Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1903-01-15

nouncement, saying thai General
Gordon is sick in Southern Florida,
and directs this. Send I'd Associa-
ted Press and all camps.
J. B fonDos.
In accordance with the request OF
General John b. Gordon, Command
erin Chief of the United Confeder-
ate Veterans, he being confined to
his bed by severe attack Of illness
in distant city in Florida, the men,
bers of his staff. resident in New
Orleans. hereby officially announce
the death in this city on Tuesday,
Dec. Is, of Major General George
Norman, Adjutant General and
Chief of Staff of the United Confed-
crate Veterans.
1t will not be out of place here to
present brief memoir of this devot-
ed son of the South, who not only
contributed by his gallantAc acts much
to the history of our cause, but who
by his intelligent, unwearried and
devoted labors, wholly without fee
or reward, accomplished . colossal
work in building up a magnificent
organization to which is committed
the sacred duty of perpetuating the
Confederacy's splendid history and
the upholding of its spotless honor
and it's glorious prestige, won by
the South S sons in the most tremen-
dous warfare of the modern age.
George Norman was born June /.
1s4l, of Virginia and South Carolina
ancestry, at .Owensboro, Ky. Bred
TO the profession of the law and pass
ing his examination at the age of 19,
when the exciting events OF the bor-
der warfare in Kansas during the
early fifties of the last century were
rife. he FASTENED to take part in them
and received his baptism of fire in
the lesser struggle that preceded
and presaged the greater one of 1861
65, and in both of which he fought
on the side of the South.
Young as he was, his address and
daring soon made for him an honor
able place in the Confederate army,
and although he was first employed
in staff duty, he sought and found
his proper sphere on the hiring line
and in the mounted service. We
are not here TO recite the Details of
his military career. 1t is enough
to mention that he fought under
such cavalry chiefs as Writ Adams,
W. Ell. Jackson and the incompatible
Forrest, and won their approba-
tion, attaining the rank OF colonel.
At the close of the terrible con
fiict Colonel Norman returned to
peaceful pursuits, and subsequently
engaged in business in this city.
A decade OF political disorder and
corruption followed the armed con-
flict. and as soon as Louisiana was
freed from that, the surviving Vet
Grams Of the Confederate cause be-
gan to form organizations for the
preservation of their war history,
and for the relief of their disabled
and dependent comrades, for whom
no rich and powerful paternal gov
ernment opened great asylums nor
poured out in pensions a nation s
bounty.
1t was under these conditions that
Colonel Moorman organized the To-
cal cavalry camp, and subsequently
assembled in grand reunion in this
city Confederatecavaliers from every
State of The Southland. The cavalry
reunion was held in February, 1883.
This event suggested general Con-
federate reunion, which took place
in March. 1889, in this city, and
then the thought was inspired of
bringing the entire aggregation OF
the Confederate camps into single
association.
This great enterprise was accom-
plished in this city in July, 1891,
when thirty-two camps participated
and elected Lieutenant General John
B. Gordon Commander-in- Chief, aud
Colonel George Norman Adiutant
General and Chief of Staff Since
then the number of camps belonging
to the organization has reached some
/, 800, and the great commander and
his splendid chief of staff, under
whose care the humble enterprise
attained such magnificent proper
tions, have been spared 10 carry on
their labor of love in q noble cause
until the latter has succombed TO his
arduous exertions. first in behalf oi
the Southern Coafederacy, and after
wards in aid of his fellow-veterans.
In war and in peace General Moor
L.