r na . ▁The ▁Sam ▁Davis ▁story ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁bro ader ▁social ▁memory ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 9 0 s ▁and ▁chief ly ▁through ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁Sum ner ▁Arch ib ald ▁C unning ham , ▁the ▁found ing ▁editor ▁of ▁Confeder ate ▁V eter an ▁magazine . ▁ ▁A ▁native ▁of ▁Middle ▁Tennessee , ▁C unning ham ▁had ▁an ▁und ist ingu ished ▁record ▁of ▁Confeder ate ▁service , ▁having ▁desert ed ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Nash ville ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁newsp ap erman ▁before ▁becoming ▁the ▁general ▁agent ▁for ▁the ▁Jefferson ▁Davis ▁Memorial ▁Fund ▁after ▁the ▁former ▁Confeder ate ▁president ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 . ▁ ▁He ▁left ▁this ▁position ▁shortly ▁after ▁launch ing ▁the ▁Nash ville - based ▁Confeder ate ▁V eter an ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁ ▁Before ▁he ▁founded ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁V eter an ▁C unning ham ▁had ▁never ▁heard ▁of ▁Sam ▁Davis . ▁When ▁an ▁early ▁subscri ber ▁to ▁the ▁magazine ▁submitted ▁a ▁school ▁or ation ▁about ▁Davis ▁for ▁publication , ▁C unning ham ▁rejected ▁it , ▁" fe eling ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁so ▁many ▁equally ▁worthy ▁hero es ▁it ▁would ▁hardly ▁be ▁fair ▁to ▁print ▁this ▁special ▁e ul ogy ." ▁ ▁But ▁at ▁a ▁Blue - G ray ▁veter ans ▁re union ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁on ▁the ▁battle field