The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-01-15


Distinguished Southerners Will Pay
Last Tributes to the Now Silent
Hero of Military and Civil Life.
Miami, Fla, Jan. 10.-At 1905
o'clock tonight Gen. John B. Gordon
the noted Confederate leader and COM
mander-in-chief of the United Con-
federate Veterans, died at his home,
near here, after a short illness. He
was seized with congestion of the
stomach last Wednesday, and follow
ing as it did al acute attack of indi-
gestion, to which he has been sub
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, a
delegation of about 100 prominent
: Georgiaas, headed by the military staff
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
ers will be present to take part in the
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, and
| 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. NJ. c. Butler, of South Carolina;
Maj. J. G. c.. Black, of Georgia; Gen.
E. NJ. 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
services, which will be held in the
House of Representatives and all the
posts of Confederate Veterans OF
Georgia are expected to be represent
ed
Gen. John Brown Gordon was born
in Upton county, Georgia, in 1928, 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 mi les
in Tennessee and Georgia. He was
deep il the mining business when the
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 its young cap
tain was elected major. The love this
q e T. 10
don was manifested only last summer
when the annual reunion of the Rae
coon survivors was held. A photo
graph of their first leader, surrounded
by his men, was published shortly aft
er in the Confederate Veteran"
Gen. Gordon's career was brilliant
one He rose rapidly through the var1-
Gus offices, captain, major, lieutent-
colonel, colonel, brigadier general, ma
jor general, until he was finally made
lieutenant general, commanding one
wing of the army of Virginia.
When the United Confederate Veter-
ans perfected their organization in
New Orleans about fifteen years ago,
the high esteem in which Gen. Cor
don was held could have been mani
tested in no better way than in the
fact that he was unanimously elected
comman nder-in~chief of the order. This
position he has held ever since, every
objection of his to being kept in SO
exalted a state so long being always
overruled and his election each year
being always unanimous and by accla-
nation. No rival candidate has even
been suggested or wanted by any vet.
eran, and in this alone would lie the
proof of his worth and popularity.
His home life was especially happy,
In 1853 he married Miss Fanny Haral-
son, daughter Of Congressman Hugh
Haralson, of Georgia, and her devo-
ton to him was so great that she fol-
lowed him all through the war, un-
dergoing many hardships and person
al dangers.
Judge Speers' Tribute.
Macon, Ga, Jan. 11.-An event un-
usual in United States courts occurred
today when Judge Emory Speers, of
the Southern District of Georgia, paid
an eloquent tribute to Gen. John B.
Gordon. Judge Speers said: I'm hon-
L ET