Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-08
A REsrls REceLIeeTsoss.
Gath in New York Tribune.


Gath in New York Tribune.
bad a talk last Wednesday nigh
With General John Fl. Gordon. of Geor
gia. man of supreme bravery. He i
about 81 years old, lawyer, collee'
graduate. and the greatest fighter in tbs
Confederate army. / said:
General, have yen read Sheridan
article about the closing days of the
war;"
Yes" said he, "and it is an honest
effort of the memory, though there are
some natural differences in homes,
mems memories Of the same events. A
very slight difference of standpoint.
changes the perception and of course
the memory. Phil Sheridan is a gallant
fellow, and I have good occasion to re-
member him in the hottest time of the
var. tell you, as Sheridan's oppoueu;
politically and in q mill tery point OF
viev, be pushed the old Confsderacy in
its dying moments with q vioor we had
never known. Sleep was denied Us. 1t
vas nothing bat fight, fight, fight, until
fighting lost its heroism, and we hardly
cared vhether ne were alive or dead
Said l: General Gordon, cannot you
rememher something pertaining to
Sheridan's meeting your The General
teen, in his easy, perspicuous way, told
me Q number Of things, though he is far
beyond craving publicity, having had
the whole measure OF success, political,
senatorial, military and financial.
could not help thinking, while we were
talking, and Judge Lochraine was pres
ent, that once Lochrsine had employed
this renowned fighter as a reporter on
his paper. Courtesy, maguanimitv,
Rraoioususs1, obedience, are Gordon .
all the time. While you talk with him
yoa observe the olefts in his cheek and
IN his head where the lead entered.
Said he:
"Sheridan's article reviyss a number
OF memories to me, among others the
following: l had AMONG my scouts a
man named George, one of the bravest
fellows that ever lived. Whea We were
on that last retreat two men in Confed
crate uniforms were captured, one of
them having q lieuten ants insignia.
They were brought into my camp and
George said: Gen. Gordon, / know
that man., pointing to one; he decoyed
me into the Federal lines and gave me
up said to the Yankee, who was as
dne man as ever saw in nv life.
whole in body and whole in soul, "My
friend, this is serious charge against
you. hope you can acquit yourself.
He insisted that he was Confederate
Lieutenant, and he gave me his place
In the Confederate army with the great
est precision and confidence. But
George said again: Gen. Gordon, that
q 10
about him.. So said to the Northern
er: My friend, We will just strip you
and eee If my scout is not mistaken
We did strip him, and in portion of
his garments We found an order direct
from Gen. Sheridan. Said /: MY
friend, l sympathize with you, but you
know the penalty of your detection
Yea said he, Gen. Gordon, / have
taken my life 10 my hands for long
time. You have caught me. I am
ready for the penalty l looked into
the mans eyes, and saw the soul of
man there. Said /. Take him to the
guard house. Now sincerely hoped l
would not have to hang that man. In
deed, ! did not mean to hang him. But
his offense was a hanging one. The
uext day it was suggested to me that
hang that spy. Said !, We are too
hotly engaged. Let him go over an
other day.. kept reprieving him and
the Federals took him of my hands. l
never meant to hang him at ALL"
Said |: Can You remember anything
about the firing on Sheridan's staff, and
even Sheridan himselfT"
"Yes." said Gordon, ~ will give You
the best memory l have about il. Dur
ing the retreat commanded the rear,
and o. course l 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 Or
der for me to surrender. l was too
humble a man to interpret his order
into surrender. had to 90 home to
my people. and resolved not to surren-
der until / was explicitly told to do so.
OF course | saw that our cause was
gone. While We we're fighting fiercely,
men being killed all around US, there
dashed mp to me an officer with a staff
so large that really thought it was as
big as one of my regiments. / am not
rejecting on that officer, but We were SO
nearly cleaned out that one of our regi-
ments was hardly bigger than Federal
staff. The man who came TO me was a
fighting fellow; decision and pluck
being in his eyes. Said he: Are you
aware that your commanding officer
has surrenderedT Il have no orders to
surrender said 1. WELL said this
officer, i tell you that you have surrsn-
dered.' i shall not surrender said l
Very WE'LL said he, and he wheeled off
with his staff, and passed away as if it
gave him no coRoern whether we had
surrendered or not. There We were,
absolutely doomed. knew the timbre
of that Federal army we'll nov, indur
ated, flushed with success, intelligent,
and they knew that they had us in the
last trap. Yet was not going to take
the responsibility of surrender. had
to 60 home"
General Gordon" said I, "can you
remember Sheridan's coming to your"
"Yes. The fight was still raging, and
people were bsirg murdered for moth
ing. The instinct Of fight was in both
armies, and wanted to give up, but /
was General Lees nan and had to hear
from him. Suddenly little, short set
officer, whose feet stuck ont from his
horse, and who looked like Punch, dash
ed upon me with his staff. As he was
winning VIVIAN INC, duo NV uIOto tuhu
100 yards distant, l saw one of my
sharpshooters, a Georgia crack shot,
deliberately levelinQ his rife at Sheri-
dan. He would have blown him to
pieces. 1t was his very delibera-
ton that saved Sheridan's life.
/ turned to the man and said: Don't
you zee that there is a white flag thersr
The man. without paying the least at
tention to me began training his gun
on Sheridan personally. With this I
threw my hand against his barrel, for
he was standing right by my side, and
the gun went of in the air. Sheridan
would have bean mouldering in the
grave today but for that movement of
my hand. He came up and said to ms:
Are you aware that your army has
bean parrenderedr No, sir. As far as
l am concerned shall not surrender. l
have an order from General Lee, but il
10 not explicit enough for me to
take Very WE'LL said Sheridan, we
shall annihiiate you in very little
while With that he started, but pulled