The Grenada sentinel., 1904-01-30

have never failed!-" lice to the
rear! Lee to the rear!" rose in thun- |,
derous shouts from the grim Confed-
crate line. And while Gen. Lee WISE
ly Withdrew, Gordon led the furious
counter-charge,d drove Hancock and his
victorious lines before him like a
whirl wind, and restored the Confed-
ate front. Gordon was the man Lee !.
relied upon in the desperate attempt
to storm Fort Stedman. He defended
Lee s rear on the march to Appomatox,
and on that fatal field was moved to
the front to face innumerable foes, and
lead the last charge Of that immortal
army of North Virginia, whose very
name is the synonym of valor and of
victory, and whose deathless fame is
one OF the proudest possessions OF
American history.
But illustrious as the soldier was,
Gordon, the man Of peace, was greater
still. In a peculiar manner, Gen.
Gordon represented all that was best
in the old South and. the new. The
intense devotion to constitutional lib
erty, that was the great motive Of the
South in the war; the chivalrous ideals
of honor that were never for mo-
ment forgotten amid the tumult of
the strife or tarnished by all unwor-
thy act; the courage that faces death
with cold and resolute defiance; the
fervent patriotism that counted it
glorious to suffer or to die for ones
native land; the practical good sense
that accepted the inevitable issues Of
the war, and wisely endeavored to
read just all interests to the new order
+ it established; the courtly refinement
and polished manner Of the old South
ern life-Gordon embodied them all.
The greatest work of Gen. Gordon
! was done during the last decade of his
life. He went on the lecture platform
with his great address on 1.-THE Last
Days Of the Conrederacy, not alone
to make money, but with the far
! higher end of promoting a real union
Of the North and the South. The
distinguished part he had borne in the
bloody conflict gave exceptional inter-
est to his narrative, while his match
less oratory captivated the dullest
listener, and his patriotic and frater-
nal spirit disarmed criticism and
charmed even inveterate prejudice into
an amiable mood. The cOldeSt heart
felt the thrill of a generous impulse
when it saw how this brave man, shot
eight times on the field OF battle, could
remember it all, and yet love his for
mer enemies, and call them country
men and friends. The South loved
and honored and trusted Gen. Gordon
because he had poured out his blood
like water, for her; and the North
opened her honest heart, and took
him in because it rightly understood
him to stand for a reunited country
and undying loyalty to the flag that
wave above us. Gen. Gordon routed
the Northerners in battle more than
once; but it was noble and grander
victory to bend their hearts in love,
land the shouts Of applause that greet
ed his broad and patriotic utterances
on Northern platform were sweete1
in his ear than the "yells" of triumph
even from the ragged ranks of gray.
!; Peace hath its victories, no less
:, renowned than war; -
, But perhaps after all, Gen. Gordon
will be best remembered by those who
knew him personally for his private
virtues. He was Christian gentle
, man OF the highest type, and his
: social qualities were OF the very finest
order. He made friends of everybody
he met, and seemed never 20 forget ;
name or face. He was genial an(
. communicative. He was a modest bu
: earnest Christian. His father was
Baptist minister, and Gordon himsel
was a member Of the Baptist church
until his marriage to devoted Meth
t OdiSt wife, when they both joined tn
: Presbyterian church together. A deel
o reverential attitude toward God AM
all religious things, was the prevailing
note Of Gen. Gordon S moral character
: He had profound regard, lamount
: ing to sort of chivalrous worship. 70
!, woman. This not only made hin
a great favorite everywhere with Ia
dies, who intuitively recognized i
e him those sentiments OF honor an
= respect that are the loftiest tribute t
+ their sex, but also invested his cha,
acter with sort Of romantic hale
He was the knightliest of tina
IS knightly race" of the old South, VIII
d held that woman was the last and th
@ noblest and the best creation of Coo
y and entitled to the homage of mar
John rCemnle Graves in his elOnuer