Christ figure.
His boyhood home is preserved in Smyrna as a museum, and the spot of his hanging in Pulaski is likewise marked by a monument and a small museum which, as of 2004, was open by appointment and request only. A statue of Sam Davis was erected on the grounds of the Tennessee state capitol at Nashville.
[Source: Wikipedia]
