The Opelousas courier., 1894-10-20
GORDON, OF r
The Chevalier Bayard of Lees Arm
Atlanta Constitution

Ao III lASoh AAuo SSSA
made a record that surpassed in audac-
ity and success the one worked OUT by
Gordon. Recognized from the first as
the very devil in a fight, thence always
selected when possible to lead forlorn
hopes. He w launched his troops
His military career Started in tssis city.
He reached Atlanta in 1860 at the head
of a company known as the "Raccoon
Roughs." A flag was presented him by
the ladies and received in a little speech
that went into the classics of the Gay.
Elected major of the regiment in which
his companions were placed, he was
made colonel upon it's reorganization.
This regiment (Sixth Alabama) he made
famous In short order. At Seven Pines,
out of 600 were killed and wounded.
Every horse ridden into the charge was
killed, and every mounted officer, saw
Gordon, slain. A bullet vent through
his pistol butt, his canteen and his coat,
and it was here that his soldiers said:
1.-The bullet was never moulded that
could kill Gordon"
At Sharpsburg Gen. Gordon (then a
cOloneD furnished the sublimest specta-
Gle of endurance and courage that l
think is furnished by the annals. Be-
fore the battle Lee rode down the lines
and expressed doubt as to Gordon's
BEING ABLE TO HOLD HIS POSITION,
and conveyed to him an idea of the i'm
pOrtance Of his doing 50. Gordon, turn
ing so that his men could hear him,
said: "Gen. Lee, my men are deter
mined that they will stay bere!"
Then the battle opened. Line after
line was thrown upon Gordon's front.
But from that dauntless front they
were thrown back "a often as they
marched against it. The slaugter was
terrific. The ground was literally blue
with the corpses of the enemy, while
only six men of the right wing Of the
regiment were left. But the line never
wavered. The men had come to "stay,"
and, dead or alive, they were determin-
ed to 'stay."
fight. A minnie ball passed through
the calf of his leg, tearing the flesh in a
most fearful manner. The flow of
blood was in%cessant, but he bad no time
to staunch the wound. In about half
al hour another ball plunged through
the same leg about a foot above where
the other had gone. The loss of blood
from these two wounds weakened him,
but he still kept his feet and gave his
orders calm and clear to his men who
were lying on their faces. An hour la
ter he was shot again, the ball tearing
through his left arm, making a hideous
wound and cutting d small artery.
This disabled bis arm, and helped drain
his weakened system, but still, haggard
and bloody, he staggered up and down
the line encouraging his men. A fourth
bail then entered bis shoulder, knocking
HIM fcoun hio font Hio man ~ho i,
his crimsoned uniform and pale face go
down thought their heroic leader was
killed. With sublime courage, how
yer, he struggled to his feet, and
though he had hardly strength to stand,
WAVED HIS SWORD OVER HIS HEAD
and called to his men to remain firm.
Some one ran to him hastily and said it
was rumored up the line that he was
men were wavering. Tell them I am
not hurt" he said. And 50. through
those dreadful hours of slaughter with
four unstaunched wounds, drawing
blood from his body, he stood deter
mined to die with his men, and in de-
fence of the part that Lee had confided
to his trust. Was knightlier courage
ever shown on field or embalmed in
letters2 Was knightlier heroism ever
%displayedq All, great heart of gold !
All, splendid gentleman! Alb, lus-
trous and shining soul! On that day
didst thou win immortal glory, even
though all else Of thy life were blotted
OUT
At length a fifth ball struck Gordon
full in the face, and entering his cheek
knocked him senseless. He fell, and
for some time his PROSTATE body was
vpconrnA in tho cnonH0 af hot<1o
A CURIOUS STORY
We hear from Gen. Gordon's own lips
a story that, in a metaphysical point, is
exceedingly interesting. He says that
when he fell he was utterly incapable
of moving. He gradually began to
think Of his condition, and this is the
half-dream and half-soliloQuy that he
carried n Il have been struck in the
has carried away my head. On the left
side there is a little piece of skull left.
But the brain is gone entirely. There
fore, / am dead. And yet l am think
ing. How can a man think with his
head shot off, And il l am thinking,
/ can not be dead. And yet no man a
live with his head shot off. / may have
consciousness while dead, but no mo-
ton. 1t | can lift my leg, then / am
alive. I will try that. Can l? Yes,
there it is lifted up! I'm all right !"
The general says that every stage of
this soliloquy is indelibly stamped on
his mind, and that in bis exhausted
stage the reasoning was carried on as
logically as rel man reasoned at bis
desk. Doubt succeeded argument and
argument displaced doubt just as logi-
cally as could be. He says he will Dever
e~-uA --sAi, rrho+ orvfnfu I'm rnoAn tho
test of lifting his leg-with what agony
he waited to see whether or not it would
move in response to his effort, and how
he hesitated before trying it for fear it
might fail and that his death be there
by demonstrated.
A BRILLIANT AND MAsTERLY MANEUvRE.
From tie I'd of May, 1854, Gordon
was engaged in almost lncessant tight
ing all summer, and made himself ia
NOUS throughout the army. On the
5rh of May he executed q maneuvre
new in the practice OF war, startling in
its audacity and an inspiration in it's
suddsnness. Gordon was on the left of
the army on the Fredericksburg road.
He was commanding Lawton's old
brigade, having won his Generals stars
at Sharpsburg. Being ordered to carry
q point in front of his command, he
dashed forward. As usual he swept
everything before him. He oon found
that he had broken through the enemy's
lines, and was alone with his brigade
behind the Federals. It was a desper-
ate case. All that the enemy had to do
was to close In around the devoted
Georgians and capture them. Gordon
comprehended the situation, and as
quick as lightning determined to make
: dsanarate fight for liberty. He Wheel-