A very young man, son of Wm. Harris, a worthy merchant of Dandridge, Jefferson County, fled to Kentucky in the summer of 1862, from the conscription. He became a volunteer in the United States Army and was made captain in the East Tennessee troops, was sent by the Colonel of his regiment to obtain recruits in Sevier County, East Tennessee, crossed the mountains for that purpose with General Carter’s command on its raid, left it at Union Railroad depot, and was betrayed and captured in Washington County. From there he was brought to Knoxville and tried by court martial as a deserter from the Confederate army, was found guilty and sentenced to death. Gen. Burnside communicated from Kentucky to the Confederate Government that Captain Shade T. Harris was an officer of his army, for whom he held Captain Battle, of the Confederate States Army, as hostage, but no exchange of the men was effected. Subsequently Captain Battle was released at Nashville through some misunderstanding or mal-administration, Harris being still detained. His friends claimed that he was a United States soldier. Perhaps prompted by the feeling that a Christian minister who was a Union man would more heartily advise with and prepare him for approaching death, his father requested a minister who bore that reputation to visit the prisoner. Authority to do so was promptly granted upon application, but the reverend man was rather surprised to be attended on his errand by two soldiers “armed to the teeth,” as though he had not only dangerous propensities but Sampsonian strength. This formidable guard, with its superfluous watchfulness, kept close to the minister’s person while he read the Word of God to the prisoner, prayed with and counselled him. The jail was crowded with inmates and the miserable food that waited to be scantily dished out to them lay thrown together in a box on the way from the main door. One result of the visit was, that with consent of the authorities, a quantity of good, wholesome bread from the baker’s went that day to regale the prisoners. The ministerial visit, with a reduced military escort, was now and then repeated, and the condemned youth was exhorted to cherish a spirit of forgiveness to his enemies, as a duty because of God’s forgiveness through Christ. He professed to do this. The fatal day drew near. A coffin was prepared for the body of the alleged culprit. His father learned from Richmond that a reprieve had been granted, and visited the recently appointed Commandant of the Post at Knoxville, who in reply to an inquiry concerning the respite from President Davis, said he did not know, and told an Aid to look and see. Several pigeon holes were examined, and the official document was at length found! No doubt King David was right when he said to the prophet Gad, “I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord: for his mercies are great: and let us not fall into the hand of man.”[30]