The South western news., 1888-07-18
SEOTIONALIsM DEAD.
Governor Gordon, OF Georgia, on
the Significance of the Gettys-
burg Reunion.
New York Herald.1

nor Gordon, of Georgia, is in the
city on his return from the celebra-
ton at Gettysburg. A tall and
typical southerner, erect and spare
with thin hair aud beard, light
brown and grey, .aquiline nose.
bearing IN one cheek the pit of a
union musket bal, the last of a har-
vest of five gathered at Antietar !,
general, senator and governor, he
impresses the observer as one who
has given and taken hard knocks
in LIES battle, hearing stoically
i'll fortune and prosperity With
equanirnity-the latter condition
holds him now.
The anniversary at Gettysburg,
said be toyour correspondent, "has
made lasting impression on me.
1 doubt if history can afford T., r.
allel-the survivors of a great war
meeting on one of its greatest and
most decisive battle6elds with an
ardor of good feeling and affection
even fully as intense as the auimos.
ity with which they met in battle
twenty five years ago. This warmth
OF feeling had not the least pre-
tence; it was of the most genuine
and apparent nature. 1t was Oh
servsble everywhere.
There were probably over 3d..
600 veterans on the ground. OF
course most of them were union
veterans; the confederates are gen.
orally too poor TO come 80 far, but
the spirit was there just as intense
as if every survivor in the south was
on the spot.
i saw an old oDe>legged Louis
lana Tiger in charge Of a dozen
union veterans, who were actually
carrying him around aud giving
him a glorious time-eating, drink.
ing, telling stories and presenting
him to their friends. One man
rushed up to me crying: Il want
to shake you by the hand, for you
were sartinly the wust ever
fit
81 met for the second time since
the war Gen. Barlow, who was in
Towards eleventh corps, which
my command doubled up in the
first days fight, thus giving us the
advantage for the time being. He
was severely wounded in that fight.
l came acres him lying in a clover
field in the hot sun, and had him
taken down to brook, where l
gave him a drink from my flask,
and at his request tore up some
letters in his pocket. left him, as
J supposed, dying.
. Fifteen years later, when in
the senate, | met a Gen. Barlow
at dinner at Clarkson Potter's
house, and asked him if he was a
relative to the Gen. Barlow who
was killed at Gettysburg. Yes
said he, Il am the man himself
'The other day he came up and
shouted, Let me get at the man
who killed mel" When Lee was
marching north /, with a brigade
which was almost a division, was
way in advance of the main army,
and as ] rode over Cemetery hill |
noticed the beauty of the country.
| penetrated as far as York with a
few light skirmishes with Gov.
Curtin's 'rinety day men, and
should have reached Lancaster
when | was recalled to take part
in the fight at Gettysburg.
II remarked to my staff then
that whoever controlled the nights
would win the fight. After we had
won the first days fighting / re-
peatedly urged that we should be
allowed to push on and take the
nights even as late as 2 O'Clock In
the morning, but l was overruled.
| said that it would cost us TO-
900. men to take them the next
day. 1t cost us nearer 10000.
| cclld hear the union for.
ces taking position all night long,
using pick aud shove, getting their
artillery into position and throwing
up breastworks. / could hear the
words of command.
But" said the governor apollo,
getically, "the army had arrived
mostly in the night and had not
been able, as | had, to view the
ground aud know the country.