The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-02
GEN. GORDON All SHARPSBURG
Wounded Five Times In Ono Battle.

At Sharpsburg General (now Senator)
Gordon (then colonel) furnished the
su5iimest spectacle of endurance and
courage that think is furnished by the
annals. Before the battle Lee rode
down the lines and expressed doubt as
to Gordon being able to hold his posi-.
ton, and conveyed to him an idea OF
the Importance Of him doing 30. Cor
don, turning SO that his men could hear
him, said General Lee, my men are
determined that they will stay here I"
Then the battle opened. Line after
But from that dauntless front they were
thrown back as often as they were
marched against it. The slaughter was
terrific. The ground was literally blue
with the corpses Of the enemy, while
only six men of the right wing of the
regiment were left. But the line never
waverci. Tho men had come there to
stay" aud, dead or alive, they were de.
termincd 10 "stay."
Gordon was wounded carly in the fight.
minnie ball passed through the calf of
his leg, tearing the nceh in the most fear
full manner. The flow of blood was :n-
cessant, but lie had no time to staunch
the wound. In about half hour another
ball plunged through the same leg, about
foot above where the other had gone.
The loss Of blood from these two wounds
weakened him, but he still kept his feet
and gave his orders calm and clear to his
men, who were lying on their faces. An
hour later he was shot again, the ball
tearing through his left arm, making a
hidcous wound and cutting q small ar
terry. This disabled his nrm and helped
drain his weakened system, but still hag.
gard and bloody he staggered up and
down the line, encouraging his men. A
fourth ball then entered his shoulder.
knocking him from his feet. His men
who saw the crimsoncd uniform and pale
face so down thought their heroic leader
was killed. With sublime courage, how
ever, he struggled to his feet, and, though
he had hardly strength to stand, waved
his sword above his head aud called to
his men 10 remain firm. Sumo one ran
to him hastily and said that it was rum
orcd up the line that he WAS dangerously
wounded and that the men were waper-
ing. "Tell them that a,n not hurt"
he said. And so through those dreadful
hours of slaughter with four unstaun CHI
cd wounds drawing blood from his body
he stood, determined to die with his
men and in defense of the part that Lee
had confided to him. AT length n fifth
ball struck Gordon full in the face, and
entering his cheek knocked him sense-
less. He fell, and for s,me time his
PROSTATE body was wrapped in the smoke
Of the battle. We heard from Gen. Cor
don's own lips a story that in meta
physical point is exceedingsS interest.
ing. He snid that when he fell he was
utterly incapable of moving. He grad
ually began to think Of his condition,
and this is the half dream and half solil-
oquy that he carried on: ii have been
struck in the head with six pound solid
shot. 1t has carried away my head.
On the left side there is little piece of
skull left. But the brain is gone en-
tirely. Therefore. l am dead. And yet
| nm thinking. How can n man think
with his head shot off? And if am
thinking, cannot be dead. and yet
no man can live after his head is shot off.
| may have consciousness while dead,
but not motion. If can lift my leg,
then am alive. will try that. Can /?
Yes, there it is; lifted up Pm all
right"
The General says that every stage of
this soliloquy is indelib.y stamped on
his mind, and that in his exhausted state
the reasoning was carried on ~ logically
as ever man reasoned ut his desk. Doubt
succeeded argument and argument dis
placed doubt just as logically rs could
be- He says he will never forget with
what anxiety he made the test of lifting
his leg-with what agony nc waited to
see whether or not it would move in re-
sponse to his effort, and how he hesitat-
ed before trying it for fear that it might
fail and his death be thereby demon.
strated.-H W. Grady in The atlanta
Constitution