Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-05

mOtner rs we'll as terrible In
the blaze Of righteous anger, elo-
quent as an orator, gifted as leader,
patriot, a statesman in whose veins
leaped the red blood of hero.
John b. Gordon, whom the South
delighted to honor, was the son of
Elder and Mrs. u. A. Gordon, who
at the time of the birth of their dis
tlngnished son were living IN Upson
county. Elder Gordon was a preach.
er OF the Primitive Baptist church.
While quite young man John b.
Gordon was baptized In Flint river
by Elder Gordon and received into
the Primitive Batist church. Young
Gordon married a young lady who
belonged to the Methodist church,
but after their marriage they both
loined~the Presbyterian faith.
Some of these facts given here
are. perhaps. known to but few peo-
pie. His career as a warrior and as
a statesman is known to all aud will
ever adorn the pages of history. Few
people ever became so illustrious as
Georgia's fallen hero I am glad
that he was an Upson county boy.
L was born and raised within three
miles of his birthplace. In Jaru-
ary, 1863. John B. Gordon became
brlgadier-general of the Lawton
brigade, composed of the following
regiments: 18th Georgia volunteers,
Goth Georgia volunteers, 35th Geor-
gla volunteers and two other regi-
ments. The writer was one of Com
pany ID, 18th regiment, Georgia
volunteers.
AN OLD CoMRADE.
Good.bye, goodbye to Gordon, for he
has passed away, -,
The general whoNso nobly led the boys
who wore the gray.
His comrades are sad because he has left
them Behind,
And they, too, will soon fall into line
And cross the River Of Life to follow
their leader dear,
Whom they 30 faithfully followed in
sixty-one down here.
Gordon needs no monument of wood or
stone,
Because we know his life was his own
Epitaph-the deeds he did in war and
peace,
The fruits OF which will never cease,
Are sufficient for US to know
That he was good, noble, true and though
His body sleeps beneath the sod
His spirit has gone to his God,
Who gave him life, friends and health,
And gladly received him for His own in
death;
And today he Is communing with Jack
son and Lee
How happy must these three be
And, no doubt, they often to the Gate Of
Heaven go
To await the coming of any they left
below;
Especially for the Boys in Gray dothey
sigh,
To meet them in the Laud Of the Sweet
Bye and Bye.
Gordon is loved both North and South
today,
The Boys in Blue love him as those in
Gray.
The hatred os the past they do not know,
And now they are friendly with their
former foe.
But no matter whether Gordon on earth
wore blue or gray,
We know that he. is clothed In white
today.
Gordon, like few men. was always ready
to serve,
And from his duty was never known TO
swerve.
Yes, he was willing, without applause,
To bleed and die for Dixie's cause;
That the "Stars and Stripes" might for
ever "wave
Der the land OF the free and the home
of the brave"
Then here's to the Gordon, the gallant
Gordon,
The man of the twelfth OF May,
And for the loss OF whom the whole
nation mourns today.
But the nation does not alone weep,
For around his fireside the grief Is deep
BE left his home In perfect health,
Never to return, as he was seized by
death,
And the work there that he had just
begun
Was never finished, because the Lord
said: "Weli done,
Thou hast done thy best. come up higher
and forever rest"