The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-12-07


General John i. Gordon, or any 'f
his sol;icrs lclonping to the iirst
company hc cumnarici, orta'iAcd by
iim IN ilabama, where lie resided in
Sol.
While i, :-,ruc ,ha, '',rI,n volun-
...ecrc,i in !r >cr,lcr Of II Cohfo der
lcyrrou Alabama it i, also a fact that
Ills first warlihe s,cp--his iir,, p..olic
act rlel.ins his armcd airport to he
,,ausc of the south was in tic city Of
...tlan:2, ia December, l-"p.
The story is worthy Of aplacc in the
annals q. those stirring day. Atthat
,.imc excitement was at fever heat in
t.ianta Before the presidential
election Colonel Thomas &. Howard
rooE che lead in organizing body of
mirute men," and the movement
vvas SO popular that about 400 citizens
enrolled their names.
The object q tho association, as
s,tuted by Colonel Alexander VI. Wal
lacc, late. egallant confederate officer,
whc Tss to organize body Of citizens
who would pledge themselves to stand
by the rights Of the southern states
againsta black republican government.
ltesolutions were adopted binding the
ereeting TO aid any southern state
that might secedc, to the last cxtrem
Ity.
DR.. Willis +. Westmoreland prcsi-
':i ever the meeting aand among
ascrs were Colonel Tom How
d Ivlpn"i Thomas l.. Cooper, Col
.oucl Ben Iancry and Colonel a. b.
Seals.
Many of the best citizens signed
che roll.
Early in December the minute men
held an enthusiastic meeting. Fiery
speeches were delivered aud rcsolu-
tions were adopted declaring that the
.alection of Lincoln made it necessary
Cor Georgia to scccdc.
Henry Rhodes, 90 years old, q sol
dicr under Jackson ut tho battle of
New Orleans, came all the way from
'Ireenc county to join the Atlanta
Minute Men.
The gallant veteran was the lion OF
the hour and his example fired the
hearts Of the young men and caused
them to enroll their names as rapidly
AS they could be called out.
In the crowd that night might have
been seen tall, splendid looking
young man, who, though stranger to
most of those around him made high
ly favorable impression upon all who
saw him.
He was passing through Atlanta to
his home in Alabama, and hearing of
toe meeting had been drawn there out
of curiosity, and on account of his
deep interest in every effort to as
sert and maintain the rights of the
south.
At an opportuno moment he briefly
explained that, while he was resident
of Alabama, the Minute Men of At
Canta 30 thoroughly represented his
continents that ho desired to join the
organization.
The remarks Of the chiyalric look
ing visitor were received with applause
and he at once signed the roll in a
bold hand name destined to become
samous in tho military and civic his
cory Of his country name Of John
D. Gordon.
On the night in question among the
new members were George S. Thomas,
Warren Jourdan.. w. It. c. Campbell,
Daniel Pittman, Thomas Nj. Clarke,
John w. Leonard, Ed Murphy and
Harry Krouse.
The graceful and handsome stranger
&rom Alabama remained in tho hall
several minutes after the adjournment
of the meeting, but among his old and
new acquaintances not single one
dreamed that the man before them
would rank among the greatest gener-
ais Of the age-would lead many of
the Atlanta Minute Men in Virgin
la-would be Gcorgia's senator and
governor and most honored citizen.
That was several weeks before Geor
sia seeded, but the temper Of the
people was such that they could not
wait for the formal action of the state
convention.
They wanted it known in advance
that their hands, hearts, fortunes and
Aives we're ready to be riskcd in the ef-
Fort to establish new republic in
which the state rights Of the south
would he duly guaranteed and pro