The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-04


knightly Gordon" is man one likes to
look at. He has had an adventurous life.
No man living has seen more hard fight
ing; he was always first in the fray. The
phrase bullet scarredn may well be APP
piled to him, for he is literally covered
with bullet wounds. To his courageous
wife he owes his life, for once she went
on to the fighting line, where he lay gasp
ing his life away, had the stretcher
bearers lift him on the stretcher and saw
him borne out of the way, with the bullets
singing around her head. She nursed him
back to life, when others, with less than
her dauntless courage, would have given
him up.
The only conversation the writer ever
had with Gen. Robert E. Lee was of Gen.
Gordon 1t was in the autumn of 1868,
when Gen. Grant was running for the
presidency. The writer had gone up to
Lexington. Va, With note of introduce
ton from Gen. Bragg to Gen. Lee. The
campaign in Louisiana was hot one in
reality that year.
The democrats were extremely anxious
to get into the field A number of ex-
general officers held sort of a caucus at
the Varieties Club in New Orleans. They
wished, however, before they went into
the campaign to obtain the views of Gen
Lee. There was very general impress
sion in the south-whether just or not it
is OF course now impossible to knoW-that
all letters sent to Gen. Lee were opened
by the governments postal service secret
agents. So it was determined to trans
init the resolutions and views of this
meeting to the eX-confederate general in
chief by hand. AS the writer was going
north in day or two, he was made the
bearer of this note. When it was de-
livered, Gen. Lee allowed him to ask
many questions about the war, only three
and COnrfannQ ir,
answering them. Among others was this:
General, whom do you regard as the
ablest of your commanders FROM civil
life!'-meaniug those with no military
experience previous to 1851.
The general replied at once: "Gen.
Gordon, by far. He has personal courage
of the very highest quality. My officers
so large body of men in whom there was
so much courage. But Gen. Gordon was
not only brave himself, but he inspired
his men. He was the cause of courage in
others. Then, pausing a minute, as
though thinking of some particular event
of the past the great confederate chief
said: Gordon was knightly soldier"
Senator Colquitt the senior senator
from Georgia, was one of the best brigade
commanders in the Virginia army He
had been paymaster in the Mexican war,
and thus hold the rank of ma
jor when extremely young. He was
but % years old then, the
youngest major in the Mexican war
Had his. health been better, Colquitt
would have made great military
reputation in the late war, for he comes
of race of fighters, but he suffered Sc
verely from the effect of malaria, the re-
suit of the campaign of 1861 in the
swamps of the Chickahominy. AS it
was, his reputation as daring and intre-
pid brigade commander was second to
none. Ever since he entered the Senate
he has been in i'll health, which culmina-
ted in paralysis. But his state delights
to honor him, and will not allow him to
resign
The senators from every state south of
the Potomac and the Ohio served in the
confederate army. Among those who
have the military look and manner most
distinctively is Walthall, of Mississippi
He is born soldier. Gen. J. E. Johnston
said of HIM what Gen. Lee said of Gen.
Gordon: "Walthall is the ablest of my
division commanders. He has natural
bent-in fact, a genius for war" 1t is
an interesting historic fact that when
Gen. j. r. Johnston's relief from the
command of the Army of the Tennessee
was determined on by the government at
Richmond, Gen. Walthall was very seri-
ously considered as Gen Johnston,s sue
crate cabinet that, if the south was to be
saved at all, it would have to be done by
fighting A general who would fight
whenever he got the chance was the man
who was wanted.
Gen. Walthall had made a distinguished
reputation as fighting officer, and was
the most popular division commander in
the army His nomination to its command
would have been an admirable political
a C VIZ a & a M co fIpfn not
poin tment to the entire Army of the Ten
nessee. He was one of them. He had won
his laurels in their columns. The bring
ing out periodically of somebody from the
Army of Northern Virginia to command
that of the Tennessee was exceedingly
distasteful to the line officers as we'll as to
the intelligent rank and file Haven't
we somebody among US who can command
this army without going to Virginia for a
generalP was the general question around
the campfire of officers and men.
But two things were in the way of
Walthall's promotion. The first was
that he was not a West Pointer. No off,
Ger from civil life and with no previous
military experience was ever intrusted
with the command of an army except
Gems. "Dick" Taylor and Price. The
first named would not have been, but
that he was p1tted against Gen Banks.
Then there was the question of rank. To
command the tennessee army, the officer
must needs have the rank of general,
Professionally, as Hood had it. at least
But Hood was lieutenant general The
old fogies said it would never do to take
an officer from the ma or generals roster
and advance him over all of that grade
aud the three lieutenant generals then
with the Tennessee army.
Mr. Daviss personal wish was to give
Gen. Walthall the chance. But he hardly
"a 4 fe.Tr 81
Longstreet could have had the command
but he declined it, and when he learned
what was in Mr.. Davis's mind heartily
approved it, Il saw Walthall at Chica-
manga, said ''old Pete" as his men al
ways called Longstreet, "and his attack
was mastery. It's good ideal" But il
was not done. AT that time every brill