Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-04
TWO WAR INCIDENTS.
RELATED BY GENERAL GORDON, WHO
 TOOK PART IN THEM.

rated by One of It's Lcadcrs-IIis Faith
 In Presentirnents shaken-Il,e Futile At-
 tack Upon Fort stes,nian.
 General Gordon is not only eloquent and interesting on the platform, but even more so perhaps in conversation. At Ma for Mitchell's dinner table he entertained the guests present with number of rem iniscenee& In response to request from Judge Melvin ho told of an experience he went through in the Shenandoah valley at a time that General Early ordered him to storm federal fort in their front.
 II never was more indignant in my life" said General Gordon, than when 1 heard that order. l knew it was a perfect ly unnecessary thing to do and explained to General Early that we could accom- plish our plan of campaign without saughtering my command by this at. tempt to storm n strong position-a posi- ton that would fall of itself when we should make our proper movement. Early took no other notice Of my explanation than to send mo word that if l did not care to execute tho order he would dele gate its execution to some one else. You may guess this reply made me boil with fresh indignntion. l felt it to be an in- suit, but inasmuch us it was my place to obey his orders regardless of consequences l issued tho necessary instruction for movement at daylight next morning.
 II began on my own account making every preparation for death, for l had presentment that would this time meet my end So I wrote a farewell letter to my wife, told her what to do about my affairs, handed over my watch and other personal effects to friend and then walk cd up and down my quarters waiting for day to break and my command to move. Thatayas q solemn night to me, for had a firm presentiment that it was my last night on earth. l felt almost us certain of this us a man condemned to death and can now pretty well understand how man feels when he Is to be executed in few hours 1 always had in every battle of my life sense of the danger to which l was exposed. 1 never knew what it was to forget it, but this time felt as l never had before that my time had come and no mistake.
 ''So at daylight took up my line of march to my death, as l fully expected. On we went closer and closer to tho fort, until at last we were within close range of it's guns. l wondered that they did not open on us, and every second l expected to see them belch forth shot and shell and play havoc in our ranks. On we went. My eyes were fixed on the guns, and my mind excited to its highest tension with wondormont why they did not open fire. On we went until our advances struck the = fort and rushed upon its defenses, when to our utter amazement we discovered that it had been evacuated, and not a federal was anywhere in sight inside or out.
 You can imagine my sense of relief as saw my boys in possession of the fort without so much as n scratch. So you see what presentiment is worth. l have never believed in them since that night"
 Colonel Robert McEldowney, who was present, referred to the attack on Fort Stedman at Petersburg just before the close of the war-where, by the way, he was wounded-which attack was mado by General Gordon's command. "Tell us about that, general" said genial Colonel Bob and so the general proceeded to an swer another demand on him for expe- riences. All the dining party agreed that they could listen to him for week.
 That attack, said the general, was mado in February, 1865, when we were in our last gasp and very desperate. General Lee had sent for me in tho night-after midnight-to come to, his quarters. It was bitter cold night, and l set out on gallop to act out of the intense cold as soon as possible Lee occupied a little brick house in the environs of Peters burg, and as l opened the door of his room after he had a,,7wered my knock l found him standing " an open fireplace resting his head on his arm on high up mantle and apparently in a deep and sad study over the situaticSl.
 "'I have sent for you, said he to look over these reports from our various com mands. I have spent the night on them and on these maps pointing to long ta- bio covered with papers, on which light was burning. You will see, he said, that they arc very discouraging. The men have scarcely anything to eat single ration is made to supply six men, and the camps are full of sick and starved soldiers. Our horses are also dying for food, and when we lose a horse we prac- tically lose his rider, for we can make no other disposition of him..
 "Of course was more or less familiar with the situation in my own command, but did not know it was so bad in all the rest So I said to General Lee that of course the situation was very desperate, and that supposed we would have to do something very soon. Well, said he, fixing his eyes very intently on me, what do you think we ought to do?' l replied, One of three things, general, right away, either to make the best terms WIG can get from Grant, or to retreat and try to unite with General Johnston, or to fight. And which would you adviser said he. I would first try fight, replied
 'He meditatively remarked, as if to try my earnestness in tho matter, which was a habit he had, So you would advise fighting? Yes, said l. as a choice of three evils. He had been to Richmond and had laid the situation before MT. Da- wis. l asked him what the president thought. Oh, he remarked, he is per- tinacions as to the idea of holding out longer and fighting further. And, as for the members of congress, they do not know nor appreciate the situation'at all. So l suppose the only thing left for us is to fight, and 1 will let you arrange for an attack on Fort Stedman at once'
 ''So l returned to my quarters and at once issued orders to that effect. We were to get ready to move inside the Federal fortified area the next night, and as soon as we could sec in the morning we were fo attemnt to surDriSa Fort Stplmnn