Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 25.djvu/238

 234 Southern Historical ,SV>r/V/// Papers.

General Dodge still had hope that Davis would reveal the name of the traitor in the Federal camp, and thus save his own life. One of the officers of General Dodge rapidly approached the scaffold, and asked the youth if it would not be better for him to speak the name of the person from whom he had received the document found upon him, adding:

" It is not too late yet! "

Davis replied : " If I had a thousand lives, I would lose them all before I would betray my friends, or the confidence of my informer."

He then requested the officer to thank General Dodge for his ef- forts to save him, but to repeat that he could not accept the terms. Turning to the chaplain he asked that a few keepsakes be kept for his mother. He then said that he was ready, ascended the scaffold, and stepped upon the trap.

Another noble young life was sacrificed for love of the South.

[From the Sunday News, Charleston, S. C., July 25. 1897.]

BOY HEROES OF COLD HARBOR.

HOW TAYLOR, HAYNE, P1NCKNEY AND OADSDEN HOLMES DIED.

Colonel Edward McCrady, after Consultation with Captains Arm- strong, Kelly, Hasell, Hutson and Dr. Frost, tells the Story of the Heroism of the Four Young South Carolinians who Fell at Cold Harbor Supporting the Colors of the ist Regiment, S. C. V. The Gallant Dominick Spell- man, of the Irish Volunteers.

The following interesting letter of Colonel Edward McCrady to Mrs. Thomas Taylor, of Columbia, explains itself:

CHARLESTON, April 6, i8gj. My Dear Mrs. Taylor :

It will make rather a long letter to answer your inquiries of the 25th ultimo. I will, however, endeavor to do so as briefly as I can. I should premise that, though present at the battle of Cold Har- bor on the June 27, 1862, I was not on duty with the regiment, the ist South Carolina Volunteers, of which I was then major. I had been ill in Richmond for some weeks when the seven days' battle