The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1898-04-27
The frs! DAYS Of The G0NFE1EsACY,
Joftings From The Lecture of General John B. Cor
don at Stanford.

IRr sIosDosK srUokrsA rnnl.
little than thirty years ago this nation was sew
cred in twain and muskets spoke the sentiments of its peo
pie while swords cut the cords that bound together fathers
sons and brothers Now, the North and in
prosperity love and peace and their noble who thirty
odd years ago. split the blood of hatred stand with
hands clasped the field and proclaim forgiveness
and good will to ALL
Among those battescarred veterans, who fierce
war; gentle In peace and patriotic ever there lv
ing to-day who presents nober record who commands
more national respect and who is willing lay aside
the boody shirt and be citizen true to his country than
Gen. John B. Gordon, Commander Chief of the Coneder
ate Veterans of the United States His lecture The
Last Days of the Confederacy which he delivered all
the country few years ago. brought him lecturer
His last lecture which he is delivering 1.-The First
Days of the Confederacy and model piece of workman
ship from great mind. Cen Gordon is orator He
speaks not in dry cold figures of rhetoric but bends and
twists the English language will till fits the hearts of
his hearers. He speaks from real e-frOm experience.
His delivery is good, his expression is better. When
he tells of battle you the smoke rising hear the boom
of the rattle of the musketry conflict
wagng hot When he tells of death the field you hear
the dying letter locket in the soldiers
hand and hear him the of loved
drifts onward to eterys shores When he speaks of his
wife (Which Often) you lovely with tender,
expressive eyes, and loving face.
He depicts character-paints pictures upon which We
gaze M,' Gdn is sn ,er s oG are I dee
brilliant orator. honored throughout both North and
South and above all else true, patriotic citizen.
STORIES OF GENERAL GORDON AND THE LOST CAUSE.
The first great battle of the conflict had begun Can
non booming and muskets rafting the field of
standing together he just ready to start to his post of duty
in battle when she looked up into his face and asked:
Husband, do you think you stand it?'
II don't know wife; must either stand it or rum
Her answer came quick:
Husband, I pray God that harm may befan you
But 90; don't rum"
He went into the battle and didn't rum either.
'Those Words, says Gen. Gordon, 'clung and in
spred me in many bloody conflict during the following
four years My wife loved but she had rather
die like a soldier than run like coward"
Gen. Gordon says that he believes in presenments He
remembers several men who had presentments when
how and where they going to die and they died just
they had foreseen He says that he has had but
presentment and that that he will forget
Here it is:
He had been doing hard fighting and had been
very places. One morning strange feeling
had taken possession of him. He could not account for it,
must die Death inevitable. Did 1t trouble him
any? Well naturally it bore pretty heavily on his mind all
day long That evening order to him to
certain ortcaon of the enemy not The veteran
General now smiles as he saws that it almost took away his
BREATH for to charge with his force upon that fort would
be sheer madness meant nothing short of certain death
to the whole force.
But he had never failed to obey the Commands of his
periors and death its most horrible form would be
preferable to cOwardce and disgrace The march be-
gum the fort reached and the final preparations for
bloody charge made Gen. Gordon went with teeth
determination to meet the death that he knew must
they inside the for tcations. The fort jam
med and crammed full ofnothing. Every bluecoat had
fled.
Gen. Gordon bears many scarsgrim reminders of the
bloody conflict in which he noby fought for his convc
tions and the people of the Southland.
the battle of Malvern's Hill he times wounded.
had received the fourth wound and walking down the
line cheering his when bullet whizzing along
deadly mission and struck him in the face He fell for
with his his and would doubtless have been
drowned his blood had not been for the kindness
very thoughtful yankee who had shot hole in his cap
viously.
The whole world seemed changed to him. but he believed
himself still conscious. his feversh imagination he
hand his head and felt that the whole top of his
head and had been shot This convinced him
that he was dead seemed wonderfully strange him
teect gone. Wonderful indeed! He almost laughed
when thought of the teachings of science which that
think unless he has brain the seat of
soning
He had made discovery that would shake the scales
from the of the scientific world To satisfy himself
that he was being deuded he raised his feet
turned consciousness to find himself being carried from
the field by the That act said the
surgeons saved his fe for raising his feet the little
blood remaining his heart caused to flow to his BRAIN
Thus great discovery not made and great man life
was saved on the battlefield at Malvern'S Hill
At the battle of Fair Oaks Gen. Gordon led his com
mand into bullets that seemed to fall among them
like of leaden hail Horses and fell together
blood like of turpd water from their wounds
1t sickenng sight horrible carnage of human
beings On and Gen. Gordon pressed with death all
around him. till every and every the force
cept the General himself dead mortay wounded
Seeing himself thus left alone Gen. Gordon by his strategy
and fearlessness, escaped
AS soon as the the battle went out, Mrs Cor
don who was near heard that her husband hao