The National tribune., 1883-08-02
GORDON ON SHERIDAN.
Tie Rebel Generals ReeoIIeetions Of the Last Days
of the War.
rGnth IN ". z Tribune. ]

fighter in the Confederate army Said (: Cen
eral have You read Sberidan's article about the
closing days of the warp g Yes" 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 very
slight difference of standpoint changes the per-
ceptIon and, of course, the memory. Phil Sheri-
dan is q gallant fellow, and / have good oceas-
ion to remember him in the hottest time Of the
war. l tell you, as Sheridan's opponent pOliti-
cally and in military point of view, that
he pushed the poor old COnfederacy in its
dying moments with vigor we had never
known. Sleep was denied US. 1t was nothing
but fight, fight, fight, until lighting lost its
heroism, and we hardly cared whether we were
alive or dead"
Said /: General Gordon, cannot you re-
member something pertaining 70 Sheridan's
meeting your" The General then, in his easy,
perspicuous way, told me o number OF things,
though he is far beyond craving publicity, hav-
Ing had the whole measure Of success. political
senatorial, military, financial. | could not help
thinking, while we were talking and Judge
Loehralne was present. that once Lochraine
had employed this renowned fighter as a re-
porter on his paper. Courtesy, magnanimity,
graeiousness, obedience, are Gordons 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: "SheridarI's article
reviyes number of memories 70 me, among
others the following: / had among my scouts a
man named George one of the bravest fellows
that ever lived. When we were on that last re-
treat, two men in Confederate uniform were
captured, and one of them had lieutenant's
insignia. They were brought into my camp and
George said: General Gordon, I know that
man., pointing to one; he decoyed me into the
Federal lines and gave me up / said to the
Yankee, who was as fine SIS | ever saw IN
my life, whole in body and whole in soul Nv
FIR IL cH.a r
hope you can acquit YOURSELF He insisted that
he WAS Confederate lieutenant, and be gave
me his place in the Confederate army with the
greatest precision and confidence. But George
said again General Gordon that man is a spy
/ cannot be deceived about him. So / said
to the Northerner: My friend, we will lust
strip you and see if my scout is not mis-
taken We did strip him, and in a por-
ton Of his garments we found a direct order
from Gen. Sheridan. Said I: My friend, |
sympathiZe with you, but you know the
penalty of your detection?' Yes, said he,
Gen. Gordon, | have taken my life in my
hands a long time You have caught me. I
am ready for the penalty L looked into the
mans eyes, and l saw the soul of man there.
Said /: Take him to the guard-house.' Now,
| sincerely hoped | would not have to hang
that man. Indeed, did not mean to hang
him. But his oGense was hanging one The
next day it was suggested to me that 1 had
that spy. 81 Said /: We are too holly engaged.
Let him go over another day. kept reUriev-
ing him, and the Federals took him off my
hands. never meant to hang him at ALL"
Said |: Can you remember anything about
the firing Sheridan's staff and even Sheri-
dan himself?" Yes" said Gordon; ST will
give you the best memory l have about it,
During the retreat commanded the rear, and
of course was fighting all the time. When
Gen. Lee felt that his cause was gone he sent
fO of aft hrE
the order for me to surrender. / was too hum
bic a man to interpret his order into surren-
der. | had to go home to my people, and
resolved not to surrender till l was explicitly
told to do So Of course l saw that our cause
was gone. While we were fighting ierceIy,
meh being killed all around us. there dashed
up to me an officer with a staff SO large that 7
really thought it was as big as one of my regi-
ments / am not rejecting on that officer, but
we were so nearly cleaned out that one of my
regiments was hardly bigger than q 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 command
ing officer has surrendered2' I have had no
orders to surrender said |. Well said this
officer tell you that you have surrendered
/ shall not surrender said ]. Very we'll
said he; and he wheeled off with his staff and
passed away as if@i gave him no concern
whether we surrendered or not There we
u.
of that Federal army well now-indurated
flushed with success, intelligent, and they
knew they had Us in the last trap. Yet / was
not going to take the responsibility of surren-
der. had to go home"
General Gordon" said ! "can you rsnem-
Der General Sheridan's coming to you ?"
" Yes. The fight was still raging and people
were being murdered for nothing The in
stinet OF fight was in both armies and wanted
to give up, but was General Less man, and
had to hear from him. Suddenly little short
set officer, whose feet stuck out from his horse
and who looked like Punch, dashed up on me
with his staff As he was coming towards me-
and not more than 100 yards distant, / saw one
OF my sharp-shoOters, q Georgia cracker, de-
liberately dwelling his rife at Sheridan He
would have blown him to pieces. 1t was his
very deliberation which saved Sheridan's life.
/ turned to the man and said: Don't you see
that there is q white flag there?' The man,
without paying the least attention to me, be-
gan training his gun on Sheridan personally.
With this | 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
been Wondering in the grave to-day but for that
movement of my hand. He came up and said
to me: Are you aware that your army has sur
rendered. No sir. As far as l AN concerned
/ shall not surrender. I have an order from
General Lee, but it is not explicit enough for
me 70 take the responsibility or SurrendeTlng.
Very WELL said Sheridan, we shall annihilate
you in a very little while.' With that he
started of, but he pulled in his horse as he was
making the first steps, and said: Let me see
that dispatch from Lee / gave it to him.
Said he: General, this is enough for YOU He
jumped off his horse, and remarked that there
was firing from our side on a portion of the
Federals. We sat awhile aud talked in a pleas
ant way together, and all at once the very
devil broke loose. The two sides were firing
into each other iercely. Sheridan jumped up
and turned to me with fury in his eye, and
said he: General Gordon, what does this
meanf' Now said l, General Sheridan,
this is a mistake of mine I sent an infan try
column off here to the rear with instructions
to fire if they saw q Federal column coming,
and | had quite forgotten it, Said he: Send
one of your staff to stop it. Said I i have
no staff officer He then turned to one of his
own staff and told him to take my order to
stop that firing. The young man stepped for
ward" Said /: General Gordon, are you
aware that that young man was grand
nephew of Commodore Vanderbilt" mo-"
said Gordon.