Sam Davis

Sam Davis
Sam Davis in Confederate uniform
BornOctober 6, 1842
Rutherford County, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedNovember 27, 1863(1863-11-27) (aged 21)
Pulaski, Tennessee, U.S.
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Allegiance Confederate States of America
Years of service1861–1863
RankPrivate
UnitTennessee First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
Coleman's Scouts
Battles / warsAmerican Civil War

Sam Davis (October 6, 1842 – November 27, 1863)[1] was a Confederate soldier executed by Union forces in Pulaski, Tennessee, during the American Civil War. He is popularly known as the Boy Hero of the Confederacy, although he was 21 when he died. He became a celebrated instance of Confederate memorialization in the late 1890s and early 1900s, eulogized by Middle Tennesseeans for his valor and sacrifice. Davis' story was popularized by editor J. B. Killebrew and later by Sumner Archibald Cunningham.