The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-16

0aYOneI. he was a frequent NlSlLOr TO
the sick and wounded in the hospitals.
often went through the camps and
along the ranks on the march, and
many time selected some foot-sore
private and directed him to ride mis-
horse, while he walked to rest lit
tie" The men felt that the General
was not merely a superior officer, but
a friend, and in a degree kinsman.
If his private correspondence and in
terviews during those days were
how many and what kind, Of personal
concerns, quite apart from those o.
military life, his soldiers carried to him
for advice and help. Once Georgia
youth, gawky and shame faced, came
to the Generals tent, while the GEN
eral was debating some correspond
ence, and asked to see him privately. I
went out, and on my return found the
General composing a letter. The prl-
vate had trouble and a lovers quarrel
to smooth with an absent sweetheart
in Georgia. The General heard him
and framed a reply. and Gordon won {
closeness to the rank and file, none ever
dreamed of taking undue liberty with
him, or Withholding the respect due
his rank and character. He was a
man of deep religious instincts and
took a keen interest in the spiritual
welfare of his men. Many a time at
some church service or great revival
among the soldiers, he extended the
right hand of fellowship to some hum
BILE private. He was not jealous of his
reputation or fault-finding and during
the four years of his service had only
one controversy with a superior officer,
and then rather about his men than
himself. He was careful of the feel
ings of others and quick to perceive and
heal the wounds of over sensitivencss,
For man of his achievements, he was
singularly simple and modest. Save
with intimate friends. he seldom dis
nuSgad event In his mil "a. 81,
history. He was besought time and
time again by his old soldiers to pre-
pare some memoir of his services in
the Confederate army, and he yielded
at last more from belief that such
a work might add to the comfort of
his loved ones at home, than from any
thought that it would transmit to pos
terity the record of one whom the
world would not willingly forget. lie
never exposed the lives of his men when
he could avoid 1t, and never avoided ex-
posture of himself. Amid the heat Of
fight he never forgot the commanders
duty to watch the whole line, and new
er allowed the excitement of the shift
ing scenes of combat to concentrate
his attention upon minor event in his
battle. He was bouyant and seldom
cast down and no matter how desperate
his fortunes, no man ever went out of
his presence feeling that all was lost.
Even Lee once said to him: General,
1t is great comfort to be with YOU"
w TN the OI IHe hunter LOT
game, he was always providing food
and equipment for his men. when with
In human reach, and ne exemplified on
march and in bivouac. and camp tho
prompting of a lofty soul which dis.
dained to avoid any of their trials and
hardships 1t was this personality and
these characteristics which enabled this
young soldier, when the shadow of the
coming eclipse darkened all our hopes.
to rekindle in Jackson's corps, thin
ned by the slaughter of years of in
cessant battle, and dispirited by recent
disaster, the old enthusiasm, which
carried them. undismayed and confident
in that plunge into black death in the
night attack at Fort Steadman, held
them unyielding and defiant on the long
retreat. and at Sailors Creek, and then
hurled them with the abandon and fire
of their early days into the last charge
at Appomattox. Verify, he was a
worthy successor of Stonewall jack
son.
TOga Succeeds to Sword.
Defeat halted neither his achieve
he knew 1t. the warrior had put OFF
the sword, put on the toga of the
statesman, and grappled with the times.
In the evening after the formal sur
counsel to his men. which, viewed at
this day is remarkable for it's prophecy
and lofty patriotism. The men were des-
titute, despairing, and many of them
to their homes, not knowing what would
await them there. They crowded abous
him for consolation and farewell. At
first they came in little knots. and then.
al these left others would come. He
comforted them as best he could. No
man realized more keenly than he the
wreck of the old order, and what It
meant to these men, His emotions we'll
that "he could not stand it." and went
inside his tent. But the men who low
ed him and hung on his words would
not be denied, and soon several thous-
which to address them, he~mounted his
horse and rode among them, speaking
from his saddle. Had that address
been recorded. 1t would have lived
of the Athenian dead In the Pelopon-
nesean war No man can repeat the
words or describe their power as they
fell from his lips, hut the first two
sentences and the substance of what
he said are burned IN memory: Il be-
lieve In aiod Almighty. l have not tor
tured my mind about what is preor-
dained and what is left entirely to
men. The God who created the heav-
ems and the earth. and made man. had a
purpose. He can smite the waters, and
we will pass over dry shod, or he may
stay his hand and allow the pillows to
roll about us. Whatever is, is allowed
for some divine purpose" They could
not understand 1t now, but must trust
that some wise purpose would yet work
good out of i'll. from all our miseries
and disaster. He bade his followers
hope, pointing out that the men who
had been arrayed against us in arms
appreciated the valor and nobility OF
purpose OF the Confederate soldier and
that the American manhood In the
hearts of the victors would prevent
extreme measures or repression. He
reminded his hearers that a people no
more than an army could achieve, or
be worthy of anything without disci-
pline or self-restraint, and he be-
sought them to take part in civil gov
eminent as soon as permitted, to be
obedlent to law and authority, and not
to resort to lawless force to resent IN
dignity and oppression. which for a
time might be heaped upon them. He
bade them remember that national dis
aster could not destroy character or
individuals, or Aebar them from lead
ing happy, useful and noble lives, il
only they remained true to themselves;
He pictured the fertility of our soil
and the variety of our resources, the
need of the world for our great staple,
and knew that the same energy and de-
votion which had made the Confederate
soldier illustrious in war would restore
the waste places. There might be
trouble with the old slave; but the old
masters intelligence, sense of justice,
and patience with helpless and js-
norant race, would in the end solve the
problem. He spoke of his slain broth
er and the ties which bound us to our
dead, and begged their surviving COM
rades to be worthy OF them, and not
to leave the country, but to remain at
home to care for the women ard chill
dren, to succor the families of the dead,
the destitute and the manned. Force,
he said could not kill principle and
truth. but altered conditions may re-
quire different applications of them
| He referred to early ties which bound
| the people of the North and South to-