Important People in the Sam Davis Story
- Jane
Davis – Jane was Sam’s mother, He was her oldest child. She cooked his
supper and gave him a coat on his last visit home.
- Charles
L. Davis – Charles was Sam’s father. Jane was his second wife. He fixed Sam’s
boot on his last visit home. Charles made money for his family by buying
and selling land, farming, and running a general store.
- John
Kennedy – Mr. Kennedy was a neighbor of the Davis family. He went to
Pulaski to bring Sam’s body home to Smyrna.
- Oscar
Davis – Sam’s younger brother. He was sixteen when he went with Mr.
Kennedy to bring home Sam’s body.
- John
Davis – Sam’s older half-brother. He was three years older than Sam. He
was one of the first men picked to serve in Coleman’s Scouts. He helped
get Sam into the scouts. He was at home when Sam was killed. He was
recovering from Typhoid Fever, a very serious disease.
- H.B.
Shaw (E. Coleman) – The leader of Coleman’s Scouts. He signed his secret
codes with E. Coleman to keep the Union troops from finding out his true
name. He was later captured, but they never knew he was really E. Coleman.
- General
Grenville Dodge – The Union General who ordered Sam’s trial. He later
donated $10 to help place a statue of Sam at the Tennessee State Capital.
- Mary
Kate Patterson – Mary Kate was a spy who gave information to the scouts.
She had breakfast with Sam before he left on his trip to Chattanooga. He
was captured before he reached Chattanooga. She married John Davis in
1864.
- Andromedia
Davis – Sam’s younger sister. She was fourteen when he was killed. She
remembered him pulling her hair while they rode to school in town.
- John
Doak – A Union soldier who watched the hanging of Sam Davis. He wrote home
to his wife of Sam’s bravery.
- Joshua
Brown – One of Coleman’s Scouts. He was in jail with Sam at Pulaski. He
tried to get Sam to tell his source, but Sam would not tell.
- Robbie
Woodruff – Mary Kate Patterson’s cousin. She also was a spy and gathered
information for the scouts. She had breakfast with Sam and Mary Kate
before he left for Chattanooga. He was captured before he reached
Chattanooga.
- Hickman
Davis – Sam’s youngest brother. He remembers kissing him good-bye before
he left home the last time.