The Grenada sentinel., 1904-01-16
GEN. GORDON IS DEAD

UcV, UUnUUV ID UIAU
THE OLD HERO HAS GONE TO
JOIN LEE AND JACKSON.
Peaceful Close Of a Life That Was
Rounded Out With Many Honors.
Distinguished southerners Will Pay
Last Tributes to the Now Silent
Hero Of Military and Civil Life.
Miami, Fla, Jan. 1O.-At 1905
o'clock tonight Gen. John B. Gordon,
tho noted Confederate leader and COM
manderin-chief of the United Con-
federate Veterans, died at his home.
near here, after short illness. He
was seized with congestion of the
stomach last Wednesday, and follow.
ing as it did al acute attack of indt-
ject for years, his strength was rapid
ly sapped away and he died with his
daughters near him.
The funeral will be held at Atlanta.
where the remains will be shipped to-
day. At the special request Of Gov.
Terrell the body will lie in state for
several days at the CAPITOL and later
will be inferred at Kirkwood. near
Atlanta. Great preparations are be-
ing made for the funeral of the val.
liant Confederate, his old comrades
and friends being anxious that he
shall have every honor due one OF
his rank and bravery. At Valdosta.
just inside the Georgia State line. q
delegation of about 100 prominent
Georgia1s, headed by the military stan
of Gov Terrell, will meet the body
and relieve the Florida guard, who
| will have conducted it that far. Pub.
lie funeral services will! be held at
noon on Wednesday. and a notable
gathering of distinguished Southern
exercises, or to pay the last respects
of honor to the dead leader.
The governors of all the Southern
States are expected to be present. aad
in addition to these the following are
expected to speak:
| Gen. Clement A. Evans, OF Georgia;
Judge Thomas G. Jones. of Alabama:
Senator John w. Daniel, of Virginia:
Gen. Stephen D. Lee, of Mississippi;
Gen. M. c. Butler, of South Carolina:
Maj. ]. C. c. Black, of Georgia; Gen.
e. M. Law, of Florida; Gen. A. p.
Stewart, of Tennessee; Col. A. H. Cox.
of Georgia. and Gen. NJ. w. Ransom,
Of North Carolina.
Gov Terrell will preside over the
House of Representatives, and all the
posts of Confederate Veterans Ut
Georgia are expected to be represent
ed.
Gen. John Brown Gordon was born
in Upton county, Georgia, in 1923. be-
ing descended from the notable Scotch
family of that name. His great-grand-
father was one of the seven brothers,
who came over to the colonies from
Scotland prior to the Revolution. All
of these served with distinction
throughout that war, eventually set
ting in North Carolina and Virginia
The father of the subject of this
sketch was Rev. Zachariah H. Gordon,
minister of worth and zeal.
Gen. GordOn's early education was
carefully conducted and was finished
at the State University of Georgia
Later he studied law, but soon gave
it up to interest himself in coal m! les
in Tennessee and Georgia. He was
, deep il the mining business when thu
war broke out and Immediately raised
a company Of cavalry and offered it
} to Gov. Moore. As cavalry was not
then needed the governor declined the
offer and nothing daunted the young
|: man raised a company of infantry
from the Len around Raccoon Noun
tain, calling the organization The
Raccoon Roughs." This company was
accepted, became part of the Sixth
. Alabama regiment and it's young cap
| tain was elected major. The love this
, first company OF his bore to Gen. Cor
don was manifested only last summer
. when the annual reunion of the Rae
, coon survivors was held. A photo
Z graph Of their first leader, surrounded
BY his men, was published shortly aft
J er in the Confederate Veteran
Gen. Gordon's career was a brilliant
' one. He rose rapidly through the yari
\ GUS Offices, captain, major, lieutent
/ COlO0CI, COlOucl, UElSduISE SeueIaI. u<z
j.. jor general, until he was finally mad,
5 lieutenant general, commanding on
D wing of the army of Virginia.
t When the United Confederate Veter
4 ans perfected their organization /:
Q New Orleans about fifteen years age
4 the high esteem in which Gen. Cor
r don was held could have been mani
i tested in no better way than in tn
1 fact that he was unanimously ele>te'
8 commaader-in>chief of the orde-. Thi
position he has held ever since, ever
i objection of his to being kept in 8
T. exalted q state SO long being alway
Y overruled and his election each yea
:. being always unanimous and by accls
= nation. No rival candidate has eve
0 been suggested or wanted by any We
d | eran. and in this alone would lie tn