The Daily Texarkanian., 1898-04-26
A GREAT MAN
General John B Gordon, "aeorgia's
Hero" Accorded a R0using
Reception

Reception.
Last night, one among the cN-
Confederate States Great Geaer'
ais delivered bis great peace .cc-
ture, Last DAYS OF the Conieler
acy, at this place, before fair
sized audience. Society was out iu
full force, the boxes being occupied
by the foremost ladies. The opera
house had been made beautiful by
the free use Of flags, bunting and
flowers, and the shield Of our coun-
try, and which ever the eve rested
there was an old flag floating either
in a 20 foot banner or in miniature.
! The ladies certainly deserve great
credit for Transforming the rusty
looks of the boxes 0and stage sur
roundings to bowers of beauty.
The orchestra was in its place on
time aud played several patriotic
airs, in medlv, opening and clos
ing with Dixie, which has never yet
tailed wherever played TO get a
| Southern cheer
After the music Major w. Il. Es-
ties, the hero of two wars, came out
in advance Of General Gordon, who
followed, then came Mayors Hardin
of the West Side and Mayor Mullins
of the East Side, Col. George Fouke
and NJ. C. Thompson, both grand
army men. They we're seated i'm a
semi-circle, when the applause had
ceased which the presence of Cen
eral Gordon brought forth had
died away, Major W. E. Estes ad-
yanced, and in a neat tribute to
the soldier, statesman, historian
and orator, introduced the distin-
guished General The applause
lasted fully minute that this IN
PRODUCTION brought out,
General Gordon said he felt cali
| ed upon to thank the ladies and
| gentlemen for the royal reception
| accorded him, and also to the gen
tleman, Major Estes, for the com
pliment passed upon him in the in
PRODUCTION, and after a few pre-
! liminary words launched out upon
| the lecture that has thrilled thOus-
ands of breasts with patriotism for
the flag and which has caused d
better feeling between the con
tending foes of two once grand
armies-the north and the south.
The General is graceful and has a
penetrating voice that could be
heard for many blocks should he SC
will to give it full scope, and not d
word was lost of his great lecture
last night to anyone in the house
who could hear at all.
The lecture dealt with the heroes
of both sides. Lee and Stonewal
jackson, in his eye, reaching the
zenith of military glory in all of its
phases, and like eulogies were pass
ed upon Grant, Hancock and
Sheridan. For fully two hours be
kept his audience in hand and they
followed him through battles one
minute, where the red battle flag
with its cross of stars Aoated in
triumph through hot contested
battle and the next minute they
were listening to a fight of oratory
or word painting that few can
equal. The general told some good
anecdotes, all leading up to the
| fact that while the northaad sonth
| fought each other to the death,
there was not that hatred existing
between the contending foes as
there would have been had our
united country met a foreign foe.
He told anecdotes on both the sol
diers of the contending armies and
they were hugely enjoyed.
After the General closed his lee
ture many of our ladies sought and
obtained an introduction.
We feel that our people who at
tended the lecture learned a lesson
of forgiveness, for if General Cor.
don, who occupied a major-gener-
ais position, with promotion and
honor coming to him thick and
fast, and with his own state-Geor-
gia-laid waste by Shermans march
through the state-can forgive the
"Yanks' for what they did him,
we should certainly try and get
closer to the roosting place of the
snow white dove of peace and say,
"yank here is our hand, let us
shake,
I