▁at ▁Sh il oh , ▁C unning ham ▁again ▁heard ▁about ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Davis ' s ▁execution ▁- ▁and ▁this ▁time ▁from ▁two ▁federal ▁veter ans , ▁witness es ▁to ▁the ▁execution , ▁who ▁claimed , ▁as ▁C unning ham ▁phr ased ▁it , ▁that ▁" the ▁Federal ▁Army ▁was ▁in ▁gr ief ▁over ▁it ." ▁▁ ▁These ▁accounts ▁struck ▁a ▁ch ord ▁and ▁convinced ▁C unning ham ▁of ▁the ▁mer its ▁of ▁public izing ▁the ▁story . ▁ ▁The ▁Union ▁veter ans ' ▁story ▁of ▁an ▁ordinary ▁soldier ' s ▁hero ic ▁death , ▁c ouch ed ▁in ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁recon c ili ation , ▁fit ▁perfectly ▁with ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁the ▁times ▁and ▁the ▁view point ▁of ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁V eter an . ▁ ▁" I ▁resolved ▁to ▁print ▁the ▁story ," ▁C unning ham ▁re called ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁" and ▁[ to ] ▁repr int ▁it ▁until ▁that ▁typical ▁hero ▁should ▁have ▁as ▁full ▁credit ▁as ▁the ▁V eter an ▁could ▁give ▁him ." ▁ ▁As ▁C unning ham ▁assumed ▁ste ward ship ▁of ▁the ▁Sam ▁Davis ▁story ▁he ▁transformed ▁or al ▁mem ories ▁into ▁a ▁broad ▁collect ive ▁memory ▁through ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁prom ot ions . ▁ ▁First , ▁he ▁solic ited ▁written ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁e y ew it ness ▁accounts ▁of ▁Davis ' s ▁execution ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁heard ▁at ▁the ▁Sh il oh ▁re union ▁and ▁then ▁published ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁V eter an . ''