The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-22
TWO WAR STORIES
RELATED BY GENERAL GORDON, WHO
TOOK PART IN THEM.
"reminiscences Of the Confederacy Is Mar.
rated by One of Its Leaders-His Faith
In Presentfments Shaken-The Futile At
tack Upon Fort StedmAn.

In Presentiments Shaken-The Futile At
tack Upon Fort Stedman.
| General Gordon is not only eloquent
and interesting on the platform, but even
more so perhaps in conversation. At Ma
jor Mitchell's dinner table he entertained
the guests present with a number of rem
| iniscences. In response to a request from
| Judge Melvin he told of an experience he
went through in the Shenandoah valley at
q time that General Early ordered him to
storm federal fort in their front.
Il never was more indignant in my
iife,'' said General Gordon, than when I
heard that order. knew it was perfect
iy unnecessary thing to do and explained
to General Early that we could accom-
plish our plan Of campaign without
slaughtering my command by this at
tempt to storm 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 me word that if / did not
care to execute the order he would dele
gate its execution to some one else. You
may guess this reply made me boil with
fresh indignation. l felt it to be an in
obey his orders regardless Of consequences
I issued the necessary instruction for a
movement at daylight next morning.
Il began on my own account making
every preparation for death, for 1 had a
presentiment that would this time meet
my end. So wrote a farewell letter to
my wife, told her what to do about my
affairs, handed over my watch and other
60 81 IL
ed up and down my quarters waiting for
day to break and my command to move.
That was a solemn night to me, for had
firm presentiment that it was my last
night on earth. / felt almost as certain Of
this as man condemned to death and
can now pretty well understand how a
man feels W hen he is TO be executed in a
few hours. 1 always had in every battle
OF my life a sense Of the danger to which
I was exposed. never knew what it was
to forget it, but this time l felt as l never
had before that my time had come and ne
mistake.
$50 at daylight 1 took up my line OF
march to my death, as / fully expected.
On we went, closer and closer to the fort,
until at last we were within close range
of its guns. l wondered that they did lot
open on US, and every second l expected
to see them boIch 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
wonderment 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 federal
was anywhere in sight inside or out.
You can imagine my sense of relief as
I saw my boys in possession OF the fort
without so much as scratch. So YOU SEQ
what preSentiment is worth. l have
never believed in them since that night"
Colonel Robert NlcEldowney, 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 made 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 a week.
THAT attack, said the general, twas
made in February, 1865, when We were in
our last gasp and very desperate. General
Lee had sent for me in the night-after
midnight-to come to his quarters. 1t
was bitter cold night, and L set out on
gallop to get out of the intense cold as
soon as possible. Lee occupied little
brick house in the enyironS OF Peters
burg, and as opened the door of his room
after he had answered my knock l found
him standing by an open fireplace resting
his head on his arm on high up manha
and apparently in deep and sad stu5j
over the situation.
Il have sent for you, said he, ITO look
over these reports from our yariens COM
mands. l have spent the night on them
and on these maps, pointing to long Ia
BILE covered with papers, on which light
was burning. you will see,' he said.
that thoy are very discouraging. The
men have scarcely anything to eat. A
single ration is made to supply six men,
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.
s-Of course l was more or less familiar
with the situation in my own command,
but did not know it was so bad in ali the
L
course the situation was very desperate,
and that l 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?' / replied,
'One of three things, general, right away,
either to make the best terms we can gea
from Grant, or to retreat and try to unite
with General Johnston, or 70 fight And
which would you adviser said he. 1
would first Try fight, replied.
He meditatively remarked, as if TO try
my earnestness in the matter, which WAS
habit he had, So you would advise
fighting" Yes said /, as choice Of
three evils He had been to Richmond
and had laid the situation before Mr.. Da-
Wis. l asked him what the president
thought. Oh he remarked, he is per-
tinacious 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 ali.
So suppose the only thing left for us IS
to fight, and will let you arrange for an
attack on Fort Stedman at once
$50 L returned to my quarters and at
once issued orders 20 that effect. We were
10 get ready 70 move inside the Federal
fortified area the next night, and as soon
as we could see in the morning we were
to attempt 10 surprise Fort Stedman.
We'll, we found many difficulties In
our way when the time came. There we've
the abbati5 that We had to cut through
with our axmen, who went ahead OF the
command 10 do this work. They succeed
ed in cutting an opening into the area,
and through this we marched in the dark