The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-21


Six Hundred. Some one had blum
/ dcrcd. But at the head Of that yell
ing and racing thousand Of men and
III the face Of that murdcrous fire
Gordon sprang to obey the fatal com
mand When the shattered remnants
were hurled back across that death
strcwn field its colonel, bleeding and
wounded in five places, was carried 10
the hospital tent, where for weeks his
life was dcspaircd of. Nevertheless
he recovered, and within two years
rose, by hard fighting and merit as a
commander, to the rank Of lieutenant
general. AS commander Of the Con-
fcdcratc I'd army corps he was tie
first to attack Gettysburg, and lie held
the last line at Petersburg, fighting
with stubborn valor for every inch of
space. Yet Gen. Gordon had not had
Il particle Of military training, and
when the war closed was only 30 years
OF age. Since then he has been twice
Governor of his state and twice
member Of the Federal Senate.
Among the surviving Confederate
veterans who held the rank Of major
general are John ii. l'orncy. who.is
livln" in retirement at Jcnifcr, Ala
Samuel c. French, now plante in
Florida; William J.. Cabell, a mcr-
chant in Dallas, Texas James Il.
Chalmers, of Fort Pillow memory, at
present leading member Of the Nash
vile Bar; G. w. G. Lee, until lately
president of Washington and Lee
University, at Lexington. Va, a post
his father, Robert Il. Lee, held before
him; Matt. Ransom, long "a United
States Senator and Minister to Mexico
under Clevcland Matthew G. Butler,
who lost leg at Brandy Station, and
who, after three terms in the Federal
Senate, is ending his public career as
major general Of volunteers; and
William B. Bate, Thomas l.. Rosser,
and Fitzhugh Lee.
Gen. Bate went into the army as a
private and rose by stout fighting and
successive promotions to the command
Of division, being three times dan
gcrously wounded in battle. After
the war he was elected Governor of
Tennessee, and since 1887 has sat in
tho Senate at Washington. Gen.
Rosser was one of the most daring Of
the Confederate cavalry leaders. In
great degree he rcscmbled Custer,
whose classmate he was at West Point
Once ut Duckland Mills, in Virginia,
as he was driven out, he left mes
sage with some ladies at farm house
for the gallant leader who died on the
big horn: "You have disturbed me
at my breakfast. I owe you one, and
XII get even with you
He was as good as his word. He
allowed Custer to cross the creek,
then swooped down upon him while
his command was brewing coffee. 1t
took Custer twcnty-four hours to
gather his men after this dash. Ros-
ser is now rich man, and it is inter
csting to record that it was his old
chum Custer who helped to make him
one. The surrender of Lee left Ros-
ser pcnniless, and, with wife and
children to support, he was glad to
accept NJ humble place il the con
struction corps of the Northern Paci-
ic Road. Thcrc Custer ran across
MIN, quite by accident, and seeking
out the chief engineer of that road,
said:
"Thcre is u man named Rosser uu-
der you as a construction boss?'
"Yes," was the engineers reply,
land one Of the best men I ever had.
Anything wrong about him?'
"No, replied Custer, 'but he was
at West Point with me. and after
wards major general in the Confed-
crate Army. Cant you give him
something better than the work he is
doing?"
why, have been looking for just
such man." said the engineer.
And SO Rosser, through Gen. Gus
ter's kindly Offices. was made second
in command of the engineer corps.
When, few months later, he became
its chief, he made such shrewd use Of
! the opportunity tho position afforded
him for speculation and investment
that to-day he is worth half a million
dollars. Custer, on the other hand,
died poor man.
Like Rosser, Fitzhugh Lee is best
remembered by his old comrades in