▁along ▁to ▁the ▁h anging ▁site ▁at op ▁his ▁own ▁coff in , ▁Union ▁soldiers ▁alongside ▁the ▁b um py ▁w agon ▁road ▁shout ed ▁out ▁their ▁entre aties ▁for ▁his ▁co operation , ▁l est ▁they ▁have ▁to ▁watch ▁the ▁gr im ▁execution . ▁Supp osed ly ▁the ▁officer ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁execution ▁was ▁dis com f ited ▁by ▁Davis ' ▁youth ▁and ▁calm ▁de mean or ▁and ▁had ▁trouble ▁carrying ▁out ▁his ▁orders . ▁Davis ▁is ▁alleg ed ▁to ▁have ▁said ▁to ▁him , ▁" O ffic er , ▁I ▁did ▁my ▁duty . ▁Now , ▁you ▁do ▁yours ." ▁ ▁The ▁execution ▁gained ▁some ▁not or iety ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁especially ▁among ▁soldiers ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁Tennessee . ▁ ▁Writing ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir ▁Co . ▁A yt ch , ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁Private ▁Sam ▁Wat kins ▁re called ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁that ▁his ▁regiment ▁had ▁assemble d ▁to ▁watch ▁the ▁h anging ▁of ▁two ▁young ▁Yan kee ▁sp ies , ▁eager ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁condem ned ▁men ▁suffer ▁because ▁" they ▁had ▁hung ▁one ▁of ▁our ▁regiment ▁at ▁Pul ask i ▁-- ▁Sam ▁Davis ." ▁▁ ▁To ▁rescue ▁from ▁ob liv ion ▁ ▁Sam ▁Davis ' ▁execution ▁was ▁not ▁that ▁unusual ▁an ▁event . ▁▁ ▁Davis ▁suffered ▁a ▁fate ▁shared ▁by ▁many ▁intelligence ▁gather ers ▁operating ▁around ▁Nash ville . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁rural ▁count ies ▁surrounding ▁Nash ville ▁were ▁only ▁nomin ally