The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-07-26


Sleepily my jamie says,
kiss me; mamma, for good nlght!
May Brine in Good Cheer.
Appomattox Recollections.
What General Gordon Remembers
of the Surrender at Appomattox-
Gossip of (. Famous Scene Re
vivea by General sheridan's Recent
Article.
"Gath" in the New York Tribune.
had a talk last Wednesday night with
General John B. Gordon, ofGeorgia,
man Of supreme bravery. He is about
81 years old, a lawyer, a college grad
uate. and tie greatest fighter, in the
confederate army. Said L:
General, have you read Sheridan's
article about the closing days of the
ware"
eyes," said he "and it is an honest
effort of the memory. though there are
some natural differences in honest mems
memories of the same events. A very
slight difference of standpoint changes
the perception and of course the mem
ory. Phil Sheridan is gallant fellow,
and I have good occasion to remember
him in the hottest time of the war. l
tell you, as Sheridan's opr onent pol
itically and in military point of view,
he pushed the poor old confederacy in
its diving moments with vigor we had
never known. Sleep was denied us. It
was nothing but fight, fight, fight, until
fighting lost it's heroism, and we hardly
cared whether we were alive or
dead"
Said l: General Gordon, cannot
you remember something pertaining to
Sheridan's meeting your" The General
then in his easy, perspicuous way, told
me number of things, though he is far
beyond craving publicity, having had
the whole measure Of success, political,
senatorial, military, financial. | could
not help thinking while we were talking,
and Judge Lochraine was present, that
once Lochraine had employed this re-
nowned fighter as a reporter on his
paper. Courtesy, magnanlmlty, gra-
ciousness, obedience. are Gordon's all
the time. While you talk with him you
observe the clefts in his cheek and in
his head where the lead entered. Said
he:
''Sheridan's article revives a number
of memories to me, among others the
following: | had among my scouts q
man named George one OF the bravest
fellows that ever lived. When we were
on that last retreat, two men in Confed-
crate uniform were captured, and one
of them had lieutenants insignia.
They were brought into my camp and
George siad: General Gordon, I know
that man. pointing to one; he decoyed
me into the Federal lines and gave me
up l said to the Yankee, who was as
fine man as ever l saw
in nv life, whole in body and whole in
SOUL My friend, this is serious charge
against YOU. l hope you can acqult
yourself. He insisted that be was con-
federate lieutenant, and he gave me his
place in the confederate army with the
greatest precision and confidence. But
George said again: General Gordon
that man is spy. / cannot be deceived
about him" So said to the northern
er: "My friend, we will just strip you
and see if my scout is not mistaken
We did strip him, and found In por'
ton of bis garments direct order from
General Sheridan. Seid I: 'My friend
1 sympathize with you. but you know
the penalty ofyour detection?" eyes,
said he, "General Gordon, have taker
my life in my hands long time: You
have caught>me. | am ready for the
penalty" I looked into the mans eyes
and I saw the soul of a man there. Sale
I ''Take him to. the guard-house.'
Nov ! sincerely rely hoped Ido wGu'd G not
not mean to hang him. But his ofense
was a hanging one The next day it
was suggested to me that had that spy
Said I: "We are too holly engaged.
Let him go over another day" kept
reptieving him, and the federals took
him of my hands. never
meant to hang him at all,
thing about the firing on Sheridan's
staff, and even Sheridan himself?'
"Yes," said Gordon: II will
give you the best memory [ have
about it. During the retreat 1 command
ed the rear, and of course was fighting
all the time: When General Lee felt
that his cause WAS gone he sent me a
written statement to that effect, but not
the order for me to surrender. was
too humble man to interpret his order
into surrender. I mad to go home to
my people and I resolved not to sur
render till was explicitly told to do so.
Of course saw that our cause was gone.
While we we're fighting fercelv: men
being killed all around us, there dashed
up to me an officer with staff so large
that really thought it was as big as one
of my regiments. l am not rejecting
on that officer, but we were so nearly
cleaned ont that one of our regiments
| was hardly bigger than Federal staff
The man who came to me was fighting
fellow; decision and pluck being in his
eyes. Said he: Are you aware that
your commanding officer has surrender
ed?' II have no orders to surrender,
said l. WE'LL said this officer, I tell
you that you have surrendered L shall
not surrender said l. Very we'll,
said he, and be wheeled off with his staff
and passed away as if it gave him nc
concern whether we had surrendered
or not. There we were, absolutely
doomed. I knew the timber of that
Federal army well now, lndurated
flushed with success, intelligent, ard
they knew they had us in the last trap
| Yet was not going to take the respon-
| General Gordon" said l, lean 20,
! eyes. The fight was still raging, an(
| people were being murdered for moth
ing. The instinct Of fight was in both
armies, and / wanted to give up. but
was Generai Lees man ana mad to hea1
from him. Suddenly little short-se
officer, whose feet stuck out from Iii
horse and who looked like Punch
! dashed upon me with his staff AS he
was coming toward me, and not more
| than 100 yards distant, saw one of my
sharp-shooters, Georgia cracker, de}ib
erately leveling his rifle at Sheridan. HI
would have blown him to pieces. It wa!
his very deliberation that saved Sheri
| dams life. l TUNED to the man anC
said: Don't you see that there is E.
| white flag there?' The man without pay
ing the least attention to me began train
| ing his gun on Sheridan personally. Will
this threw my hand against his barrel
for he was standing right by my side
! and the gun went off in the air. Sh er!
| dan would have been moldering in the
grave to-day but for that movement o
my hand. He came up and said to me
Are you aware that you're army ha.
been surrendered?' No, sir, as far as
am concerned shall not surrender.
have an order from General Lee, but i
is not explicit enough for me to take tn,
responsibility of surrendering"
VERY WE'LL said Sheridan. we shall